The Impact of the Current Onboarding Process on Employee Engagement at the Hospital Research Paper

Introduction

The adaptation of employees to the peculiarities of the work process is a critical criterion that reflects the effectiveness of management and the sustainability of measures taken to involve and retain professional employees. The purpose is to determine the effect of the current onboarding process on employee engagement by assessing relevant information received from the target audience and drawing up a credible action plan. As an organization, the GH hospital is analyzed, which has been operating in the healthcare sector for many years and has sufficient resources to develop onboarding programs for staff due to stable funding from the government. Achieving a balance between quality and cost of care is the main mission of the institution, and innovation, transparency, reliability, and focus on the patient’s needs are the key organizational values ​​of the hospital.

The main research question is as follows: Is the current onboarding process at the GH hospital efficient in ensuring sustainable employee engagement? By evaluating the data obtained during the survey of the employees, a mixed-method study will be carried out to assess the views of the target audience (43 employees who joined in 2021) on the issue under consideration and statistically compare the results obtained. The topic has been chosen because the onboarding process in the hospital is an essential aspect of the current HR policy and influences the staff’s productivity. A literature review will be conducted to collect valid data from reliable sources. Through the analysis of the research methodology, the findings and key messages will be compiled to reveal the overall perception of the onboarding process and make recommendations regarding implications for employees and the healthcare facility. The research objectives are as follows:

1. To examine the impact of the current onboarding process on employee engagement at the GH hospital.
2. To establish a resourceful action plan based on the findings and critique collected.

The answer to the research question posed through the aforementioned objectives can help compile an adequate mentoring program for new employees at the GH hospital. Potential limitations regarding the number of participants involved and the duration of their recruitment will not affect the outcomes of the research process. The proper evaluation of the effectiveness of the onboarding process is a valuable factor in strengthening the retention program of professional specialists and helping them adapt to the workflow as soon as possible.

Literature Review

The critical analysis of relevant academic sources can help assess how effective the onboarding process in healthcare can be and what tools are valuable in creating an adaptive environment that increases productivity and simplifies employee engagement. Stroo et al. (2020) assess the role of a special framework designed to retain talent and reduce turnover. The authors note that building a working model in which new hires are supported through appropriate education stimulates sustainable career growth and directly correlates with reduced spending on additional resources designed to optimize work outcomes (Stroo et al., 2020). This process can be compared to that applied in the context of talent management as an initiative designed to retain perspective specialists and create a favorable environment for their professional growth. As Venkatesh (2017) states, onboarding is one of the links in the chain of talent management programs and is closely associated with aspects of employee engagement and HR planning, thus creating a backdrop for productive healthcare activities. Thus, there is a correlation between onboarding and talent management procedures, which confirms that similar initiatives and interventions are promoted to control new hires’ performance.

The formation of professional competencies in new medical employees through a sustainable adaptation process is an important aspect of HR management in healthcare. According to Garcia et al. (2017), effective onboarding is a tool to increase job satisfaction and create an environment in which newly hired professionals show their strengths to the fullest. This is in line with the findings of Venkatesh (2017) related to the interpretation of the complex structure of HR practices and the impact of onboarding on medical staff’s performance. When considering the broader perspectives of the implementation of onboarding programs, one should take into account both organizational implications and communication factors that also influence the quality of the workflow. For instance, Mayzell (2020, p. 49) argues that “onboarding fits into a number of different categories, including professionalism, sense of community, creating efficiency, professionalism, and transparency”. By promoting appropriate adaptation regimes within medical organizations, managers encourage engagement, which is realized not only through addressing employees’ professional skills but also through creating a favorable interaction environment that implies comfortable and productive communication, positively correlated with reduced stress during the initial period of work in a new place.

A methodological background associated with optimizing the onboarding process in a team can be associated with different approaches and strategies used to control and coordinate employee engagement and stimulate productivity. In their guideline, Jeffery, Jarvis, and Word-Allen (2018) mention the Six Sigma, Lean, and some other approaches designed to facilitate onboarding and, at the same time, perform valid analysis of the results of the target work, for instance, through statistical estimates. All of these tools may be relevant because the growing popularity of the medical profession dictates special conditions for control. As D’Agostino (2018, p. 2) remarks, nursing positions in healthcare organizations are expected to grow by approximately 15% by 2026, driven by the current age of staff and an increasing number of employees awaiting retirement. In this regard, this is crucial for heads of medical institutions and individual structural units to establish recruiting and adaptation frameworks that will allow them to hire professional specialists. Under such conditions, appropriate methodological tools and approaches can be useful as frameworks that allow for minimizing errors in the selection of personnel and ensuring adequate control over the adaptation of new and young employees.

