Peak employee performance is at the core of a successful laboratory. When staff members are engaged and feel connected to their work, this leads to increased creativity, higher productivity, greater retention of key talent, and a positive financial impact on the organization’s bottom line. According to Press Ganey’s 2021 national health care survey, high employee engagement also contributes to improved patient satisfaction and loyalty.1

Fortunately, several methods are available to help laboratory leaders improve employee engagement and maximize the skills and abilities of the laboratory team without exhausting the budget or overhauling the entire workplace culture. Herein we discuss four areas in which laboratory leaders can begin to engage, develop, and reward their teams in a way that is meaningful and yields a positive return for the laboratory.

Creating an Engaging Work Environment

Given that engagement is key to maintaining a culture of innovation and productivity, the onus is on the organization to work with individuals in defining this culture. To ensure that each staff member feels connected with their work, begin by emphasizing what engagement means for the organization. Leaders can foster mutual respect and encourage collaboration and creativity by cultivating a meaningful relationship with their team members. Building an engaged team can lead to better customer service and overall satisfaction for management and staff.

Increase employee engagement systematically, following a series of steps for success. A strategy to reinforce engagement includes:

• Create a company-wide policy on engagement
• Train staff on the importance of engagement
• Encourage employees to be active participants at work
• Provide opportunities for employees to give feedback on their engagement
• Monitor engagement levels regularly and take action to improve them

See FIGURE 1 for a suggestive list of tips for improving the work environment.

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Provide Necessary Tools and Set Clear Expectations

It is important to make expectations clear and provide the necessary tools to maintain a successful lab that attracts and retains top talent. Start by reviewing specific tasks, deadlines, or goals that they have been assigned individually and as a group. Elaborate on each point by explaining why each task is essential.

Once the team knows the expectations, ensure they have the necessary resources to perform their jobs, such as access to information, training guides, and tools and materials. Follow up and check in regularly to ensure everyone is on track and meeting expectations, including holding regular huddles, maintaining progress reports, performing daily rounding, and annual or semi-annual performance reviews. Ultimately, be willing to adjust expectations based on feedback or unforeseen circumstances, which are common, including shifting deadlines for tasks and goals, or adjusting project implementations, such as those involving new instrumentation or computer/IT systems.

Promote Development Opportunities

Consistent staff motivation is essential to an optimized laboratory workflow, but for this to be the case, it has to be organization wide. Providing professional development opportunities is one of several ways to promote growth and retain talented staff members.

Several options are available to help employees advance their careers, learn new skills, or stay up to date on the latest developments in the field (see FIGURE 2). Initially, some team members may not be receptive to professional development, as they may be concerned about staffing challenges or meeting turnaround time metrics. They may not see a need to improve their skills or not believe they have time to participate in professional development opportunities. Regardless, it is important to instill in your team the importance of professional development and provide every opportunity to do so.

Offer Meaningful Incentives

Keeping the laboratory team motivated and working toward common goals can be challenging, so creating incentives to demonstrate that their hard work is appreciated can foster meaningful engagement. Awards and other recognition help boost team morale during tough or rapidly changing times.

Offering thoughtful incentives shows the team that their lab leader is committed to their success and values their contributions to the laboratory. These incentives should recognize and reward both individual and group accomplishments.

When establishing an incentive program, consider the following:

1. Define the goal. What are the desired outcomes of the planned incentives? Be clear about what you hope to accomplish with your team so that you can select the most effective incentives.
2. Consider what will motivate the team. Determine what the team members value. Some teams may be motivated by rewards for going above and beyond what is expected of them, such as lunch, company apparel, or attending a special event such as a banquet or sporting event sponsored by the employer. Further, consider how to demonstrate appreciation. Celebrating an employee’s accomplishments in a staff meeting, facility newsletter, or a post on the system’s intranet is a simple yet effective way to recognize the contributions of members of the team. If a more private approach to appreciation is preferred, handwritten notes or cards of gratitude mailed to the employee’s home are an alternative.
3. Choose meaningful incentives. Providing significant incentives to the team members will show the value to their efforts and commitment to their success. Avoid offering incentives that are trivial or that have no connection to the desired outcomes (see FIGURE 3).
4. Ensure that the incentives are achievable. Incentives that are too difficult or impossible to achieve will only frustrate the team members and discourage them. When the incentives offered are realistic and within reach, the team can feel confident and enthusiastic about achieving them.
5. Communicate the incentives clearly. Be sure to communicate the incentives clearly and concisely so the laboratorians will understand what will be expected of them. Explain how lab leadership will determine the incentives and the criteria used to judge success.
   
   

Conclusion

Improving and maintaining team engagement is an active and ongoing process. Some strategies will work well, while others may not; as such, it is important to try various methods if the program is not showing results in your lab. By providing opportunities for growth and development and recognition for a job well done, laboratorians will feel valued for their contributions and will acknowledge that the organization is committed to helping them succeed, a factor that can positively impact recruiting. Implementing these tips will improve communication, collaboration, and motivation within the laboratory, allowing for a more engaged and productive workforce.

Reference

1. PressGaney. Consumer Experience Trends in Healthcare 2021. https://info.pressganey.com/e-books-research/press-ganey-consumer-trends-report-2021-1. Accessed November 22, 2022.

Tywauna Wilson, MBA, MLS(ASCP)CM, is a leadership consultant, medical laboratory scientist, author, podcast host, and coach who helps professionals to advance in their careers. She is a graduate of Kentucky State and Indiana Wesleyan universities, where she received her Bachelor of Science in clinical laboratory science and MBA, respectively. Tywauna has nearly 20 years of diverse medical laboratory and progressive health care leadership experience. She is the President of Trendy Elite Coaching and Consulting and is System Chemistry Director at CompuNet Clinical Laboratories. She is the author of the book, Some Leaders Wear Lab Coats, the author of Leadership Tidbits, a series of personal growth books, and host of the podcasts eLABorate Topics and Leadership Tidbits with Coach Tee Wilson.