Five benefits of deploying employee satisfaction surveys in healthcare

Administering an employee satisfaction survey is a very effective instrument to gauge your staff’s engagement and satisfaction with their work. But there are even more compelling reasons to survey employees of your healthcare organization. For example, understanding and fostering your staff’s connection to the organization can help you predict the likelihood of success of organizational objectives, such as quality improvement.

Read on for five satisfaction survey benefits that you might not have thought of.

1. The results of the survey can be used to adjust the organizational strategy

Have you ever been surprised or impressed with a survey statistic, only to learn that the sample size was far too small to reach a valid conclusion? The same holds true for your employee satisfaction surveys. You’ll want to maximize responses to generate meaningful insights and feedback for the organization. The volume of responses, therefore, is actually more important than the scores within.

Glean valuable insights from as many staff members as possible to address issues including why employees leave the organization, or whether there are sufficient conditions for a particular group. For example, one organization sought to learn why older employees had more absenteeism, believing initially that employment conditions ( e.g., night work and not enough break time) were contributors. However, a survey revealed different causes for absenteeism than previously thought. The result was the implementation of policies that addressed the real causes of missed work time among older staff.

2.Continuous measurement provides valuable information for the targeted improvement of employee satisfaction

Taking small measurements regularly is valuable for capturing employees’ needs in a rapidly changing environment. With ongoing survey management, patterns emerge, and your HR department can gain valuable insights to increase employee satisfaction in a targeted manner.

In practice, it appears, for example, that employee satisfaction scores higher as soon as working according to protocols is abandoned. In order to properly monitor this process, it is interesting to measure employee satisfaction, so that direct and targeted adjustments can be made during this process.

Moreover, satisfaction surveys enable you to respond quickly to a current situation. COVID-19, for example, has severly tested the stamina of our clinicians and healthcare staff. We know that frontline healthcare professionals in particular may develop mental or emotional issues that can last for a long time unless they are properly addressed and treated. To gain timely insight, employers can directly measure employees’ COVID-19 experience using a short questionnaire to quickly receive feedback on how to tackle this crisis and guide healthcare workers in coping.

3. A good appreciation of employees contributes to the success of the organization

Seeking to increase satisfaction among your customers and achieve stronger financial results? Then look no further than your employees’ satisfaction and engagement. In fact, organizations with highly engaged employees score 22 percent higher in terms of customer satisfaction.

Committed and enthusiastic employees are crucial to helping you navigate changing environments, and often are the first to identify what actions can be done differently, faster, smoother, and better.

Satisfied and motivated employees ensure a better customer experience, deliver more added value because of their determination to serve customers, and drive high productivity and quality awareness. The opposite is also true. The success of the organization, or any organizational change, can be slowed by uninvolved employees. Successful organizations embrace the idea that employees are the heart of the organization.

4. Satisfied employees are less often ill

Research shows that enthusiastic people are optimistic and have high self-esteem. These personal "resources" are predictors of an individual’s ability to manage stress, thus reducing the risk of absenteeism.

The added value of enthusiastic employees is significant, and includes the following advantages:

• They often work longer than employees who are managed in a controlled manner. The difference between the two is internalized motivation versus committed motivation or; "I have to" versus "I want to."
• Enthusiastic employees persevere, and like to go the extra mile to help their customers, which in turn helps the organization move forward and grow.
• They excel at using effectiveness skills such as planning and organization, thus increasingly the quality of their work.

5. The survey provides insight into the reasons why employees resign

If you consider that a dissatisfied departing employee costs the company roughly the equivalent of his or her gross annual salary, you immediately know why it is so important to continue to monitor employee satisfaction. Of course the company loses valuable knowledge when staff leave voluntarily, but it also costs valuable time as a new employee must be recruited, onboarded, and trained. Using satisfaction survey data, you’ll gain insight into the reasons employees leave and can get to work on creating or amending policies that focus on the reasons for departure.

What is the purpose of an employee satisfaction survey?

Your employees are the foundation of your healthcare organization. Their satisfaction is crucial for your organization to thrive. But how can you truly grasp their needs? How do find out what drives them? And what obstacles do they encounter? This is where employee satisfaction surveys come into place.

By collecting input directly from your employees, you acquire valuable information that can mold your company's culture, boost efficiency, and propel overall organizational triumph. Employee satisfaction surveys offer a platform for your team to openly share their viewpoints, nurturing internal communication and trust.

Why employee satisfaction is important in healthcare

The five benefits already highlight that employee satisfaction is a crucial element for particularly the healthcare sector. That is because employee and patient satisfaction go hand in hand. If employees are dissatisfied, it transfer almost directly onto patients. The Covid-pandemic has highlighted employee satisfaction issues even more, ultimately resulting in more attention to working conditions and employee retention. Some may say too late because many healthcare professionals have left the industry, which shows that recognizing employee satisfaction is crucial for healthcare safety in general.

Additional resources on employee satisfaction

Blogs:

1. How to set up an employee satisfaction survey
2. 6 tips for motivating employees to help improve the quality of care

Software:

Learn more about our satisfaction survey application.

eBook:
Do you want to know more about creating motivation and engagement among healthcare employees, to further safety initiatives? Download our eBook about staff commitment today.