The aforementioned age factor is relevant in the context of the topic of adaptation and its impact on medical personnel’s performance. Shufutinsky and Cox (2019) analyze current onboarding programs for millennials in the healthcare sector and note that many institutions approach the design of these projects irresponsibly, which, in turn, affects retention rates negatively. The researchers note the low indicators of organizational culture, which accompany adaptation projects, and argue that the dynamically changing communication trends that are observed among the younger generation are essential to take into account when building onboarding programs, including the nuances of learning styles, productivity measurements, and other aspects (Shufutinsky and Cox, 2019). Morgan et al. (2020, p. 41) confirm this idea and argue that “members of the millennial generation tend to change jobs more frequently than previous generations, and given a strong job market that offers an array of opportunities, current PAs and NPs may more frequently enter new work settings”. As a result, building an effective onboarding program implies taking into account the needs of individual categories of employees, with an emphasis on age as one of the significant criteria determining adaptation productivity.

Along with the characteristics of age, employees’ learning needs are an important factor associated with job satisfaction and the quality of the adaptation process in a healthcare institution. Becker and Bish (2021) analyze this topic and state that segmenting target workflow members into categories in accordance with distinctive educational interests can increase the level of supervisor-subordinate interaction, thereby enhancing staff motivation to improve professional competencies and minimizing the risks of poor performance. This applies not only to young employees but also to experienced professionals because, as confirmed by Stroo et al. (2020), talent management requires addressing individual interests. Owolabi and Adeosun (2021) highlight the benefits of providing access to learning opportunities, but one of their main ideas is that encouraging creativity is a more valuable practice than equalizing capacity development. Talented and promising professionals feel more confident when they see leaders go the extra mile by creating the conditions for individual talents to be fully displayed, which can be realized early in the onboarding process (Owolabi and Adeosun, 2021). Therefore, addressing learning needs can be performed efficiently through a segmentation approach aimed at satisfying the educational interests of different participants.

In academic literature, particular attention is paid to mentoring as a practice closely related to the onboarding process. Tom et al. (2019) evaluate the effectiveness of involving new employees in mentoring projects and determine the value of these programs from the perspective of increasing work productivity. According to the authors’ findings, mentoring relationships are an adequate mechanism for eliminating barriers to high-performance activities and contribute to establishing continuous learning and, consequently, stimulating professional competency growth during relevant sessions (Tom et al., 2019). The structure of mentoring projects can be distinctive and vary depending on organizational needs, employee interests, mentors’ qualifications, and other factors. However, according to Chang et al. (2022), the formal structure of such programs is optimal because the interaction between the parties involved is based on the principle of knowledge transfer, which does not imply a free form of learning. At the same time, the authors emphasize the importance of informal relationships between mentors and mentees; this form of communication creates a supportive learning environment free from tension and rigor (Chang et al., 2022). Thus, mentoring is often an important part of the onboarding process in healthcare institutions.

Establishing a productive interaction environment is not the only positive prospect achieved through the introduction of mentoring programs for newly joined medical employees. As Woodberry (2020) argues, training sessions are often aimed at enhancing the professionalism of the staff, which is a common need, particularly when hiring young specialists. The lack of practical experience can be a major barrier to productive medical or nursing practice, and despite theoretical knowledge, young employees may make mistakes due to poor decision-making or problem-solving skills (Woodberry, 2020). In this regard, mentoring programs help build an environment in which new employees can gain valuable experiences and assess a wide range of work strategies and approaches. According to Mitchell (2021), such initiatives are particularly relevant in healthcare facilities with insufficient resource bases, such as in rural areas where physician or nursing practices are limited by infrastructural or other constraints. Under such conditions, newly joined employees need support from colleagues and supervisors due to numerous barriers. As a result, setting up mentoring programs can address a wide range of tasks and involve new employees in the communication process while stimulating their learning inspiration and expanding practical experiences.

