Leadership

Future-proofing your facility part two: Using external workers strategically

As part of a total workforce strategy, using external workers strategically is one of the quickest ways to help your organization grow while keeping quality of care high. It enables you to accommodate admissions requests, which have grown 10% since 2022, and reduce burnout and turnover by offering your team the flexibility they need and want

The problem is that many organizations use external workers on an emergency basis only, not as part of an overall workforce strategy. Those that do have a strategy, however, are seeing revenue increases, like $1.3 million per building, and higher engagement, like 71% more employee shift requests. Here’s how to build a strategy that works for your organization. 

Overcoming misconceptions about external workers 

Many hold beliefs about external workers that aren’t true. One common misconception is that external workers are not experienced, but in a recent survey, we found that 49% of independent professionals using the ShiftKey platform had been in healthcare for 10 or more years. 

Another misconception is that professionals who work per diem aren’t able to land full- or part-time jobs, but many simply choose to work this way or need the flexibility it provides. For example, 81% of healthcare professionals say that they have personal caregiving responsibilities, and 64% of them find it difficult to balance work and personal caregiving duties. One in three (32%) of our users wouldn’t be able to continue working in healthcare without the flexibility they find via ShiftKey, and more than half (53%) said that it helped enable their return to the healthcare workforce. 

External workers can also be seen as unreliable. If you have concerns about external worker reliability, using a technology solution that helps your team prioritize reliability can help. Noting external workers who are a good fit for your organization and quickly identifying those who don’t meet expectations can also help ensure you engage reliable external workers. (Independent professionals using the ShiftKey app have a median Reliability Score of 90%.) 

Consolidate your sources of external workers

Relying on multiple agencies or technology platforms introduces unnecessary complexities and wastes administrative hours. Some vendors may also charge surge prices, require buyout fees or have other hidden fees.

Fortunately, consolidating sources of external workers can save you time and money. With fewer vendors, schedulers no longer have to manage multiple platforms, processes and agencies. Administrators enjoy streamlined workflows, since there are fewer reports and invoices to review. And corporate leaders get full visibility into external-worker spend to assist with goal setting and business strategy. Additionally, consolidating sources of external workers can help teams spot potential hiring needs, as they can easily see when those workers are being used to fill gaps in care.

Proactively include external workers in your workforce plan

Using independent professionals to support your employees and growth goals, rather than relying on them for emergency coverage only, is quite different from the cycle of agency dependency. When you’re in a cycle of agency dependency, intensive hiring is followed by high turnover, and high turnover leads to high agency usage. That crisis loop can exhaust your resources and end in financial strain. To get out of the cycle, use external workers to increase employee satisfaction levels, decrease burnout and reduce turnover.

The top way 82% of healthcare workers manage stress is by spending time with family, yet 94% of healthcare workers have made significant personal sacrifices for their careers, including missing weddings and funerals — key family events. Bringing in external workers can enable you to offer your employees the flexible hours, scheduling and PTO they desperately need. Inadequate coverage also is a major culprit of burnout: 62% of healthcare workers are experiencing it right now. Call on external workers to make sure that your team is not overworked.

Here’s how to cultivate a care network of trusted external workers: Whenever an external worker completes a shift, ask employees and residents for feedback so you can identify workers that your team can depend on.

Building your external worker strategy

Our first post in this series discussed auditing your usage of external workers. It’s also critical to audit any agencies or technology solutions you use, and our Executive Buyer’s Guide” can help. After that, you can start implementing the changes that make sense for your organization. If you need some guidance, schedule a free consultation. We pride ourselves on being a trusted workforce partner, and we’re here to help you succeed.