By Tracy Wertz, Maggie Parker, Paul Johnson
The
coronavirus pandemic has accelerated a number of industry trends such as
digital adoption, automation and perhaps one of the biggest shifts — a
ballooning of the virtual workforce and virtual operations. Many providers’
long-term plans to grow their virtual footprint for both clinical care and
business operations advanced almost overnight. Telehealth went from optional to
essential, and entire supporting functions like business offices began working
from home.
Research from Huron finds
that nearly half of leaders indicate changing care delivery models is their
greatest challenge. More than one-third state the same about changing busines
models. As leaders change how healthcare operates, they will need strategies
that support not just their virtual workforce but an entire ecosystem of
virtual operations.
In
response to the coronavirus, healthcare leaders acted quickly to translate
their operations to a virtual environment. Now, what leaders must do is
re-imagine their businesses for a new world.
Taking Virtual Workforce Strategies to the Next Level
Across
all industries, the initial shift to remote work was not necessarily intended
to be transformational. Months into the change, that’s exactly what virtual
work has been for most.
For
health systems, the innovation of virtual delivery is overdue. Virtual
operations have the potential to fundamentally change cost structures, drive
efficiency and productivity, deepen employee satisfaction, and expand the
talent pool.
Evolving Metrics
Understanding
the value of this transformation requires a broad, comprehensive strategy and
commitment to tracking new metrics in real time. Key performance indicators
that focus on employee connection, such as engagement survey results and
effectiveness of training, also become more important in virtual operations.
Where weekly and monthly metrics might have been sufficient in the past, now
real-time monitoring of productivity, throughput and backlogs will be essential
for leaders to manage effectively in a virtual environment. Leaders will need
reliable tools for quantifying the benefits of higher productivity, less
absenteeism, a more scalable and flexible workforce, real estate savings, and
recruitment and retention savings.
Leaders
can start by rethinking how work gets done in several core areas of their
businesses.
How and Where We Work: Communication, Collaboration and
Innovation
In the
future of healthcare, the employee, clinician and consumer experiences should
flow seamlessly between the virtual and physical world. This includes how teams
communicate and collaborate to get work done.
While
the transition to remote collaboration may be challenging for those who have
traditionally worked on-site, tools such as video conferencing and a strong
change management strategy make the shift smoother. Once workers have adjusted
to this new mode of collaboration, the opportunities to innovate increase as
there are no longer physical walls separating departments, functions or even
entire facilities.
Leaders
are re-imagining not only how they conduct their professional work but how to
replace the personal connections that organically occur in the workplace.
Hardwiring tactics such as daily huddles create a forum that supports
accountability and alignment to department and organizational goals. The consistent practice of asking
specific questions of key stakeholders supports critical
one-on-one time and meaningful connections that drive employee and patient
satisfaction.
Changing Spaces
With
physical barriers removed, leaders may find opportunities to integrate
operations in ways that support efficiency and scale. And when key business
functions are performed in different areas of the country or the world, it can
provide options for decisions such as expanded business hours or mitigate the
risk of disruption from events such as natural disasters.
As
organizations reduce their physical footprint, it will be imperative not to
eliminate all collaborative space. Plans should be in place to repurpose and
redesign offices and cubicles into spaces such as shared desks that promote
interaction when people are together.
Technology and Security for a Virtual Workforce
The
severity, sophistication and frequency of cyberattacks on healthcare
organizations continues to rise. Historically, healthcare
has not kept pace with other industries such as financial services in shoring
up their defenses against data breaches and other incidents.
Virtual
work environments pose additional and different data and cybersecurity risks.
Compounding the problem is the concern that most programs were quickly launched
during the first wave of the coronavirus crisis and therefore not set up for
long-term success and safety. Healthcare organizations that have expanded
telehealth or shifted part of their operations to a remote status now
have to think differently about
security and understand the role that employee culture
plays in reducing the risks of attacks.
Who Works Where and Why: Talent and Culture in a Virtual World
Recruitment and Retention
Over a
decade ago, when qualified coders became scarce, providers were forced to look
outside their traditional on-site models and hire remote workers. The shift to
a largely remote operating model for this function became the standard, but
adoption stopped there. Now, there is urgency and opportunity for remote
workforces across systems.
Going
forward, an organization’s ability to attract and retain top talent will be
dependent on the strength of its virtual models. When anyone can work anywhere,
competition for workers will only increase. Organizations that invest now in
developing solid virtual workforce strategies will be the employers of choice
in the future.
Leaders
should be reevaluating the skills they need for the future of healthcare and
taking advantage of access to national and global talent pools. Positions that
traditionally carried vacancies now could be staffed adequately, paving the way
for increased volume and revenue.
Performance Management
The
importance of accountability and engagement increases significantly as
employees transition to a work-from-home status. Processes, tools, technology
and leadership all come together to create a culture that drives the
performance of a virtual workforce.
Leaders
should be considering how they will systematize the development and cascading
of key performance goals, what metrics will be tracked and with what frequency,
and even how performance in a remote environment might affect compensation.
Training and Development
Employee
training and development tends to get de-emphasized during times of change,
which puts new initiatives at risk for failure. Especially when transitioning
people to a virtual work environment, leaders should be increasing investments
in clear, structured training that emphasizes expected behaviors and provides
guidance on reporting processes and use of new technology.
Pay
special attention to midlevel managers and supervisors who may need leadership
and coaching development as they transition from a primarily on-site experience
to a remote leadership model. Closely aligning training and development to the
monitoring and metrics mentioned earlier will create timely, relevant training.
Real-time measurement goes hand in hand with more timely interventions with
staff who need extra guidance.
Hybrid
models that split training into virtual and physical components will continue
to be refined. While portions of training for cohorts such as new hires may
still require an on-site presence, the majority of ongoing education will occur
in remote e-learning environments.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
The
world of virtual work is here to stay. For many organizations, transitioning to
a virtual environment was done abruptly and out of necessity — but now is the
time to rethink and refine a comprehensive intentional strategy for virtual
operations.
Think differently.
Instead
of trying to translate current operations to a virtual environment, leaders
should use the momentum to transform how their businesses function in the future
of healthcare.
Plan differently.
Rethink
processes, systems and the use of physical spaces with the expectation that all
stakeholders will be moving fluidly between the virtual and on-site world.
Act differently.
Invest
in the training, technology and tools to build a culture prepared to thrive in
a virtual world.
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