Retention and progression
Attracting diverse talent requires a different strategy to retaining talent within an organisation. This section outlines ways in which the health sector can review, enhance and reinvigorate their processes to ensure that workers remain in the sector and have opportunities to progress. Prioritising retention and progression, particularly for those who have historically faced barriers, will minimise the risk of losing talented individuals from the industry altogether. Organisations with lower staff turnover enjoy lower costs in hiring new staff and a rewarding working environment.
Organise regular check ins with employees
An individual development plan (IDP) is a tool to assist employees in career and personal development. Its primary purpose is to help employees reach short and long-term career goals, as well as improve current job performance.
Our research highlighted a lack of visibility of progression routes and opportunities in the sector, with diversity most visible among lower-level roles. Developing an IDP empowers Priority Groups to carve out a bespoke career path for themselves. This helpful resource contains an IDP template which you can adapt for your organisation. Including EDI focused metrics in line managers’ IDP is a great way of creating accountability for EDI, and ensuring that responsibility for EDI is in place throughout your organisation.
Regular check-ins are a great way to build psychological safety, meaning employees are likely to report higher levels of trust and feel able to share any concerns or feedback they may have about the organisation’s culture and ways of working, providing an opportunity to raise and resolve concerns at an early stage. Managers must ensure they discuss career progression equally and fairly with all their team members, help staff identify skills gaps and training, and discuss wellbeing.
All primary care staff in England have access to NHS Practitioner Health - the free mental health service for NHS doctors and dentists, is now available to all staff working in primary care in England.
Guidance and toolkits in relation to wellbeing are available on FutureNHS, such as ‘Caring for yourself while you care for others: A toolkit for nursing ambassadors to look after their own health’. This toolkit was developed by NHS England Midland’s Nursing directorate, and includes the perceptions of nursing teams, alongside recommendations for inclusion and the needs of Priority Groups in the Midlands workforce.
Continue to publish your organisation’s pay scales internally and externally
Those from marginalised and migrant backgrounds are overrepresented in lower-paid work in the UK. While there has been an increase in jobs advertised with a clear salary or salary range, salary transparency within organisations remains relatively new.
Independent GP practices, together with PCNs that include independent GPs, may wish to consider salary transparency where possible. Benefits to publishing pay include increased equity, as people can query any discrepancy in pay for those that have the same or very similar job descriptions. It is also a motivator if employees know what pay increase is available through career progression. During your organisation’s regular review meetings, share your organisation’s pay scales with employees to promote transparency and trust.
Transparency with your workforce about progression produces higher productivity and a happier working environment. It helps eliminate misinformation, and builds trust with managers and employees. Progression also helps individuals within Priority Groups become visible role models within the sector, and improves representation at higher grades. The NHS has guidance on progression.
HEE (now merged with NHS England) provided guidance for those who have been out of the sector due to maternity leave, ill health, or any other reasons. Find out more about the SuppoRRT initiative.
Return-to-work programmes can provide the sector with new sources of talent, helping to find experienced individuals who may have been missed with standard recruitment methods.
Staff shortages in the health sector affect service users, including the workforce. NHS Employers run a Return to Work programme to help bring GPs back into general practice. Find out more guidance on how to do this, with further details on the Return to Practice (RtP) programme.
Gov.uk released a general returners toolkit for employers to offer advice and support on returning to work after a career break.
The NHS launched an initiative for those involved in PCN’s - Looking After You Too, which provides coaching for colleagues from ethnic minority backgrounds. This comprises three confidential coaching sessions which are easily accessible and tailored to individual need, and may include support to manage a team or reflecting on career goals and ambitions.
Supporting the continuous development of your staff has numerous benefits, including improved staff morale, greater retention, a higher-skilled workforce and greater productivity. Supporting your staff to upskill or change roles can start with small gestures. Allow time to understand the ambitions and intentions of your workforce through regular check-ins. For smaller practices, your actions can be as simple as providing people with the time or support to pursue courses that will help them reach their desired position, or where necessary, providing employees with a chance to improve their English. Staff are more likely to stay when they feel valued - showing your commitment to their development is an integral part of building a mutually beneficial relationship.
East London NHS Trust staff are encouraged to participate in in-house and external leadership development programmes. They have targeted consultants in underrepresented groups, inviting them to apply for the clinical excellence awards, following this up with support to complete the application forms (see page 35 in link provided below).