Why Developing Talent in Healthcare Is Essential to Organizational Success

When a company offers an education benefit, they send an important message to current and future employees: they care about the continued development of their team. When a healthcare professional feels that their company invests in their future, they may be more likely to stay with the company longer and grow their career. Marquand (Marq) Brown, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, vice president human resources and chief people officer at Oswego Health, recently shared his insights into the importance of developing healthcare professionals through continued education.

How training supports healthcare workers in current roles 

For many companies, people are the most valuable resource. Investing in people tends to produce a high return.

“When it comes to healthcare, we are in an ever-changing world where patient care constantly evolves. Our healthcare workers need to learn and understand the latest best practices,” Brown says. By providing healthcare workers with training and education support, organizations like Oswego Health can continue to care for patients at a high level.

Brown also noted the importance of engaging the workforce through advancement opportunities. By building pipelines to advancement through talent development, organizations can strengthen the healthcare system as a whole and provide the finest quality of care – for their community members, by their community members.

Launching the next career step through education

Education can play a major role in building career paths. Pursuing a new degree or certification can help workers explore new areas of practice or take on leadership responsibilities. In some states and for some roles, further education is required to continue practicing within the medical industry.

Brown shared that Oswego Health has taken large steps to invest in their workforce, supporting team members through every phase of their careers. Through their enhanced tuition program, offered in partnership with Workforce Edge, eligible employees at Oswego Health can take advantage of up to $10,000 per year to pursue nursing programs.

“The goal behind all of these programs is to help reduce financial barriers for our employees so they can focus on learning and see a clear and achievable career path,” Brown says. “It’s very important to show them that each educational step is possible and we are here to help them through that journey.”

The unique needs of healthcare workers

Today’s healthcare employee seeks convenience and flexibility, especially when it comes to furthering their education. Brown says that Oswego Health is proud to support employees with part-time programs that work around the at-home caregiving duties that some employees must balance.

“Partnering with Workforce Edge is just one more step in making it easier for our employees to achieve these goals with more flexible online options,” Brown says.

Beyond maintaining competencies for each healthcare worker’s specific discipline, employers ought to provide the opportunity for them to upskill beyond the requirements or explore other disciplines. This cross-training and skill-building allows employers to explore promoting from within. 

“As we promote employees to management roles, [we need to help them build] skills to adjust from managing care to managing people. When upskilling, we need to give employees the opportunities to move into other areas to continue and build their new skillsets,” Brown says. 

If an X-ray/CT tech wants to explore a role in mammography, for example, they do not need to leave their current company to do so – if their company offers a continuing education benefit.

In conclusion

Organizations like Oswego Health are getting creative with their strategies for building talent development programs, helping the next generation of healthcare professionals see a pathway to success. Partnering with Workforce Edge is one way to make that leap possible.

To explore learning options for your team, contact a Workforce Edge specialist today.