Healthcare Workforce: Challenges and Strategies for Managing Generational Diversity

This article discusses the challenges faced by healthcare leaders in managing generational diversity in the workforce and provides strategies to enhance collaboration and retention. It explores the characteristics and expectations of different generations and offers insights on attracting new talent in the healthcare industry.

Healthcare Work Force
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Table of Contents
Introduction.................................................................................................................................................3
Main Content..............................................................................................................................................3
Conclusion.................................................................................................................................................10
References.................................................................................................................................................12
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Introduction
The main concern of hospital leaders is the issue related to the need for enhancing the
development of the health care workforce. Hospitals have been warned from many years about
the growing shortage of physicians and nurses and the challenges that hospitals may face while
treating patients in the future (Arpa, 2013). The demand for general practice doctor,
nonphysician practitioners and nurses have been increasing rapidly and putting great pressure on
the system that is already facing a shortage of many care providers. It is necessary for the
country to expand the health care workforce not for today but also for tomorrow. The workforce
of nurses, doctors, and other caregiving is made of dedication, caring, and highly trained
individuals. Patients expecting a high level of care as the shortage of professionals are increasing
and creating challenges for hospitals. The situation could be worse if such professionals are not
going to be found to replace and relieve the current level of nurses and doctors. Hospitals are
going to be forced for relying on their existing staffs for working in longer shifts. It could make
the working condition of caregivers more challenging and moral will get damages without
appropriate staffing levels. There are two related challenges which are being faced by the
hospitals that are work to be sure that they have properly trained and enough workforce for
providing high-quality care to the communities and patients (Batra, 2017).
Main Content
Compares different generation in the workplace
Everything related to work is changing and the way which has been used in the 20th Century to
manage that cannot be used in the 21st Century. There are five generations in the workplace
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working together after generation Z entered the workforce in the year of 2017. The five
generations are traditionalists who born before 1945, baby boomers born between 1946 to 1964,
generation X born between 1965 to 1980, generation Y or millennials born between 1981 to
1995 and Generation Z who born between 1996 to 2012 (Erdmann-Sullivan, 2019). All of these
generations have come to maturity at a very specific time in history and socio-economic, culture
and political atmosphere in which they grew up is playing an important role in shaping their
beliefs, outlook, and perspective on what work mean to them. There were three generations were
working with each other in the 20th century and their outlook was completely different, however,
the way of work was fully skilled and the way of managing a business was similar.
Baby Boomer: Baby boomer has more expendable income and less tech fluency in compare to
the younger generation (Eversole, Venneberg & Crowder, 2012). It has been said that they do not
like to appreciate convenience any less. This generation considered to be the most ideal primary
care providers. This generation prefers the recommendation from word-of-mouth for
influencing, and from whom, they look for healthcare. Baby Boomer considered being more
brand faithful in compare to the younger generation and they can also extend their loyalty in
return for providing quality care and coverage. Work is an exciting adventure for this generation.
They are considered to be workaholics who work properly and discovery personal fulfillment
and meaning in work.
Generation Xers: This generation of people can be considered a slacker generation. They are
very responsible for creating the work/life balance concept and often question authority figures.
This generation of people is born in a time of declining population growth. The workers of
generation X has a strong grip on technical skills and independent than the prior generation
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(Forbes Coaches Council, 2019). They give lower priority to work and that is the reason that
many company leaders from Boomer generation consider these workers as not dedicated
employees. Though, the people of Gen X are always ready to develop their skills sets and prefer
taking challenges. They also seem to be very adaptive to job variability in the post-downsizing
environment.
Millennial or Generation Ys: This group of people considered to be the first global-centric
generation. They are at an age when the internet is growing rapidly and also an increase in global
terrorism. The Millennials are the most educated generation of workers today with significant
knowledge of technology (Fuatai, 2012). They are also considered to be team-centric generation
as they have spent much of their times with music, sports, and recreational activities to keep
themselves occupied and at the while, their Boomer parents used to focus on work. However,
they are influenced by Boomer parents for working hard and setting goals in order to achieve the
lifestyle they want.
