The limited availability of experienced talent, wage competition and stretched healthcare resources make both talent and technology efforts challenging, Ms. Beales told Becker’s. Health systems are also competing within the for-profit space more than ever before, she added.
Despite these challenges, she sees a competitive advantage in healthcare’s mission-driven nature.
“The workforce is changing, and Gen Z staff want a purpose,” she said. “They want to make an impact, and they want their work to align to their values, so it really starts to create a ripe environment for healthcare.”
Four HR trends to watch
Looking ahead, Ms. Beales identified four trends that will significantly shape human resources in the next five years.
“AI in the HR space automates administrative tasks,” she said. “That’s a game changer for HR teams as they’re moving in that journey of trying to automate as much as possible, so that talented individuals on our team can work at the top of their license, and they’re not losing 10%, 20%, 30% or more of their time doing more tedious administrative tasks that we could be automating.”
Recruitment is one of the areas most primed for AI-driven strategies, as it can help make the screening and application process more efficient.
A hybrid work model is another notable trend, Ms. Beales said.
“There’s a fine line of balancing productivity without micromanaging to be competitive in roles that could be hybrid or remote,” she said. “It’s going to be challenging because a large portion of what we do is in-person, but to find a way for people to feel connected to the mission, and to have clear productivity metrics and the support that they need in that hybrid environment, I do think it will make us more competitive.”
A personalized employee experience and well-being are two others to watch in the coming years.
“Supporting mindfulness, stress management and having comprehensive benefit packages will improve employee morale, and that’s going to be a key component of continuing to stabilize the workforce,” she said.
The ‘North Star’ in her first year
Since stepping into her new role at Luminis Health in December, Ms. Beales’ first priority has been relationship-building to gain a deeper understanding of the system’s culture, foster trust and shape an HR strategy aligned with the system’s mission.
In one-on-one meetings and formal rounding, she focused on two key questions. The first is, “What makes Luminus Health magical that we should never change?”
“I have found that this is a really special place, and they have some great things going on, and I don’t want to change something that the workforce loves,” she said.
The second question is, “What opportunities does Luminis have?” Asking this has helped her identify where employees want the system to go and how to prioritize efforts.
“The workforce is my North Star,” she said. Her first-year goals center on stabilizing the workforce through well-being initiatives, engagement strategies, talent development and Luminis Health’s justice, equity, diversity and inclusion, or JEDI, programs.
Building behaviors
Luminis has done a “phenomenal job” of grounding its values throughout the entire organization, Ms. Beales said.
“It’s really a strong foundation, and they’ve done a beautiful job of integrating them. The next step is translating those values into behaviors,” she said. “Behaviors, for me, are what create the culture. Once we can do that and integrate it into the workforce, I think it’ll give clarity to our goals and drive business outcomes.”
