For those in the trenches, the healthcare skills gap likely comes as no surprise. You’re well aware of the positions you’re struggling to keep filled and the challenges you’re facing in finding and retaining top talent.
But the situation is a bit more nuanced than we typically discuss. It’s not that there aren’t enough people to fill open roles. It’s that the people who may be available often don’t have the skills we need to fill them. In healthcare those skills gaps can include everything from clinical skills, to proficiencies in new technologies, to soft skills like effective communication and empathy.
Learning Lessons from Walmart
Healthcare isn’t the only industry feeling the pinch, of course. We can all learn from each other as we take steps to close these gaps.
For instance, I recently read about a project being led by Walmart to create a common skills taxonomy—moving away from strict educational requirements for certain positions to focus more on skills-based approaches. In fact, Forbes recently reported that Walmart has indicated that 75% of its roles in the U.S. no longer require degrees.
Walmart’s Chief People Officer Donna Morris says that the effort to create a “shared skills taxonomy” will “make those skills more transferable for workers without degrees, help training providers better understand what’s needed and assist employers with recognizing qualified candidates.” The companies involved include Bank of America, Verizon, Accenture and Microsoft.
There are, of course, many clinical positions in healthcare that absolutely require certain types of degrees and certifications. But, there are also many, many roles in healthcare organizations that may not. Consider that allied health professionals are estimated to make up about 60% of the healthcare workforce. With adequate support staff, professionals like nurses can work to the top of their licenses.
Not all of those roles require formal degrees—or the level of education you may currently be requiring.
Filling the Gaps
A better understanding of the skills and competencies required for the various roles in your organization—both clinical and non-clinical —can not only help you be more targeted in your recruitment efforts, but can also help you grow talent from within, offering key development opportunities to staff while ensuring a strong pipeline of talent.
Managers need to look for clues that their team members may have other interests and, with the right training and development opportunities, be poised to move into new roles.
For instance, maybe someone in a customer service role is interested in nursing—maybe they had dreamed of being a nurse, but had given up on that dream. But, maybe they could move into a nursing assistant role. Maybe a nursing assistant would like to earn a nursing degree. Understanding individual goals and interests can help you engage and retain employees who might otherwise seek opportunities elsewhere. Meeting their needs with both in-house and other training resources can help you keep these individuals on board while addressing your skills gap challenges.
Just last week, I had the pleasure of meeting a bright, energetic and enthusiastic patient care tech who started as a housekeeper. Someone spotted her zeal and nurtured her talent. She has been with her organization for over 16 years and is completing her Associate’s Degree in nursing. Her plan? To stay in the organization that nurtured her growth.
Identifying Your Skills Gaps
Have you taken a strategic look at your workforce to determine the skills you actually need in key positions, whether you have those skills in-house, and where the gaps are? Armed with this information you can think, strategically, about how you will fill the gaps with both internal and external talent, and training opportunities, with a focus that goes beyond degree requirements to consider the kind of skills taxonomies that will meet your organization’s needs. Walmart’s project may be a good starting point for learning and discussion.
Filling skills gaps strategically and creatively will not only benefit your organization and your patients, but your employees. It’s a win-win-win in an environment where top skills are becoming increasingly hard to find.
(Despite real skills gaps that need to be addressed, some healthcare organizations are also facing the need for layoffs—our next blog discusses this conundrum and how to navigate the challenges.)
Tags: Employee Engagement, employee retention, filling skills gaps, human resource management, skills gaps, skills gaps in healthcare, skills taxonomy
