3 Ways to Stay Ahead in Workforce Planning in 2024

In the fast-paced world of healthcare, effective workforce planning is not just useful - it's imperative.

This week's newsletter covers three actionable strategies, including leveraging workforce technology like Abra, to help your organization stay ahead.

# 1 - Invest in retention strategies

The cost of employee turnover is often underestimated. It takes a toll on patient care, resource allocation, and overall operational stability.

In a competitive job market like healthcare technology, investing in retention strategies is critical to reduce turnover and increase your organization's reputation as a desirable employer.

Employee development and career growth opportunities contribute not only to increased retention and individual job satisfaction, but also to the overall advancement of patient care and clinician team support.

Providing avenues for continued learning and career progression ensure a workforce that is skilled, engaged, and committed to delivering high-quality patient care.

These retention strategies help form a solid start to nurturing a stable, content, and highly skilled healthcare workforce.

# 2 - Embrace the power of flexible workers

Flexibility is a clear advantage in navigating the evolving landscape of healthcare services. In the realm of healthcare, where demand can fluctuate, the ability to quickly scale up or down to meet your organization and individual team needs is paramount.

Whether addressing peaks in support needs or specialized projects, the versatility of a flexible workforce proves invaluable.

By efficiently staffing to the peaks and valleys of your team’s needs, you enhance your organization's ability to deliver without compromising on quality.

Embracing flexibility in Health IT staffing not only addresses the current needs of the industry but also positions your organizations as one that can easily adapt to future changes.

# 3 - Harness technology platforms to support hiring

In the ever-evolving landscape of healthcare, technology can play a huge role in efficient talent sourcing and effective workforce planning - that’s why we built Abra.

Launched in 2022, the Abra platform matches talent directly to employer hiring needs using criteria like skills, experience, requested pay, and availability.

With its intuitive self-service portal or through a complimentary Abra concierge, companies can access a curated pool of skilled professionals matched directly to their job details, allowing them to source the candidates they need right when they need them.

Our platform not only enhances operational agility but also optimizes costs, providing a strategic advantage for companies seeking to maintain efficiency in today's dynamic business landscape.

When a role is posted, the Abra algorithm creates matches using the data points that matter most. This reduces the manual sourcing and screening time for hiring teams, cuts through the noise for talent seeking opportunities, and saves employers an average of 30% on their cost to employ Health IT workers.

Abra currently serves health systems, consulting firms and staffing companies in the United States and is available to talent users across all 50 states.

Planning for the future while staying agile today

Staying ahead in healthcare workforce planning requires a multifaceted approach including investing in retention, embracing flexibility, and harnessing technology.

These strategies collectively contribute to a resilient and adaptable workforce. By remaining adaptive, healthcare organizations can navigate uncertainties, foster innovation, and ultimately ensure the delivery of exceptional patient care in an ever-evolving healthcare ecosystem.

Check out this case study of an Abra client who recently needed to hire a full Epic team on a new implementation, and they needed to do it quickly.

Here's how Abra delivered when put to the test for this client...

See the technology for yourself

Book a demo of the Abra platform today to see our skills matching technology in action and explore how you can increase hiring efficiency while saving 20-40% on your cost to employ Health IT talent.