The newest generation to enter the workforce has stayed in some roles in hospitals and health systems longer than others.
Given that Generation Z, born between 1997 and 2012, typically prioritizes work-life balance, well-being and aligning their careers with their passions for their role, it is unsurprising that certain healthcare positions are more attractive to the group.
Easiest Gen Z retention
Columbia-based University of Missouri Health Care has a high retention rate of staff nurses among the younger age group, Chief Human Resources Officer Beth Alpers, BSN, RN, told Becker’s.
The system’s retention rate for Gen Z outpaces its overall workforce by 5%, and is up 2% compared to 2020, Ms. Alpers said.
"Our Gen Z employee size has increased 171% since 2020, but that's also evidence that there are more new nurses coming into the market than experienced nurses," she said.
For Boston Children’s Hospital, corporate shared service functions like marketing and IT have the best retention of Gen Z workers, Chief Human Resources Officer Lisa Abbott told Becker’s.
"They lend themselves to people who are enjoying the newfound notion of remote work," Ms. Abbott said.
Most challenging Gen Z retention
Since Boston Children's is an acute pediatric facility, its roles carry an additional level of complexity. Younger nurses often find it a struggle to work with very sick children, Ms. Abbott said.
"It's really far more difficult than what they anticipate," she said. "We have high turnover in that one- to three-year time horizon, so we are working on creating rotations so that we can try to find a fit."
Ms. Abbott also added that retention is difficult in entry-level roles that deal with caring for behavioral health patients, such as those that need constant observation.
MU Health Care has also found retaining younger workers in mental health technician roles to be a challenge, Ms. Alpers said. Other lower interest and higher turnover roles at the system include nurse assistants and environmental services, or housekeeping roles, given that they are typically "jumping off spots," she said.
Retention strategies for younger workers
Hybrid work has played out well for Boston Children's, both in recruitment and retention of Gen Z and in satisfaction among other generations, Ms. Abbott said.
"There's a real appreciation for the need for flexibility," she said. "There's been a shift over the last five years at least that emerging workers, and I think some of the rest of us, are seeing more of a desire for balance and not really wanting to live the grind, if you will."
The hospital's student loan debt repayment is another factor in Gen Z retention, Ms. Abbott said.
Career pathways are a significant focus for retention of younger workers at MU Health Care, Ms. Alpers said.
"Especially if you come on board as a brand new nurse, we talk to you about what kind of career path you are interested in. Do you want to be a bedside nurse long term? Are you interested in developing toward a leadership role or research role or educational role?" she said. "And we do that for entry-level employees too. We say that you come for a job, but you stay for a career."