Preparing for the hospital facilities professionals talent gap

A talent gap is looming in many industries as more and more baby boomers retire.

The number of Baby Boomers in the workforce has been on the decline since 1997 and since 2012 has had a smaller representation in the workforce than both Generation X and millennials. One of the industries expected to be hardest hit by the aging population is healthcare. Not only are larger numbers of baby boomers heading to hospitals for care as patients but, hospital facilities management professionals are at or nearing retirement.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 10,000 baby boomers will turn 65 years old every day until about 2030. The Sloan Center on Aging and Work says that over the next 10 years, those numbers translate to more than 50% of facilities management personnel packing up their offices and handing over their keys to the younger generation. This means healthcare organizations are losing a wealth of invaluable, on-the-job experience and knowledge when retirees leave work for the last time.

Knowledge Transfer Critical for Healthcare Organizations
According to a survey by the Society for Human Resource Management and AARP, nearly half of the employers surveyed recognize that the loss of older workers over the next decade will be a problem. Nearly 40% believe it will hurt their entire industry.

When it comes to facilities management, the knowledge retirees take with them can mean closing the vault of data on:
Corporate History: Retiring employees hold a wide variety of information about facility history including maintenance records, building knowledge and data – some of which is recorded and some of which is in their own brain's memory banks. This includes the location of operational equipment and resources throughout a facility, like valves, outlets and vents, and utility meters
How-tos: Current hospital facility staff has unique insights into how to perform certain functions, e.g., compliance requirements, planned maintenance procedures, what has been retrofitted and even unique fix-its.
Relationships: From staff to vendors, there are key pieces of knowledge that the team has on hand including their team's skills, strengths and weaknesses, learned after years of working together.

Another unique aspect to this dilemma is the long tenure of many baby boomers. Today's retiring operations professionals are part of a declining group of employees who have likely worked years, even decades, with one hospital or healthcare system. A recent survey by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research shows that 41% of employed Americans 50 and older have worked for the same company for two decades, including 18% who've stayed at least 30 years. This means they have deep historical data and knowledge that's not easily recalled or replicated. Without capturing that valuable information, hospitals are left with staffing and operational gaps that affect day-to-day processes.

Technology Can Help Ease the Transition
Proactive organizations have been working on succession plans and leveraging technology to help bridge the talent gaps. Today's computerized maintenance management systems (CMMS) can be a lifeline and go-to resource for the historical data that organizations count on to document processes, monitor and coordinate hospital facility management functions, and plan for the future. Data is helping drive decisions for healthcare facilities, as they use CMMS systems to collect, analyze and put data to work to integrate daily operations with capital forecasting. Facilities professionals can make better decisions with deep data and greater insight.

Healthcare organizations and hospitals that are transitioning to online maintenance management have put in place crucial best practices to successfully navigate change. They see change as an opportunity to take advantage of the new arrival of data by prioritizing these areas:

Make Documentation Seamless
Documenting processes can help bridge facility management gaps and provides a standard of consistency by giving all employees (the experienced and not-so-experienced) fast, easy access to information they need to do their jobs. As organizations roll out changes, a CMMS equips staff with the ability to efficiently process, log and track workflow from anywhere.

Track and Trend Data for Efficiency Insights
Historical and real-time data enables organizations to track processes and trends, making it easier for even less experienced employees to determine the right solution to problems. A CMMS enables extensive reporting capabilities that can also justify current and future resources that are essential to a healthcare organization's operational efficiency.

Commit to Fostering Community
Leaders who navigate changes with confidence, while providing their team the innovative resources needed to do their jobs well, build a close community that's more likely to invest in change and commit for the long term. This type of leadership can be a difference maker for employees facing significant changes in who and how facilities manage operations.

The workforce is changing. Healthcare organizations that address the impending exodus of baby boomer operational professionals by leveraging technology can unleash a new level of efficiency and growth. A proactive plan can help mitigate any long-term impacts of these changes.

The views, opinions and positions expressed within these guest posts are those of the author alone and do not represent those of Becker's Hospital Review/Becker's Healthcare. The accuracy, completeness and validity of any statements made within this article are not guaranteed. We accept no liability for any errors, omissions or representations. The copyright of this content belongs to the author and any liability with regards to infringement of intellectual property rights remains with them.

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