In 2022, inclusion is the name of the game. Nonbinary. Cisgender. BIPOC. Neuroatypical. Differently abled. Ally. What does it all really mean and what impact does this have for healthcare staffing firms? This article examines several key trends that all point to diversity, equity and inclusion as an increasingly crucial component for healthcare staffing firms to achieve success in the future.
With the healthcare industry being one of the largest employers in the overall workforce, healthcare staffing firms are wise to consider trends happening across the broader, multi-industry field, such as DE&I. A recent Deloitte study found that 83% of millennials are actively engaged in the workplace when they believe that their employer fosters an inclusive environment. And while a 2020 SIA report found that just 27% of employers thought that DE&I was a priority for their contingent business, 63% believed that DE&I would climb the priority ranks in the aftermath of the death of George Floyd and other incidents. The same study also found that embracing and developing DE&I strategies extended beyond mere appearances and was an impactful component of corporate success.
Another study by Glassdoor showed that a majority of candidates prefer a diverse workforce. The study found that 76% of employees and candidates said that a diverse workforce was an important piece of their evaluation of prospective employers and offers. Among that 76% were respondents who were not likely to be directly or negatively impacted by a lack of inclusion in the workplace. The current workforce is more focused on corporate diversity and inclusion efforts than ever before and is making employment decisions based on an employer’s commitment to diversity.
Another trend supporting DE&I among healthcare providers is evidence that DE&I actually results in better clinical outcomes for patients. A recent report, “Cultural Competence and Ethnic Diversity in Healthcare,” published by Wolters Kluwer Health Inc. on behalf of the American College of Plastic Surgeons, demonstrated that more favorable clinical outcomes can be expected when there are fewer barriers around variables such as language, customs, beliefs, or values.
At its very core, making DE&I a corporate standard is a foundational decision that drives quality and outcomes. For this reason, healthcare providers are looking for staffing suppliers that will enable them to seamlessly extend their DE&I practices beyond core staff to include contingent staff — especially since contingent staff may be excluded from corporate goals, data collection and trainings. Staffing partners have a unique opportunity to work with their clients to ensure that there is equity and uniformity across all hospital staff. In addition to the above trends, we note that technology advancements are providing staffing firms with more powerful tools to reach diverse candidates, perform data analytics and reporting, and to roll out onboarding and training that allow healthcare clients to reach their strategic goals. We recently hosted a webinar discussion of DE&I technology; its replay is available to corporate members of SIA.
Overall, at this point, diversity, equity and inclusion efforts for contingent workers are little more than off the ground, and it is key that staffing leaders desiring to remain competitive in this current landscape take a close look at their organizational practices, technology, and commitment level on this important topic.
