Why Staff Retention is so Important for Physical Therapy Clinics
According to the APTQI, around 22,000 physical therapists left the workforce in 2021, with an expected need for 15,400 new positions annually through the next decade. With current staffing shortages, it’s never been more important to keep your team feeling engaged, valued, and content in the workplace. So how do you do this?
10 Ways to Engage and Retain Your Physical Therapy Team
- GET & RESPOND TO FEEDBACK: Ongoing employee feedback is key to driving your employees’ professional development. A culture of feedback is only possible when we learn to give feedback in impromptu moments, not just during annual reviews.
- WORK/LIFE BALANCE: A healthy work-life balance drives engagement, productivity, and retention. A healthy work-life balance involves the minimization of work-related stress and establishing a sustainable work-life while maintaining health and general well-being.
- EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION: If employees are happy and have high job satisfaction they are more likely to succeed in their job and stay longer with the company. Employers can improve employee satisfaction rates by actively listening, demonstrating care, and encouraging employee development.
- DEVELOPMENT PLAN: An employee development plan is a beneficial tool that is used to help employees grow personally and professionally. Offering professional development opportunities can lead to better employee retention and be attractive to potential candidates.
- SURPRISE PERKS: Having staff lunches is a great way to further develop your relationship with your employees. Even better, surprise your employee with their favorite candy or Starbucks drink to acknowledge a job well done and to show that you pay attention to what they like.
- EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES: Community service is a great way to step outside the clinic and make a difference in your community. Philanthropical efforts are more important to employees than ever.
- COMPENSATION: Help them understand what their compensation represents. Is it market-based, performance, or tenure? To make this conversation less uncomfortable, you need to understand and believe in the approach you and your leadership take toward compensation.
- CREATIVITY: Have high cancellations or a problem with new patients not showing up? Challenge your employees to develop innovative ways to help solve a workplace problem. When employees do the same tasks every day, it can be easy for them to become unmotivated. Involve them in problem-solving and allow them to be creative and have fun.
- TAKE AN INTEREST: Take the time to get to know your employees and their interests outside of work. Ask them about the game, race, etc.
- SPECIAL PROJECTS: Employees want to feel valued in the workplace. If an employee is routinely assigned tedious or uninteresting tasks, they may feel undervalued. Assign a project an employee can take charge of and show how much you value their input.
Staff retention is a pillar in having a successful physical therapy clinic. Our human resources and operational teams support partnerships experiencing difficulties retaining staff. For more information about our partnership model or to take your physical therapy business to the next level, reach out for more information.
