Employee Retention Toolkit

Hiring a qualified and talented workforce and implementing a program to retain these employees is a key component of successful workforce planning. It generally costs more to hire and train a new employee than it does to retain an existing employee. Efforts to retain employees in most cases will have a positive impact on the bottom line as well as on the service provided to patients.

Retention efforts are most effective when they are tailored to the local community. Much can be learned from surveys, exit interviews, and turnover data, but often that is not enough. Effective retention also involves many aspects of the work environment and the employee relationship. A comprehensive retention program will identify areas of focus and it will include specific action items, time frames and ways to measure results.

This Minnesota Hospital Association Employee Retention Toolkit contains information in five content areas related to various aspects that impact retention:

• Career growth and development
• Culture and values
• Human resources
• New employee on-boarding
• Workplace design
• Retention toolkit self-analysis worksheet

Within each content area you will find real-life examples from Minnesota hospitals. Last, there is a self-assessment worksheet that will help identify areas for improvement and will lay out a process to implement specific action items. Download the toolkit and get started planning your retention program.