Giving millennials the tools to keep growing

Opportunities for development and a good work-life balance are top priorities for millennial-generation workers, according to a Deloitte survey published in May 2022.

Wallowa County Health Care District, which employs more than 200 people, strives to deliver on both expectations.

Serving a rural county in northeastern Oregon, the district operates a 25-bed critical access hospital, a rural health clinic system with four locations and a senior-living campus. Its leaders say it aims to provide less experienced workers with the chance to thrive.

“The healthcare district is a great place for them because, being in a rural location, we really focus on growing our own,” said Brooke Pace, the district’s communications and public relations director.

“A person may come in for an entry-level position in, say, registration, but if they have an interest in doing something clinical, we offer education assistance so they could get their phlebotomy license while working as a registrar,” Pace said.

Recently tapped to serve as interim human resources director, Pace conducted an informal survey of her colleagues to ask why they like working for the district.

Best Places to Work in Healthcare - Wallowa County Health Care District

“The comment that I heard over and over again is ‘we’re family’—that’s a direct quote,” she said. “Our leadership knows that to keep people engaged in work, we have to be flexible and understanding of the things they have going on outside of work.”

The commitment to empathy showed up earlier this year when rising inflation rates started busting budgets.

“We don’t have the option of price-shopping for groceries because there is one grocery store in town,” she said. “The price of gas was skyrocketing—and some people drive 30 minutes to get to work—so our administration was able to put together a financial assistance package for every employee.”

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Hospice Home Care, a regional hospice serving Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi, seeks to recruit and retain staff members by supporting their ambitions. Based in Little Rock, the organization maintains an average daily hospice census of almost 1,000 patients and provides palliative care services to nearly 1,000 more. It employs about 500 workers.

“We have a tremendous career ladder program for every level of associate, not just nurses, so people know that the development of their career is within their control,” said Cathy Carollo, the hospice’s CEO. “Part of having a career ladder is sitting down with your manager regularly to talk about your contributions, your ideas and your goals.”

Starting four years ago, Carollo launched a concerted effort to hire younger nurses, presenting them with the possibility of building new programs. “We hired a couple of young nurses to move that forward and they, in turn, recruited people that they knew,” she said. “We truly have changed the age of our workforce.”

Best Places to Work in Healthcare - Hospice Home Care

Today, she estimates that about 50% of the nurses are 30 years old or younger.

Younger members of the workforce often have different motivations than their older colleagues. IVX Health, which operates more than 50 infusion centers serving patients with complex chronic conditions, surveyed its employees last year to find out more about their professional aspirations. About a quarter of the company’s 375 employees work at its home base in Brentwood, Tennessee.

“Our workforce skews a little bit on the younger side, so getting feedback on what’s important helps us know how we should continue to invest in them,” said Libby Issitt, the company’s senior vice president for human resources.

Best Places to Work in Healthcare - IVX Health

Employees responding to the survey said they value education, training and development, prompting the company to improve its tuition reimbursement program and create ways for employees to achieve additional certifications.

Another finding: Employees want to interact with their co-workers outside of the job.

“Social engagement is important for the younger generation, so we are working on ways that we can do that—even virtual-type things with remote team members—because we know that helps people feel connected,” Issitt said.

Jackson Physician Search offers employees the chance to succeed alongside the company, said Tony Stajduhar, the firm’s president. Based in Alpharetta, Georgia, the recruitment company has grown 10-fold in the past 13 years, and he projects it will double in size in the next two to three years.

Best Places to Work in Healthcare - Jackson Physician Search

“The potential for upward mobility and unlimited income—all that certainly resonates with millennials,” he said. “Opportunity abounds here, so that’s always helpful.”

Lola Butcher is a freelance writer based in Springfield, Mo.

Best Places to Work in Healthcare 2022

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