New beginnings are exciting for everyone — but especially so for healthcare professionals.
When it comes to a new hire’s first day on the job, there is so much to learn: where’s the bathroom, what does my rotation schedule look like, when’s lunch… On the other hand, you have the administrative team at a post-acute care facility who has a considerable list of tasks for new employees to accomplish. That doesn’t even include the patients who would appreciate another set of hands on the floor!
A good onboarding process directly correlates to a facility’s ability to retain their talented employees. In our 2023 State of Healthcare Hiring Report, we found that 81% of respondents who reported having a good onboarding experience also reported being loyal to their employer, while only 53% who had a less than satisfactory onboarding experience said the same.
Read on to explore the importance of onboarding new healthcare hires and what you can do to make the process more efficient at your facility.
Why is onboarding important in the healthcare industry?
For healthcare workers, there’s more to onboarding than just claiming a work locker or figuring out how to clock in. The most important aspect of onboarding new healthcare employees is making sure that you, as a facility, maintain compliance with state and federal regulations by conducting mandatory training on HIPAA policies and cybersecurity risks. Beyond that, onboarding is important so that new healthcare hires can acclimate to their new employer’s operating procedures and familiarize themselves with where necessary items are.
What you can do to make onboarding more efficient
While you can’t make every step of healthcare onboarding more convenient for you and your newest employees, there are strategies you can use to make the process more efficient.
Collect documents ahead of time
Where you can, collect documents ahead of a new hire’s first day. There are already certain tasks that your team will need to complete in person, so make it easier on everyone by using a document collection tool to gather certificates and other records from employees. By starting the process ahead of time, you’ll be able to catch any strays on the first day who might have overlooked submitting their paperwork and you’ll be able to get people on the floor that much faster.
Utilize onboarding checklists for your team
Keep your onboarding organized with checklists for your hiring team. Make sure that all of your post-acute care facilities are equipped with this simple tool to ensure compliance across all of your branches. Checklists will help your hiring team and new employees know what to expect next while keeping onboarding on a visible timetable for completion. As we mentioned earlier, there are certain tasks that must be completed to remain compliant; checklists are another way you can ensure that this is done at each of your facilities to avoid costly fines.
Digitally onboard where you can
Considering the tasks that need to be completed in-person, like HIPAA and cybersecurity training, post-acute care facilities need to be smart during their onboarding process — which is why so many have opted to start digitally onboarding where they can. With a digital onboarding process, your new hires will be able to fill out critical paperwork like I-9s, W-2s, and more ahead of their first day so that they can be more productive faster at the facility. Plus, having employees enter this information themselves eliminates the room for human error to occur if your hiring team manually enters data into HR and HRIS systems themselves.
Takeaways
When it comes to your post-acute care facility’s onboarding process, you need to make it as easy for new hires to easily navigate so you can remain compliant and get them on the floor providing care to patients faster. With these tips, you’ll be able to start new employees on the right foot faster.
Need help creating an effective onboarding experience at your facility? Schedule a time for a personalized demo of Hireology’s platform to see how we can improve your procedure today!
