Contingent Talent: A Key to Improving Cultural Diversity in Healthcare

To enable employees to thrive, organizations across all industries are implementing programs to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) in the workplace. For the healthcare sector specifically, investing in DE&I results in additional benefits, including improved patient outcomes.

Patient satisfaction increases and treatment inequities decrease when there is diversity among nurses. Patients are also more inclined to trust their providers when they recognize themselves in the healthcare workforce.

However, hospitals and health systems can face challenges in the time and efforts necessary to develop a more diverse workforce. Medical education takes many years to finish, and it can take months to recruit eligible candidates. Because of this, contingent workers have long been a key component of healthcare organizations’ talent strategy and overcoming staffing shortages, especially during pandemics.

Given the importance of this workforce segment, it is imperative for organizations to ensure that DE&I efforts are applicable to both contingent and full-time employees, as it ultimately benefits both the workers and the patients they serve. In this blog we will discuss how critical it is to address DE&I in the healthcare workforce and how data can help guide these initiatives.

Harnessing Talent Intelligence to Uncover DE&I Trends

Many organizations concentrate on strengthening diversity hiring efforts to address their workforce diversity challenges. And while that is one crucial part of the equation, there are more metrics that can potentially affect representation and equity.

To get insights into DE&I across their workforce, companies may leverage talent intelligence. Metrics such as promotions, which individuals are getting different assignments, and areas where turnover rates are high can be carefully evaluated by leadership to identify differences. For example, while 80% of workers in one department may be women, 80% of the managers in that department are men. In a different scenario, non-white employees might quit at a significantly higher rate, signifying an area for improvement. These kinds of insights are helpful because they help determine which organizational needs are most critical, establishing standards for progress, and taking action to resolve problems.

This practice also contributes to creating a culture based in data-driven decision-making. By utilizing talent intelligence, organizations can better ensure candidate engagement, optimize hiring, manage skills and put that information to use.  

Learn about the importance of candidate experience in attracting top talent when you check out our infographic. 

Patient Outcomes Improve with Diverse Physician Representation

Non-white patients prefer doctors who are similar to them in race and ethnicity, and they give those doctors higher ratings for overall patient experience in post-visit surveys, according to at least one University of Pennsylvania study. Additionally, when paired with a physician of the same ethnicity or race, patients are more likely to have candid discussions about their health and heed advice to seek preventive screenings. A study led by physicians also demonstrates that a rise in Black primary care doctors extends Black Americans' life expectancy and lessens the disparities in death rates. These examples are just a few to show that when physicians better understand a demographic group, they are empowered to provide optimal care.

The impact isn’t just made by doctors, however. The patient journey extends from when they park, to checking in at the front desk, and beyond. Workers in all of these roles should have the necessary tools to make patients and their families feel comfortable during their visit. Healthcare organizations should consider DE&I everywhere to optimize their impact, including positions that deal directly with patients and those that examine patient data behind the scenes. 

The Benefits of Including Contingent Workers in DE&I Efforts

Hospital spend on contingent workers increased more than twofold between 2011 and 2020, according the American Hospital Association, and has been steadily growing ever since the start of COVID-19. With the reliance on contingent workers being so significant, organizations aiming to improve DE&I in staffing must create a comprehensive strategy that includes its contingent talent in addition to its full-time workforce.

Hiring and retaining employees should be a major focus. Partnering with a vendor-neutral Managed Service Provider (MSP), which is free to choose from a wider range of staffing suppliers and isn't restricted to working with just one can help organizations source talent from a more diverse supplier pool. Each healthcare organization’s patient population may have varying needs, ranging from family size to immigration trends, so having this in place can make a significant difference. For best practices on implementing evolving talent strategies in healthcare, download our ebook. 

Improving visibility into the workforce also enables informed decision-making for DE&I. This can include anything from who’s involved in training, who leaves a position early, who receives a full-time position, and more. While acquiring data from providers one at a time is a challenging undertaking, a reputable MSP should have a working system in place for collecting data, protecting it, and evaluating it collectively.

For more proven strategies for putting DE&I into action for tangible impact across your organization, download our joint research report with the Mom Project, "What Drives a Diverse Extended Workforce: Fostering Feelings of Inclusion for Diverse Contingent Talent."

Disclaimer: The content in this blog post is for informational purposes only and cannot be construed as specific legal advice or as a substitute for legal advice. The blog post reflects the opinion of Magnit and is not to be construed as legal solutions and positions. Contact an attorney for specific advice and guidance for specific issues or questions.