Healthcare reform and improving employee retention rates are top concerns of healthcare executives and human resources professionals, according to the results of the Healthcare HR Initiatives Survey.
Released last week by HealthcareSource and the American Society for Healthcare Human Resources Administration (ASHHRA), the survey also indicated that healthcare leadership is moving towards using technology solutions to help them achieve their goals.
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The survey, which was conducted in July 2013, was a five-question web-based questionnaire open to all U.S. healthcare human resources professionals and healthcare executives. Around 500 respondents participated in the survey, 16 percent of which were C-level or vice presidents, and 55 percent, directors or managers.
Top HR initiatives identified by survey respondents include streamlining HR processes, improving employee retention rates and planning for the effects of healthcare reform.
The increased concern about healthcare reform is likely related to the upcoming implementation of the health insurance mandate in the Affordable Care Act, said Rebecca McNeil, senior marketing manager at HealthcareSource.
“It’s significant that healthcare reform saw a big jump on the survey, particularly with senior leaders,” said McNeil.
[See also: Healthcare reform battle intensifies]
Compared to last year’s survey data, 10 percent more of the survey respondents claim that they are planning for the effects of healthcare reform in an attempt to reduce costs, said McNeil. The highest responses of those who believe preparing for healthcare reform is a top HR initiative to reduce costs comes from C-level executives at 80 percent, followed by 64 percent of directors and managers, and 56 percent of individual contributors, such as HR generalists.
Recruiters didn’t seem to think the effects of healthcare reform should be a top initiative in reducing costs, but that could be because they’re focus is on hiring for excellence rather than watching the budget, she said.
To achieve their HR initiatives, HR professionals and senior leaders are looking toward technology. Thirty-eight percent said they were thinking of adopting learning management systems and e-Learning content and 29 percent said they are planning within the next year to implement performance management software.
“With healthcare reform, those making decisions in HR need to make sure all of our processes are lean and efficient since it will actually count towards our bottom line and revenue. This all lends itself to becoming a more efficient organization as a whole,” said McNeil.