The competition for healthcare talent appears to be getting hotter, according to a new report from professional services firm Aon. In a survey between April and June, Aon found 40% of hospitals polled said they planned to accelerate hiring to meet the surging demand for medical services following pandemic lockdowns.
The findings are a stark contrast to cost-cutting measures hospitals put in place last year that resulted in furloughs, layoffs and the suspension of 401(k) and 403 (b) retirement plans.
“The top priority in 2020 was to mitigate rising costs for the employer — understandably, given the financial shock that health systems were reeling from,” Sheena Singh, senior vice president of Aon’s national healthcare industry practice, said. “Now, the pandemic has exacerbated a labor shortage that could impact patient care delivery, delay attainment of organizational objectives and accelerate burnout among clinical staff.”
The majority of hospitals polled by Aon listed burnout, employee work/life balance, financial stress for employees and diversity, equity and inclusion benefits as their top concerns in the coming months.
To recruit and retain staff, 77% of hospitals said they were aiming to cover 76% or more of their employees’ healthcare costs. Nearly all of those polled said they were offering tuition reimbursement plans and nearly 70% said they planned to offer flexible work options.
Aon polled 1,150 hospitals, representing more than 2.4 million employees for its annual benefits survey.
