Compensation Strategy
First of all, it is necessary to mention that any health care organization is obliged to develop its compensation strategy as a part of the overall strategy, aimed at motivation and encouragement of the employees to achieve the special aims of the organization. Moreover, this strategy should also entail a system of rewards.
It should be stated that any compensation strategy should entail five basic components, which are universal for any strategy. The components are the following:
- The first and the essential component is the basic salary. It is regarded as a feature of the competitive capacity of a hospital, payment strategy and the personal executives’ positions in their salary ranges.
- The second component is the annual incentive plans. As Stewart (2008) states, the incentive plans generally offer compensation created on the basis of a formula for the attainment of performance purposes. Sometimes it may be based on a discretionary decision or on both these bases. The fact is that any healthcare organization or its department could be evaluated against its own performance. The annual incentive plans also entail bonus plans; however, they are generally discretionary to an allover compensation strategy.
- Long-term incentive plans. Phatak (2009) emphasizes that these plans are mainly stock-based, which offer stock alternatives grounded on stock performance, or cash plans, which entails the cash rewards based on the meeting regulations.
- Perquisites. This component presupposes the use of a service car, parking place, retirement plans, annual physicals, and employment contracts.
- Benefits. This component entails a retirement benefit plan and a tax-sheltered annuity which is also often regarded as a deferred compensation plan; medical and dental plans should be included; life insurance I required beyond any doubt. Flexible benefits and a variety of daycare arrangements are becoming common.
In general, any healthcare organization should be service-oriented. There is a strong necessity of being conservative and concentrated on the issues of maintaining the current level and quality of services. Gerber (2006), in his turn, states the following: “an organization, during its renewal phase, may be more disturbed with improving operating margins, aimed at the implementing process of a strategic planning, expanding services, and adopting aggressive management styles common in other industries”. However, in order to create the compensation strategy by taking into account all the required factors, an organization should take into account the managerial model of its executives, its location in the business life cycle, and its culture.
As for the issues of the success of this strategy, it is necessary to mention that the five components of compensation are regarded to be universal and have been checked by other healthcare organizations, consequently if there are some additional needs and requirements arise, they will be solved easily, as the main components are present and properly adjusted. Retention and motivation will be improved due to the very fact that employees feel that the organization cares about them and wishes to create the perfect working conditions, for the workers could focus primarily on their working obligations.
Draft Training Program
First of all, it should be stated that the organization has founded three schools of employee training. These are the Nuclear Medicine, Radiation Therapy and Diagnostic Medical Sonography. Originally, all the training programs should be aimed at developing the skills within these three spheres, as it is regarded to be the main specialization of the organization. The ways for defining the training needs are rather simple.
Those employees who are aware of these three medical techniques need to maintain their skills and abilities to use the necessary equipment, as well as improve their qualification and get acquainted with the new methodologies, approaches and principles of the selected sphere. Those, who is a novice in Nuclear Medicine, Radiation Therapy and Diagnostic Medical Sonography should be given an opportunity to change their qualification or expand the proficiency level. The training needs for the novices are regarded to be rather complicated, as they will have to study the basic principles, get acquainted with the equipment and appliances and practice the acquired knowledge with the skilful colleague.
As for the instances of the training objectives, it is necessary to mention the following: the objectives of any training program are to improve the qualification level of a trainee, provide knowledge of the recent innovations and offer the essential amount of practice, for it was possible to fix the gained knowledge with practical skills.
The next step is to create the appropriate tests for the initial determination of the individual’s level of the gained knowledge. The Evaluation Test page identifies suitable tests for each of the trainees. The fact is that the ideal test should be elaborated with the aim of a personal approach towards any trainee, as the personal needs and objectives may differ. Originally, the main aims of any training program in any healthcare organization are the following:
- Protect the safety and health of healthcare employees and patients via quality care — through bloodborne pathogens, infection control and MRSA training.
- Develop workers’ knowledge, skills and abilities by means of continuing education by providing interactive online learning.
- Observe the relevant regulations such as The Joint Commission, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, OSHA and HIPAA training.
Only after the trainee learns these objectives and safety rules they may be permitted to work with patients and medical equipment.
Training Techniques
Techniques may be various, depending on the practical skills of the trainees, the available training material and the qualification of trainers. It is often emphasized that the practice of other specialists may be regarded as the best training material. Consequently, the trainers should demonstrate the teaching videos with the medical techniques and actions performed by the specialists.
Another technique available for training is the use of the software. The use of online or offline applications will help trainees participate in the experience exchange programs with the other doctors, for they could share their own observations and check their knowledge in the selected sphere.
The sequence of the training is one of the most crucial components of the program. Originally, the trainees should gain the theoretical basis of their training and then train them on simulators or under strict observation of their experienced colleagues.
As for the issues of training program evaluation, it should be stated that the best way to create a program is to resort to the methodologies elaborated by experienced trainers. There is no need to invent a bicycle, while there are whales of experimental and checked methodologies.
References
Gerber, R. & Lankshear, C. (Eds.). (2006). Training for a Smart Workforce. London: Routledge.
Stewart, G. & Brown, K. (2008). BUS530: Human resource management (1st ed.) Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.
Phatak A., Bhagat R., & Kashlak R. (2009). BUS530: Strategic human resource management: International HRM supplement. New York: McGraw-Hill.