Attracting, motivating top talent

Human resources for health are a critical pillar of any healthcare system, according to the World Health Organization. They are a central cogwheel in not only providing healthcare services but also driving impetus towards positive change.

However, little or no efforts are usually intentionally expended towards ensuring that this 'software' of healthcare maintains sufficient morale to handle the rigors of availing high-quality healthcare services, especially in emerging countries.

Erratically, a lot more efforts are channeled towards ‘hygiene’ factors that were described by psychologist Frederick Herzberg. Hygiene factors are extrinsic to the nature of the work at hand and include aspects such as company policies, supervisory practices and salary remuneration scales.

Interestingly, whereas the absence of these factors results in workers’ dissatisfaction, their presence does not necessarily lead to a higher worker’s motivation.

On the other hand, ‘motivator’ factors are intrinsic conditions of the job itself such as recognition, achievement, personal growth, challenging work, recognition for one's achievement, responsibility, opportunity to do something meaningful, involvement in decision making and a sense of impactful importance to an organization and society.

These have been shown to result in increased motivation. Unfortunately, they are often - intentionally or unintentionally - neglected in favor of the more traditional hygiene factors.

Fundamentally, this causes a high staff attrition rate among healthcare workers in emerging countries; all to the chagrin of patients seeking good quality clinical care.

In order to have a productive healthcare workforce, it is paramount for healthcare organizations to lay an equal emphasis on the motivator factors.

This approach is often executed very well by blue-chip companies and often results in increased worker productivity, innovative thinking, increased ownership, reduced staff attrition and attraction of world class talent.