Generation Z: Gen Z has more advantages than Gen Y as they are more realistic instead of
optimistic. They are more concern about their carrier and can also adopt new technologies that
can help them in working more effectively. This generation is fully prepared and more equipped
to the success as they have seen how much Gen Y has struggled in the recession. The oldest
Millennials are thirty-five years old and they can still be considered as a youthful force. It could
be beneficial for Healthcare employers of having two young generations to work with each other
effectively (Haugen & Musser, 2013). Gen Z is looking for full-time employment and also going
to bring new expectation to the Healthcare, such as training through digital resources, work from
home facility and consistent consecutive feedback from their supervisor and managers.
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Strategies
The difference in generations may cause multiple problems and affect an efficient relationship
between the workforce and health care leaders. The most important concern and challenge for
healthcare leaders manage generation diversity, like workforce difference in diversity, work
ethics, and habit, values and belief, and expectations (Hunter, 2014). Evidence supporting is
being provided by the matrix of generational characteristics between communication and
interaction. The health care team requires evaluating and scrutinizing how effectively they work
in a team. The ideal employee of health care requires interconnecting and accepting rapidly to
the dynamics of the group and contributing to the charge or program.
Harmony in the workplace
This is the first time when all four generations of nurses are working with each other, baby
boomers, generation x, millennials, and Generation Z. The generation diversity in a clinical
workgroup is more likely to be a gift as each of the generations is bringing unique talent to the
table. This diversity of generations can help in providing more culturally sensitive care to the
multigenerational patient (John, 2013). In order to utilize the strength of these generations, an
organization requires understanding their differences as it can help in maintaining and
establishing a cohesive workplace relationship. The traditions nurses are often found to be too
loyal to their organization. It is common for these nurses that they have only worked for one or
two healthcare organizations in their entire career.
They have been loyal to the mission of the organization as important for their professional
exercise. Face to face meetings are more preferable for them and they hardly prefer email or
texting service for communication (McAuliffe & McAuliffe, 2012). A healthcare organization
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needs to include traditional nurses in information and communication that should be relayed in
person. The nurses from baby boomers generations are known for their optimistic attitude, strong
work ethic and loyalty for their workplace. The last batch of baby boomers will become 65 years
old in 2029. After getting retired they might go for planning for succession by engaging
generation millennial and X nurses who might get benefit from their wealth of experience.
The nurses of Generation X are flexible, independent and informal. This generation prefers email
and texting services for communication over the formal face to face communication. In order to
increase the cohesiveness between the team, the nurses of generation X requires to spend time
with baby boomers colleagues for improving their skills of face to face communication. The
nurses from the millennial generation are technically savvy and confident and also expected from
them to respond rapidly through electronic communication (Scheffler, 2016). They have been
using email and texting service for communication and using acronyms and abbreviations while
texting that could be frustrating for the nurses who are from boomer generation as they are not
familiar with such type of English language. Millennials require avoiding the use of acronyms or
abbreviation to facilitate effective communication with the people who are from other
generations. The use of acronyms or abbreviation is also widely unaccepted by the healthcare
facility. The other generations also require providing anticipated response time regarding any
communication or questions to millennials so that will be able to plan accordingly.
Retain skilled workers
Strengthen Baby Boomers’ essential role as respected and as a trainer or adviser to the younger
generation. Baby Boomers can be retained by providing ongoing training opportunities that can
help them in diversifying and increasing their skill set. According to a study somewhat around
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60% of Baby Boomers leave their job because of health issues or acquired disability
(Schlichting, 2012). Healthcare organizations are required to consider their office space, their
building, and the tools and the technologies that could support Boomers as they have been facing
increased physical limitations. Healthcare organizations might consider offering part-time work
opportunities to Boomers where they will be able to earn a partial salary and at the same time,
other employees will get continuous training from them.
