Live From AMGA Conference: How an Intermountain CMO Works With Different Generations in the Workforce

Interacting effectively with a multi-generational staff is foundational for retention.

Engaging and communicating with different generations of staff members is a key element of addressing the workforce challenges facing healthcare organizations, an AMGA Annual Conference speaker says.

With workforce shortages widespread in the healthcare sector, retention of staff members is crucial for organizational success. Interacting effectively with Baby Boomers, Generation X, Millennials, and Generation Z promotes retention.

A session during yesterday's AMGA Annual Conference focused on generations in the workforce. Different generations have different perspectives on job satisfaction, says panelist Elizabeth Buisker, DO, MBA, associate CMO of the Montana and Wyoming Medical Group of Intermountain Health.

"When I think about our Boomers at Intermountain Health, it is really about recognizing that they still want to have a place. They have worked hard to get to where they are at, and they want to go out on their own terms," she says. "Generation X wants to be given independence. They want to know what the goal of the organization is, but they want to get there on their own. Millennials really want to feel heard. They also need to be able to process change. You need to provide opportunities for them to have others hear their concerns."

To engage different generations of staff members effectively, it is important to recognize the different ways people like to be appreciated, Buisker says.

"Some people are mortified if you put them in front of a group and call out their good work. Other people want to be celebrated with a trophy in front of everyone," she says. "So, you need to determine whether recognition is private or public. Especially among Generation X and Millennials, they would like to get an extra day off as a form of recognition. Whereas, my Boomers are more likely to want a gift card or get a bump in salary."

Healthcare leaders need to understand what is important to their generational staff, then they must find ways to make that possible through recognition, Buisker says.

The biggest pitfall to avoid in engaging different generations of staff members is stereotyping, she says. For example, you shouldn't say, 'You're a Boomer, so you obviously do not know how to use a computer.' Or, you shouldn't say, 'You're a Millennial, so of course you are always on social media.' Putting people in buckets and not getting to know them as an individual can be detrimental.

Communicating effectively with different generations of staff members takes time and energy, Buisker says. "I wish I could just send an email, and everyone would get the message, but that is not going to happen."

Healthcare leaders should use multiple channels of communication to interact with their multi-generational staff, she says, adding these forms of communication include hard copies, email, and pop-up reminders.

From the CMO's perspective, managing different generations of staff members is pivotal for retention, Buisker says.

"You must recognize the experiences that individuals have had to get where they're at," she says. "For example, some of my older physicians consider themselves 'old school,' and they will work until they are bone tired because that's what was promoted early in their careers. But that way of working is not safe—it is not good for patient safety, and it is not good for physician well-being."

For some younger physicians, they have been tech-enabled and they can struggle to make human connections, Buisker says. "A CMO needs to be able to call this out and provide resources."