HR in the Medical Industry

What is HR in the Medical Industry?

Human Resources is the conscience and heartbeat that holds the medical industry together. They attract, hire and staff the best and brightest professionals, construct attractive compensation and benefits packages that increase retention, and resolve employee relations that affect teamwork and the employee experience. HR employees in the medical industry put on Superman capes every day to keep everyone sane in the crazy industry we know as healthcare.

Why is HR in the Medical Industry Important?

HR is important in the medical industry to help balance the current volatility of the field with turnover, competition from the traveling nurse industry, and replacing aging and burned-out medical professions with ambitious new faces.

HR is also an important conduit between stakeholders and employees as the advocate of the employee and advisor to leadership and the executive staff. They can guide on best practices to help ensure success and make an organization an employer of choice.

HR in the medical industry is important for governing policies and procedures and tracking compliance by ensuring medical employees are current with licenses. They can also make sure organizations are practicing with the guidelines set by CDC, OSHA, and FLSA.

The Role of HR in the Medical Industry

HR helps set standards with hiring practices and procedures to ensure the organization attracts the most qualified candidates and retains them with competitive compensation and benefits packages. HR also helps medical professionals balance the dual role of being great clinicians with educating their business minds. By providing training and guidance regarding employee engagement, talent management, development, and employee-relations concerns, HR can help medical professionals succeed in both realms.

Challenges of HR in the Medical Industry

Challenge 1: Balancing Costs

A major challenge for HR in the medical industry is balancing organization and contract staffing costs with the rising salary requirements and lack of available candidates for certain jobs. The travel industry provides additional challenges as a medical professional can sacrifice stability and benefits to contract with travel companies to make more money than working for an organization.

Challenge 2: Career Burnout

Another challenge for HR in the medical field is combating career burnout among staff. The rigorous support required to ensure industry success and dealing with the concerns from medical staff about the sustainability of the profession takes its toll on everyone involved.

Challenge 3: Understanding the Procedures

HR in the medical field is also challenged by the resistance of medical professionals to understanding HR best practices and procedures. They are often resistant to the HR personnel who try to train them. While the medical professional’s sole focus is the care of the patient, the business side of patient satisfaction, such as following proper procedures to avoid legal liabilities, is just as important to organizational effectiveness.

Helpful Tips for HR in the Medical Industry

Tip 1: Have Stakeholder Trust & Support

A helpful tool for HR in the medical industry is to have stakeholder trust and support. With this they can carry out an HR platform tailored to their organization to ensure success at all levels from the executive staff to employees.

Tip 2: Learn Your Client Base

Another helpful tool is to learn your client base and schedule in-person and one-on-one sessions with clients. This will help you better relate and understand the industry so you can satisfy your clients’ needs and provide the best customer service.

Tip 3: Have a Good Work-Life Balance

Having a good work-life balance and incentives for your HR team is a powerful tool to keep them motivated, feeling appreciated, and ready to serve. This will help them have the best employee experience and provide high-quality customer service for everyone in the organization.