When taking into account the findings from the analyzed academic sources, one can note that the onboarding process is characterized by a number of conventions, namely creating conditions for learning, establishing interaction between colleagues, promoting mentoring programs, and other initiatives. In addition, as Eder et al. (2020) remark, monitoring partner progress is one of the significant prospects that may be achieved within the framework of onboarding projects promoted in medical teams. This is due to the fact that being involved in various care and treatment activities, nurses and physicians often find it difficult to adequately assess individual performance indicators, especially given little work experience. Therefore, monitoring the activities of colleagues can be a valuable implication for improving performance. During of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is challenging for many healthcare organizations to build effective programs to help newly joined employees due to restrictions on social contacts, prompting many institutions to implement remote forms of control (Murphy et al., 2021). As a result, the importance of targeted assistance based on assisting employees in adapting to work in a new team is high and largely determines the quality of HR practice.

Research Methodology

As the chosen methodology to answer the question posed about the effectiveness of the current onboarding process at the GH hospital, a mixed-method research approach will be utilized. This strategy involves addressing significant criteria for assessing relevant indicators. Firstly, through the analysis of data obtained from the involved participants through the survey, objective information can be retrieved regarding the views of recently joined employees. Secondly, through the use of statistical data for calculation, which corresponds to a quantitative approach, one can identify specific trends and form an objective picture of the perception of the issue in the team. According to Niyigena et al. (2022), the ability to combine qualitative and quantitative data is a convenient strategy for analyzing training prospects due to the identification of unambiguous parameters and their correlation with each other. Therefore, this methodology is optimal for answering the research question.

The collected primary data are an adequate source of information to analyze and identify the relevant attitudes of the interviewed participants to the stated issue. In Appendix A, the questions asked to recently joined staff at the GH hospital are presented along with numerical data showing the statistical correlations of their responses. The members voluntarily agreed to participate in the survey, largely due to the fact that this research process directly influences their performance and is aimed at highlighting the needs and concerns of the target group of employees. With regard to the proposed type of research, such an algorithm for interpreting information is justified. As Heileman (2022) notes, the use of qualitative and quantitative measures is not only a combination of the two methodologies but rather a practice designed to evaluate subtotals, weigh different opinions, integrate personal views into calculations, and realize many other research tasks. As a result, a mixed-method methodology is relevant in this context and is more appropriate than alternative approaches, such as only qualitative or only quantitative designs.

The data collected through the application of this methodology can be utilized both as a background for an action plan and as a rationale to support the optimization of the organizational environment at the GH hospital. Since the information is collected voluntarily, no ethical principles are violated, and all participants involved have consented to the processing of their data. It is noteworthy that names and positions are not disclosed, and the focus of the survey is on individual demographic characteristics, such as age or gender, and on professional criteria related to work experience and the quality of support provided in the team. Kurnat-Thoma et al. (2017) remark that the use of the survey method in assessing the stated problem allows for identifying various aspects of onboarding and building an objective picture of the current situation based on primary data. As a result, the evaluation of the information received from the target participants makes it possible to identify relevant trends in the onboarding policy of the hospital, determine the features of newly joined employees’ adaptation process, and highlight the aspects of activities that deserve revision based on the interviewed members’ views.

Findings, Analysis, and Discussion

Based on the survey data, some crucial aspects may be highlighted, which relate to the current onboarding program at the GH hospital and reflect the trends of the HR policy. In terms of individual characteristics, of the 43 people surveyed who joined the team in 2021, a fifth are millennials under the age of 25, as shown in Appendix A. The rest of the survey members are under 45, which suggests that relatively young staff are hired. While taking into account the findings of Morgan et al. (2020), one can note that targeted work with young employees requires increased attention from the HR department and line managers due to the higher turnover of intentions among this audience. When analyzing the current onboarding policy, the conclusion is that young employees are not properly prepared for changes in the work process and do not get sufficient autonomy to express their creativity. Consequently, talent management is a weak aspect of the hospital’s operations, and the administration does not pay attention to the individual characteristics of newly hired employees, which reduces the effectiveness of the onboarding program and increases the risk of high turnover.

