Straight Talk for CHROs for Retaining Nurses & Other First-Responders

Last week we got an email that contained the following sentence:

We are a large healthcare organization and our nurses are leaving in droves due to the pandemic, so we are in a state of emergency with our nursing retention rates.

If you are like me, your first, emotionally-based thought would be “Who can blame them?”

We have since met with representatives of this healthcare organization, and during the course of our listening and learning this lesson became clear: When in the dark, employees seek light…and that light needs to come from their direct supervisor, the person they likely trust the most.

We have found that pandemic-burdened first responders who are making emotionally-based career choices fall into two categories: (1) Those who are so emotionally scarred by witnessing deaths and their own legitimate fears that they are smart to make a change, and (2) those who need to speak freely, be listened to, re-build trust up the organization chart, and then learn the facts about their safety at work. And these employees are more likely to stay.

The point is that many of the “obvious reasons” why people quit jobs are not so obvious. In this example, considering quitting because of pandemic fears does not mean those fears cannot be addressed and solved in many circumstances.

Way too many assumptions are made regarding the specific reasons why employees quit. For example, when I speak at conferences I ask audiences to raise their hands if they ever left a job because of pay, and about ten percent of hands go up. Then I ask if they ever left a job because they didn’t trust their boss…and about half the hands go up. In their exit interviews, how many of those employees who left because of a distrustful boss do you think instead said they were leaving for a “better opportunity”, for more pay or whatever? Then word circulates among the management team that low pay is causing turnover, versus the real reason of first-line supervisors who break trust.

This is why we never ask clients for their exit interview data. We know many employees tell safer stories when leaving so building any solutions on this data is ineffective.

But back to nurses…and all employees…during the pandemic. Many employees today are a bit off kilter…emotionally stressed more than usual…due to all of the pandemic’s influences on their lives. Just one example is our government reports Zoloft is in short supply. There has been no time in our lifetimes when employees needed to be listened to more. One-way, generic surveys won’t cut it because learning group opinions leaves you with potential group “solutions”, at a time each employee believes her own feelings and circumstances are unique.

We focus on three main skills when teaching supervisors to conduct Stay Interviews which are listening, probing for deeper information, and taking notes. We specifically instruct supervisors to avoid giving superficial answers to complex problems, and to also avoid telling why something can’t be done which never feels like a solution to employees. Instead just listen, probe, and take notes. And toss in a response or two that shows your true empathy. Solutions to complex issues must come later and they do.

Back to those pandemic-scarred nurses, lets identify the ones we can retain and keep them. Some need to be listened to by a boss who truly cares and has developed the skills to build trust. Others have specific concerns about safety such as a colleague who doesn’t follow newly-instituted procedures. And yet another group just needs a well-deserved break.

What these nurses do not need is a thing…a pay increase, a promotion, a special commendation, or more events with food. Sure, each of those sounds appealing depending on one’s interests, but THE thing that will make them stay is a caring supervisor who listens, probes, takes notes…and then solves that nurse’s specific concerns as best they can.

We’ve all heard that worn-out phrase, “People join companies but stay or leave because of people”. Let’s make the people who manage other people our strength, our reasons why others stay. Those who build Stay Interview skills and then apply them give us all our very best chance for retention, in pandemic times and all times.

Please email your comments to me at DFinnegan@C-SuiteAnalytics.com.  You are also welcome to forward this blog to anyone you believe would find it helpful.