Healthcare organizations can retain Gen X by offering the position of leadership where
leadership is due. This generation is considered to be the bridge between both generations
Boomers and Millennials and it also strengthens them. They can also be given the independence
and freedom to follow their entrepreneurial natures within their department and organization.
Healthcare organizations require to reward and identify the contribution of Gen X, both in work
and pay. The key to retaining them is providing with high-profile projects and competitive bonus
and salary (Seemiller & Grace, 2017). Their demand for Gen X between aging loved once and
children are increasing rapidly that is also increasing their stress. Organizations are required to
provide benefit and flexibility in order to support them for managing both sides of the care.
It has been found that millennials make up the largest generation in the labor force of the world.
It is very difficult to retain or engage them. The healthcare organizations should recruit
millennials as this can help them in understanding this generation and how they are different
from Baby Boomers. Millennials seek for development and they consider their manager as a
coach. Millennials are more susceptible to job hopping. This is because millennials always look
for growth and development. It is important for a healthcare organization to provide them
enough opportunities to enhance their skills and this the only way to keep them around.
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Additionally, millennials seek for feedback consistently. Organizations should implement a more
frequent loop for feedback as the traditional annual review process cannot work anymore.
Organizations might implement perks like student loan repayment or tuition reimbursement plan
that can make them think that the organization values their education. It is important for a
healthcare organization to update their technology as millennials are more comfortable with
modern technologies and expecting to have the same at their workplace (Shandler, 2009).
Generation Z is more like millennials as they are also tech-savvy. They are very fast in adopting
new technologies. However, there is a difference between them as Gen X understands ownership
more clearly than millennials and also wants to own a business. Healthcare organizations require
focusing on improving their technology as this is the most important key for retaining Gen X.
The people of Gen X focus on contributing and also value the idea of having a purpose. This
generation gives value to diversity. Healthcare organization should encourage diversity to be
creating an organizational structure that endorses interdependence between functions.
Attract new employees
It is important for hospitals to have the technology of the 21st centuries in order to attract new
talents. Once the employees are onboard, hospitals require working with them in order to fill the
long term needs of talent. Organizations require to make individuals career path that should be
the combination of an employee's long-term goal and the organization’s need. Then these career
paths required to be linked with development plans and specific learning objects so that the
objectives can be visible to the talent. Employees should receive regular feedback from their
superiors so that they can keep themselves motivated. Appraisals on regular can also help in
enhancing their performance and can also attract new employees. Employees need to be made
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aware of opportunities for advancement and also require to be awarded for good work. Hospitals
should also make the process easy for applying for jobs within the organization for the
employees. Candidates often do proper research about the employer before applying for the job.
The primary mission of most of the healthcare organizations is providing care to the patients but
there are few organizations that showcase their culture and values via social media or within the
job description.
Organizations require posting honest inventory about their organization's online reputation and
they should take the required steps to fix it. Hospitals should also make it easy for the candidate
to apply. Offering such programs that can help employees in managing their stress can also
attract those candidates who are aware of the pressure of the healthcare environment. The
environment of a hospital can be stressful and busy, especially for newcomers. An employee
who is facing problem in adopting or have not been provided with the resources to understand
and flourish to his or her new environment then there is a high probability that the individual is
going to look for a new position (Strategist, 2015). Hospitals should help their new employees in
getting connected and should get values that can prevent them from leaving the job and also
contribute more. Salary and benefit are the two most important thing which is being considered
by healthcare workers while applying for the job, but whether they are going to stay or not
depends on their workplace experience.
Conclusion
There are five generations in the workplace working together after generation Z entered the
workforce in the year 2017 and they are very fast in adopting new technologies. Baby Boomers
are considered to be the most ideal primary care providers. Gen X is very responsible for
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creating the work/life balance concept and often question authority figures. And Millennials are
the most educated generation of workers today with significant knowledge of technology. The
most important concern and challenge for healthcare leaders are to manage generation diversity,
like workforce difference in diversity, work ethics, and habit, values and belief, and expectations.
This is the first time when all four generations of nurses are working with each other, baby
boomers, generation x, millennials, and Generation Z.
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References
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