Editor's Note: This blog post was originally published in November of 2014. Because we have recently published new blog posts regarding the Healthcare industry, we feel it is advantageous to republish this blog post for easy accessibility and reference. This post is the 7th in a series of eight blog posts about engaging employees in the healthcare industry.

World at Work defines employee recognition as,"... the acknowledgment or special attention to an employee’s efforts or positive performance." Recognition meets an intrinsic psychological need for appreciation, and can support business strategy by reinforcing certain behaviors that can contribute to organizational success.

Healthcare: A Unique Marketengaging healthcare employees

Healthy organizations are consistently looking for new ideas to engage healthcare employees. I meet with hospitals and other healthcare organizations on a regular basis and I am still blown away by some of the amazing strides that these organizations have made regarding recognizing healthcare employees. I am lucky enough to experience different perspectives of employee recognition based on each system's unique culture and share those perspectives with others.

Healthcare is a very unique, vertical market. I would consider healthcare to have one of the most, if not the most, diverse employee population. There is a staff ranging from doctors and nurses to administrative and janitorial employees. These different groups all seem to have different personalities and goals. Gallup states that “only 13% of employees worldwide are engaged at work.” Therefore, the challenge is to find what is going to motivate your employees and also support your business strategies.

What Successful Healthcare Organizations Do to Engage Employees

I am sure you have heard this before - ”People don’t leave companies they leave managers.” Good managers consistently recognize a job well done with thank you notes, eCards, verbal recognition, and e-mails on a regular basis. This is second nature to them, and their employees appreciate the core value of recognition. They are inclined to work hard and go above and beyond to achieve organizational goals.

Successful organizations take it one step further to make sure to recognize those employees who go above and beyond. Employees are recognized for such things as:

  • Creating the best patient experience
  • High patient satisfaction scores
  • Bright ideas
  • High-value safety & quality suggestions

Finally, you need to make sure all employees are recognized for achieving personal and company milestones. Here are just a few examples:

  • Years of Service (Individual)
  • Employee of the Month/Year (Individual)
  • Gallup Award (Company)
  • Top 100 Places to Work (Company)

Meet the Total Recognition Platform

All of these ideas may sound simple, but obviously the big question is how to implement an employee recognition program to get employees excited while keeping administration costs to a minimum and track results. C.A. Short Company's Total Recognition Platform enables you to do just that.

Our platform gives you the capability of sending eCards to employees on a daily basis to recognize their efforts, and personal and professional celebrations. Total Recognitions also allows you to recognize employees who go above and beyond with Instant Award Cards. These are especially impactful because managers can present Instant Award Cards to the employees on the spot to highlight positive behaviors and recognize employees for their efforts. As a bonus, peers are apt to ask and question how the cards are earned, which ultimately increases the awareness of your program and instills motivation for peers to earn the same rewards.

Best of all? You can issue points to everyone within your organization for company milestones with a click of a button. The system works very similarly to your frequent flyer points or credit card points. Employees can redeem or bank these points for name-brand reward items.

At the end of the day, the Total Recognition Platform effortlessly allows you to positively recognize your employees while reinforcing behaviors that contribute to your organization's success.

Total Recognition Request a Consultation

At C. A. Short, we are your partner for increased employee engagement resulting in increased performance outcomes to grow your bottom line. Our process and research-based platform help you engage your team in order to increase your bottom line, motivate your staff to the benefit of the entire organization, and reward your people for the positive changes they make. To request a Complimentary Consultation, please click here. 

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