Another significant criterion that deserves attention is the nationality of the surveyed participants. According to the data presented in Appendix A, almost half of the members of newly joined employees have come from other countries. This suggests that the GH hospital management should be flexible in establishing the onboarding program and take into account the interests of different participants in the work process. As Jeffery, Jarvis, and Word-Allen (2018) argue, cross-cultural factors play an essential role in productive adaptation due to the distinctive perceptions of employees in relation to different aspects of their professional activities. What may be acceptable for citizens of one country, such as arranging shift schedules, may be inconvenient for expatriates. In addition, interaction patterns can also be perceived differently, which is particularly true when organizing coaching sessions at the GH hospital. As a result, the criterion of nationality is a relevant factor to take into account when building the onboarding program and identifying adequate employee engagement tools.

If the factors of age and nationality are serious criteria influencing the adaptation of new employees, then the aspect of gender is not decisive when planning appropriate educational sessions and building a communication mode. Activities in the healthcare sector do not imply a clear gender division, and despite dominant trends, such as the appointment of predominantly female employees in nursing roles, there are no clear nuances that would distinguish adaptation programs for men and women. All new employees go through the same procedures as they are hired, including the selection process, obtaining the necessary verification documents, tests during the probation period, and other steps. Based on the data provided in Appendix A, the number of female employees who joined the GH hospital in 2021 was approximately twice that of male employees. Nevertheless, these dynamics do not reflect critical prerequisites for changes in the onboarding process and demonstrate social rather than professional trends in the medical sphere.

When setting up the onboarding program, the GH hospital management should consider the occupational makeup of the newly hired professionals. This is important because, depending on the position, relevant educational initiatives should be promoted. For instance, given the fact that general practitioners are the smallest category of newly hired, and administrative staff, nurses, and allied-health professionals form larger groups, as evidenced by the results in Appendix A, the necessary resources need to be prepared for specific categories of employees. The analysis of the medical institution shows that the prevailing number of adaptation proposals is aimed at assisting medical personnel. However, such a limited position is unacceptable, especially given the wide range of positions recently hired. Therefore, the GH hospital staff has the right to count on equal support from the HR department and line managers to quickly adapt to the work process and achieve high performance.

Based on the assessment of newly joined staff’s perception of the conditions provided to them at the initial stage of work at the GH hospital, one can note that the current onboarding program at the institution deserves revision. According to the results of the survey, reflected in Appendix A, more than a third of respondents note a lack of information about the upcoming work process and, therefore, their inability to understand the real situation in the team. Such statistics are a weighty argument in favor of revising the adaptation conditions. The effectiveness of an assistance program can only be assessed as high if the prevailing number of employees perceive the information offered to them as sufficient to form a comprehensive picture of the expected work process. The number of workers who strongly agreed with the adequacy of the data they were offered was smaller than those who strongly disagreed with how much data they received. Thus, at the initial stage of interaction with new specialists, the hospital management should pay more attention to the quality and volume of introductory materials.

The GH hospital has induction sessions in its schedule, and these meetings are aimed at stimulating newly joined employees’ work activities. However, as the real state of affairs in the institution shows, the planned schedule, in which these sessions should be held every third week of the month, is not respected. This is due to the high workload of the HR department and the current stage of organizational transformation as the hospital goes through a period of change. As a result, as shown in Appendix A, almost a third of recently joined specialists are convinced that the information offered at rare induction sessions is irrelevant and cannot be regarded as useful. According to Jeske and Olson (2022), the onboarding process is closely related to induction because the latter phase is an incentive for faster and more efficient adaptation. However, as the qualitative research data show, many new employees are dissatisfied with the productivity of induction sessions, which indicates the need to take urgent measures and reorganize the working mode of the HR department.

Although at the initial phase, many new hospital employees are dissatisfied with the information offered to them about what they should expect, in terms of explaining the immediate responsibilities by the management, the situation is more positive. According to the survey results, most professionals confirm the accuracy of the explanation regarding their anticipated job responsibilities (Appendix A). This suggests that hospital managers are competent and able to plan work efficiency, which is crucial for employees who have not yet gained sufficient practical experience in a new setting. Despite the fact that some professionals disagree with the quality of the work instructions provided to them, this may be due to personal beliefs and differences of opinion on workflow and planning steps. Thus, from the perspective of coordinating the practice of subordinates at the initial stage, the GH hospital management offers adequate recommendatory strategies.

