By Debbie Bunch
July 29, 2024
People have many reasons for leaving their jobs, and often, those reasons have little to do with the workplace itself. Maybe their spouse was transferred, or they just had a new baby, or they’ve decided to go back to school.
But sometimes notice is given for reasons that are all about the workplace. According to an article in Becker’s Hospital Review, Grant Thornton conducted a recent survey of 5,000 workers, including 500 who reported working in the healthcare field, revealed nine reasons workers consider leaving.
Topping the list for healthcare workers was “not feeling valued.” Overall, 31% cited this factor. “Wages not keeping up with inflation” came in at number two, cited by 27%, followed by “lack of support for my well-being” at 21%, and “benefits” cited by 17%.
The list was rounded out by “long work hours” (17%), “fear of being laid off” (17%), “lack of advancement opportunities” (16%), “work-life balance does not match my needs (16%), and “concern about job security” (15%).
Most people who work in health care — or any other field, for that matter — can understand why those factors would be cited as reasons for leaving.
So, what makes people stay in their current positions? Another study conducted by Patrick T. Ryan, CEO of Press Ganey, and Thomas H. Lee, MD, chief medical officer of PG Forsta, suggests organizational culture, including a commitment to excellence, is among the biggest factors.
“Our data on hundreds of thousands of physicians, nurses, and other caregivers in the United States show that pride in their work and loyalty to their colleagues are the strongest correlates of their readiness to stay with their organization and continue showing up for work,” they wrote in the Harvard Business Review. “Competitive pay and other support options are essential to recruiting caregivers, of course, but organizational culture, including a commitment to excellence, is what makes them stay.”
Simply put, organizations are more likely to retain people if they prioritize patient experience, quality and safety, and workforce engagement.
That feeds back into the findings of the Grant Thornton study, where “not feeling valued” topped the list of reasons why people leave. Clinicians want to work for organizations that acknowledge, appreciate, and support the important work they do for their patients.
