CareerSTAT Resource Center
Best Practices for Investing in Frontline Workers
Healthcare employers that invest in their entry level workforce are making a smart choice. These investments lead to positive results for workers, employers, and communities.
Whether you are ready to take workforce development to the next level, or your organization is just getting started, this resource center will introduce you to best practices for investing in frontline workers and offer resources to go deeper and tools to move forward.
Why Invest in Your Frontline Healthcare Workforce?
Healthcare employers across the country are investing in their frontline workers because such programs contribute to the success of the organization, individual workers, and the broader community. The workforce represents the largest portion of costs in healthcare. These costs are increased by high turnover and vacancy rates. Investing in frontline workers is critical to addressing these problems and lowering health care workforce costs. A commitment to investing in frontline workers requires making the business case by aligning workforce training and education programs with strategic areas of business impact.
How We Organize Best Practices
You will notice that the best practices outlined in this resource center are categorized as “programmatic” or “organizational.”
ProgrammaticThese practices engage frontline workers directly with accessible learning and career growth opportunities that expand the internal and external talent pipeline. |
OrganizationalThese practices build the infrastructure to ensure sustainability, business impact, and the best results for workers. |
Best Practices for Investing in Frontline Workers
Managers as Coaches
ORGANIZATIONAL | In healthcare, high turnover among frontline staff challenges the ability to deliver high quality care.
Read MoreCareer Pathways
PROGRAMMATIC | Healthcare provides one of the greatest opportunities for jobs in today’s economy. However, many people do not know about the array of healthcare jobs that exist and struggle to see how an entry level job can grow into a career.
Read MoreSupportive HR Policies
ORGANIZATIONAL | To truly develop the frontline workforce, you need more than programs or initiatives designed for them.
Read MoreCompetency-Based Instruction
PROGRAMMATIC | Competency-based instruction focuses on the knowledge, skill, and attitude needed to succeed in at a task or job rather than classroom hours.
Read MoreSenior Leadership Support and Sponsorship
ORGANIZATIONAL | Senior leaders, including chief department officers, vice presidents, and facility administrators serve a critical role in garnering support for frontline workforce development.
Read MoreCreate an Incumbent Worker Pipeline
PROGRAMMATIC | Employers sometimes overlook a prime talent pool to fill high demand positions — their current workforce.
Read More
How to Implement
Employers who invest in their frontline workers see results. Integrating organizational strategy, workforce investments, and impact measurement is a business strategy that can make an organization more competitive and successful. To support successful integration, CareerSTAT offers a simple framework that integrates organizational priorities with program design and business impact analysis.