Healthcare workers are unhappy with their pay
In a comparison of industries, healthcare ranked last when it came to being satisfied with pay, according to the 2023 Healthcare Experience Trends Report from Qualtrics.
Just over half (52%) of healthcare workers believed they are paid fairly for their work, which is the lowest score of any industry in the study. Further, only 38% of healthcare employees feel their pay is clearly linked to their performance. The study compared 27 other industries and comes at a time when healthcare organizations are being forced to offer higher wages and added incentives in order to recruit and retain their staff.
The industry is currently facing significant labor challenges that were worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic. Namely, healthcare employees are feeling more burned out than ever, and many are considering leaving the industry altogether. Just 61% of healthcare employees in the study said they plan to stay in their job in 2022, down 4 percentage points from the prior year. That’s also 3% below the global cross-industry average.
The findings underscore just how challenging the current operating environment is for healthcare organizations and employees. After years of operating during the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare employees are still being tasked with doing more with strained resources and now a loss of federal financial support. The 2023 Healthcare Experience Trends Report surveyed nearly 3,000 healthcare employees across 27 countries about their experience, while Qualtrics also surveyed nearly 9,000 consumers across 29 countries about their hospital experiences and over 7,000 consumers across 28 countries about their health insurance experiences.
While healthcare employees ranked the lowest for satisfaction with pay, the healthcare industry as a whole is the most trusted globally. That’s true even though 74% of respondents reported being satisfied with their hospital experience compared with the global cross-industry average of 77%. A whopping 79% of consumers said they trust hospitals.
With the lack of pay satisfaction among healthcare workers, it is critical that organizations create value to retain their staff, as well as might their jobs easier by eliminating inefficiencies and designing inclusive environments with holistic listening strategies, Qualtrics noted.
“2023 is the year our industry makes the lives of everyone healthcare touches easier,” said Qualtrics Chief Medical Officer Adrienne Boissy, MD. “It has to be––and we have to revolutionize our approaches. Emotions are running high no matter what industry you are in, which amplifies when things are not easy, and yet people still put their trust in us. We earn that trust when we intentionally listen across channels, use advanced analytics to understand emotion, intensity and intent, and immediately take action on what we hear. The beauty of technology is how it can enable a fuller understanding of human emotions across interactions, which power meaningful, seamless and more loving digital and in-person healthcare experiences.”
Amy joined TriMed Media as a Senior Writer for HealthExec after covering home care for three years. When not writing about all things healthcare, she fulfills her lifelong dream of becoming a pirate by sailing in regattas and enjoying rum. Fun fact: she sailed 333 miles across Lake Michigan in the Chicago Yacht Club "Race to Mackinac."