6 Steps That Health Care Human Resource Administrators Use To Boost Performance

6 Steps That Health Care Human Resource Administrators Use to Boost Performance

In today’s health care environment, human resources concerns are demanding more attention from hospital administrators. [1] The Affordable Care Act (ACA) has created an increased workload for provider organizations working to meet new mandates designed to improve treatment outcomes.

When health care employees perform poorly, health care administrators use performance improvement plans (PIPs) to give struggling workers and opportunity to succeed and hold them accountable for the actions. [2] Uncovering the cause of poor performance is not a straightforward process; employees underperform for many reasons. The first step that administrators take is to have a candid

Here, administrators formally record performance issues using factual, unbiased language, while providing supporting facts that explain the severity and significance of the issue. It’s recommended that administrators use a standard format for all PIPs to protect the organization for liable threats.

Develop an Action Plan

Step two of the PIP encompasses developing a tentative action plan for improving the employee’s performance. During the initial meeting with the employee, administrators may adjust the plan based on employee feedback. By developing the plan collaboratively, health care administrators ensure plan clarity and encourage the employee to take ownership of responsibilities regarding the PIP. Most importantly, the action plan must include SMART goals, which are Specific, Measurable objectives that are Accurate, Relevant, and Time-bound.

Review the Performance Plan

The third step in the performance action plan is to meet with a superior or human resource executive to review the plan before meeting with the employee. This allows administrators to receive an impartial review of the plan and ensure that there is no biased language present in the document. The third party can also make sure that the PIP goals follow SMART guidelines. An important aspect of the SMART framework is the time requirement. Most SMART goals have a completion date that ranges from 30 to 90

Depending on circumstances, the meeting may take place at weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly intervals. During these meetings, discussion will take place regarding how the employee is conforming to the plan and the administrator will official record the outcome of each meeting. Additionally, employees should have the opportunity to ask questions and seek counsel. Finally, the administrator should take appropriate measures to ensure that there’s no unfair barriers to successful PIP compliance and that the employee has access to all resources that might help improve their work performance