Home

Results of ASHHRA/HealthcareSource 2011 Healthcare HR Initiatives Survey Published

HR leaders in U.S. healthcare organizations weigh in on priorities to support strategic goals of cost reduction, patient satisfaction, and patient safety

Chicago, IL and Woburn, MA –July 7, 2011 – The American Society for Healthcare Human Resources Administration (ASHHRA) and HealthcareSource®, the leading provider of talent management software solutions for the healthcare industry, announced the results and findings of their joint online 2011 Healthcare HR Initiatives Survey.

Conducted from May 1 through June 30, 2011, the Web-based survey was open to all U.S. healthcare professionals, who provided their answers and comments online at www.yourhrinitiatives.com. A total of 234 qualified respondents participated.

Hosted by HealthcareSource and co-sponsored by ASHHRA, the 2011 Healthcare HR Initiatives Survey solicited input from healthcare human resource professionals on the top initiatives for reducing costs, improving patient satisfaction, and patient safety. The survey also identified challenges they’re facing, as well as new technology they are planning to deploy to help their initiatives to succeed.

“As healthcare moves to accountable care model, with reimbursements tied to patient satisfaction and safety, with even greater pressure on costs containment, healthcare providers are focusing on talent management initiatives to get their workforce aligned with these challenging changes. What we’ve learned through the survey, and speaking with clients from our client base of 1,500+ hospitals, is that healthcare organizations simply can’t reduce costs, improve patient satisfaction, and patient safety without proactive initiatives led by HR. This survey helps HR professionals compare themselves with others and to focus their efforts on the more important initiatives,” said Michael DiPietro, Vice President, HealthcareSource.

“While the quantitative results of the survey gives voice to the focus of healthcare HR professionals, we were especially impressed by the number and quality of best practices examples provided by survey respondents,” said Stephanie Drake, Executive Director of the American Hospital Association’s ASHHRA personal membership group. “It’s clear that HR departments are increasingly seen as key influencers in developing and implementing initiatives to positively impact hospitals’ most strategic objectives.”

Results of the 2011 Healthcare HR Initiatives Survey

Participants in the 2011 Healthcare HR Initiatives Survey were asked to choose one or more responses in each of five categories. Responses were developed with input from a group of HR professionals. The top four responses for each category were:

What are your HR Initiatives to cut costs?

  1. Streamline HR Processes (69% of respondents chose this)
  2. Improve retention rates (66%)
  3. Reduce reliance on agencies and temporary workers (34%)
  4. Redesign compensation and benefits plans (32%)

What are your HR initiatives to improve patient satisfaction?

  1. Improve employee satisfaction/employee engagement (75%)
  2. Create a culture of employee accountability (75%)
  3. Create a service-oriented culture (72%)
  4. Align our workforce with our organization’s mission and core values (64%)

What are your HR initiatives to improve patient safety?

  1. Improve workforce education and development (67%)
  2. Improve employee satisfaction (60%)
  3. Identify and manage out low performers (59%)
  4. Improve retention rates (49%)

Biggest challenges with achieving your HR initiatives?

  1. Not enough time to focus on the important projects (62%)
  2. Too many competing initiatives (56%)
  3. No budget to implement programs (47%)
  4. Inefficient systems, inadequate technology (43%)

What new technology are you planning to adopt to achieve your HR initiatives?

  1. Performance management (appraisal) software (36%)
  2. Social Media for recruiting (32%)
  3. Time and Attendance/Workforce Scheduling Absence (24%)
  4. Behavioral Assessments (24%)

Survey Results Available

The results of the survey were delivered in a live webinar on July 7, 2011, co-presented by Stephanie Drake, Executive Director of ASHHRA and Michael DiPietro, Vice President of HealthcareSource. Ms. Drake and Mr. DiPietro moderated an interactive panel featuring:

  • Lydia Ostermeier, Director, Indiana University Health & President, NAHCR
  • Jeff Payne, VP of HR, Lakeland Regional Medical Center & past President, ASHHRA
  • Greg Maras, VP of HR, Meadville Medical Center
  • Bradley Savoy, Founder and Partner, Lean Human Capital
  • Katherine Jones, Ph.D., Director of Research, Bersin & Associates

A white paper with full details of the survey results will be available for download for those who participated in the survey and others who register at www.yourhrinitiatives.com. A replay of the webinar and additional educational resources will also be available at this site.

About ASHHRA

Founded in 1964, ASHHRA is a personal membership group of the American Hospital Association (AHA) and has more than 3500 members nationwide. It leads the way for members to become more effective, valued, and credible leaders in healthcare human resources. As the foremost authority in healthcare human resources, it provides timely and critical support through research, learning and knowledge sharing, professional development, products and resources, and provides opportunities for networking and collaboration. For more information about ASHHRA, visit our website at http://www.ashhra.org/.

About HealthcareSource

With over 1,500 healthcare facilities as clients, HealthcareSource®is the leading provider of talent management software for the healthcare industry. Through its software-as-a-service solutions, HealthcareSource helps healthcare organizationssource, hire, assess and developthe best workforce possible in order to reduce costs and to improve patient satisfaction and safety. The company’s talent management solutions include applicant tracking, onboarding , performance management, behavioral assessments,physician recruiting, video interviewing and a leading healthcare job board. A private corporation, HealthcareSource focuses exclusively on the healthcare industry and consistently earns high marks for client satisfaction and retention. For more information visit www.healthcaresource.com, call 800.869.5200, or email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

###

Media Contacts:

Patrick Rafter for HealthcareSource
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
617-901-2697

Sharon Allen for ASHHRA
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
312-422-3722