Understanding modern drivers of the employee experience in healthcare

Abstract

Employee engagement has been considered the guiding metric to convey the health, loyalty, and performance of the healthcare workforce. However, the pandemic created new challenges and stimulated deeper conversations around remote work, systemic racism, inclusivity, trust, well-being, and mental illness, which calls into question whether engagement alone is enough. Using an employee experience model deployed in other industries, we identified key drivers of six employee experience (EX) outcomes. We conducted a panel study with close to 5,000 nurses and physicians to identify and prioritize current key drivers specific to the healthcare employee experience. Relative weights analyses suggest that being treated with respect, strategic alignment, work-life balance, and growth and development are key themes in driving employee experience. Subsequent analysis revealed key differences across physician and nurse experiences, especially in relation to wellbeing, burnout, and intent to stay, where nurses scored significantly lower than physicians across these outcomes.