Non-clinical staff in the NHS are a crucial part of what keeps the organisation ticking like clockwork, they make up around 50% of the work force in the NHS, but in a fast paced and often stressful environment, the efforts of these hard-working people can often go unseen. This isn’t because they don’t do a good job, or because leaders don’t want to praise them, but simply because with so many people working for them, managers struggle to see and take time to call out a job well done.
In the same vein, those who are overwhelmed and struggling with their workload may also slip through the cracks, and not get the support they need to get back on track. They may be afraid to take their problems to their manager, or they might not feel like their manager has the time to listen to them.
With so many non-clinical roles in the NHS, how can we ensure that the hard work and dedication of employees such as reception staff, cleaners, administrative personnel, porters, HR, security, catering, 111/999 call handlers and many more are recognised and nurtured?
Advanced Performance Management facilitates continuous performance management at your healthcare organisation, meaning you can boost productivity and improve engagement by ensuring your employees are coping with their workload and getting the recognition they deserve. It does this by:
Prompting frequent one-to-one meetings:
Managers sometimes get busy and forget to check in on their teams, leading to employees struggling in silence. To address this, it is important for managers to engage in regular one-to-one conversations with their team members. This practice enhances communication and support within the organisation.
These meetings don’t need to be hours long, 15-30 minutes with employees every month or so should be enough for managers to touch base and check how things are going, if a problem is spotted, they can then choose to put more time in with an individual employee to resolve this.
Whilst NHS managers may think speaking to each of their employees once a month is time consuming, if the result is that they boost productivity by removing barriers and allow their staff to reach their full potential it is almost certainly worth the time.
Realtime feedback facilitation:
Promoting the exchange of feedback among all employees fosters engagement. Positive feedback acknowledges accomplishments, while constructive feedback aids in skill development and improvement. For managers with a large team who don’t always get to see the day-to-day tasks their employees carry out, gaining insights from others can be extremely valuable.
Allowing for short-term goal setting:
Annual objectives are antiquated and counterproductive. Maintaining focus and motivation for an entire year on the same objectives is challenging, and if company objectives shift, employee goals may fall out of alignment with the organisation's aims. Implementing short-term goals helps employees stay focused and allows for goal adjustments to align with organisational objectives or team dynamics at that time. Tracking progress against these goals provides managers with clear insights into employee performance, and can alter them to any issues.
Frequent development conversations:
Employees who do not perceive a future at an organisation might lose motivation and consider seeking opportunities elsewhere. Encouraging development conversations is vital to demonstrating that you care not only about their current performance, but also about their future growth. This also facilitates spotting and filling skill gaps among employees and allows for better succession planning.
To find out more about how continuous performance management can support non-clinical staff within your healthcare organisation, get in touch with us today.
