Train Them Until They Quit?

We all know how important training is going to be in Healthcare IT the next few years as very few organizations have experienced implementing and optimizing EMR systems.  With that in mind I ask you, is there some merit to training your employees with the intention of having them use those skills to leave your company?  It appears so.  An article posted on the CNNMoney website shares the story of one man who is helping his employees realize their career goals, no matter what those goals might be, while growing a loyal client base.

The following tweet by one of my favorite thought leaders on Twitter, Kelly Long, both hit me hard and motivated me.

I often discuss the importance of motivation.  Your employees need to know that they matter, that you are taking the time to know them as individuals, and that they are being challenged.  Through his training program at My Maid Service in Ohio, Derek Christian accomplishes all three.  With the help of a consultant, Christian developed a plan to reduce the turnover rate of the employees who cleaned homes for him.  He meets one-on-one with each of his employees, discovers their career goals, and then helps them develop an appropriate plan.  Christian pays for the necessary training classes and, in return, the employees agree to stay with My Maid Service for two years.  With employees typically leaving after four months, this increased length of employment made for quite an improvement!  Clients felt more comfortable hiring a company that was not bringing new people into their homes every few months.

We’ve seen other examples of similar incentive programs.  Some states or districts and even the federal government offer student loan forgiveness for graduates who agree to teach in the public schools for five or ten years.  Employees at a college often can take courses at that institution for little or no cost.  In the instance of My Maid Service, though, the training being offered does not directly benefit that company.  The reward instead is simply the loyalty and longevity of many experienced employees, which always lead to better business.  What a great concept!

What commitment would you be willing to make if an employer was willing to train you on a new EMR?  Have you heard of any employers that are advertising that they will train you on an new EMR?

About the author

Joe Lavelle

Joe Lavelle is the Co-Founder of intrepidNow. Prior to that Joe was an accomplished healthcare IT executive and career coach with a record of successfully meeting the business and technology challenges of diverse organizations including health plans, health delivery networks, health care companies, and several Fortune 500 companies.

Joe is also the author of Act As If It Were Impossible To Fail, available on Amazon.

5 Comments

  • Joe,

    Very thought-provoking! As the gap between supply and demand of experienced and certified professionals widens, I’m starting to see astute facilities begin to hire for talent, and then provide certification opportunities. I’d be interested in learning what type of commitment these arrangements generally require – hopefully we’ll learn through subsequent comments!

    G.

  • Excellent post Joe! Simple questions asked by leadership have a huge impact on an organziations direction and culture.

  • I was surprised you didn’t mention the indirect benefit to the company of having those well-trained employees leave, grow their careers in other companies, and evolve into decision makers with a warm spot in their hearts for the company that got them started. One of the dictums in medical residency programs is “Always treat the residents well; you never know which one might become your boss” (or your customer.)

  • Thanks Gwen and David! I am seeing some of the craziness that happened in the DOT COM era come back where people are getting 20% salary jumps to move. It will be interesting to see if the craziness reaches the same heights as the late 90’s.

  • Hi Al and thanks for your comments. You are exactly right. 15 years later, I still talk about the training that I received at Accenture and I still have a healthy respect for the company.

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