Performance feedback is essential to organizational control in any operating environment, including the GH hospital. Nevertheless, based on primary statistical data, not all employees who go through the probation period are satisfied with the quality of the feedback provided to them (Appendix A). This, in turn, is a significant constraint on effective onboarding and complicates the process of adaptation of newly joined specialists. As Groves (2019) notes, performance feedback is a tool for enhancing staff leadership skills and can be utilized to advantage in a clinical environment where productivity and goal-oriented performance determine the success of the entire healthcare institution. With this remark in mind, one can note that the GH hospital pays little attention to talent management, which, according to Venkatesh (2017), is oversight of HR professionals and should be addressed as one of the significant aspects of targeted work with personnel. Therefore, it is crucial for the hospital management to provide feedback to subordinates, particularly those who have been working in the team recently.

The sense of togetherness created within a team through well-designed strategies for engagement and maintaining a favorable microclimate is a controversial aspect of the current onboarding program at the GH hospital. The results of the participant survey show that some newly joined staff of the institution are not ready to recognize their belonging to the team and do not feel on the same wavelength with the collective (Appendix A). As a rule, such information is obtained through qualitative analysis, but due to quantitative calculations, this study allows for identifying a specific number of dissatisfied people. From an adaptive perspective, these statistics confirm the gaps in the hospital’s HR policy and support the need for action to strengthen teamwork. The reason for dissatisfaction may lie in the distinctive cultural views of management and individual employees on certain aspects of the work process. On the example of an individual healthcare facility, Gregory (2017, p. 395) analyzes the value of involvement and argues that “by promoting cross-cultural understanding, we are better able to meet … our staff’s sense of belonging”. Therefore, stimulating engagement and maintaining high organizational culture should be team leaders’ priorities.

One of the indicators of an effective onboarding process can be considered a sufficient amount of resources available to newly joined employees. In the case of the GH hospital, not all professionals recognize that they can count on a wide range of tools to enhance their productivity; moreover, some employees are convinced that their knowledge and skills are insufficient to perform their immediate duties competently (Appendix A). With regard to such a critical position regarding subordinates’ personal capacities, this situation is common because, without sufficient experience, young physicians, nurses, and administrators tend to doubt their professional suitability. However, from the perspective of the fullness of the resource base, the management of the clinic should do everything possible to provide the staff with the necessary materials and tools for the effective implementation of work procedures. In this case, employees can count on the comprehensive honing of professional skills. Innovative equipment, the relevance of educational data, and other aspects that reflect the effectiveness of the resource base can help accelerate the process of adaptation and assimilation of the necessary knowledge and attainments.

New employees’ dissatisfaction with their onboarding experience is a significant reason to review the current onboarding strategies adopted by the GH hospital management. The survey data show that the majority of professionals do not agree with the steps that the institution takes to help subordinates acquire the necessary experience (Appendix A). Regardless of the particular nuances of the workflow that raise questions among employees, it is essential for the HR department to create an environment that will ensure that the team is professionally trained. In accordance with the research results in the study by Bethel et al. (2019, p. 438), among the nurses surveyed, the majority of employees (87.3%) seek to expand their knowledge in the field of work routines. These statistics prove that, despite the specifics of activities, employees are concerned about situations when they lack experience, and this is the managers’ task to create the necessary conditions for more active staff engagement.

Based on the aforementioned gaps in the hospital’s onboarding program, the difficulty in the form of the dissatisfaction of recently joined employees with their job is a negative outcome. In Appendix A, data is shown demonstrating that more than two-thirds of new hires are unhappy with the roles they play in their workplace; moreover, none of the respondents indicate complete satisfaction, which is a serious sign. This result is critical and requires immediate intervention from the hospital management. According to Magana et al. (2021), the first months of work for medical professionals are often accompanied by dissatisfaction with operating conditions and, ultimately, high turnover if the operating process is not structured and clearly planned, with each specialist understanding their role. While interpreting this finding from the perspective of the GH hospital, one can note that new hires are in dire need of a sustainable onboarding program that will allow them to fit into the workflow flexibly and rely on peers’ and leaders’ support.

Even more depressing statistics concern organizational culture, particularly how it is perceived by new hires. Almost all of the GH hospital’s newcomers confirm that they feel they do not fit into their current workplace culture (Appendix A). Based on the quantitative data of the survey, one can see that the statistics speak in favor of the urgent need for changes in the onboarding program. The situation may concern both the general organizational culture associated with the mode of communication, the leader-subordinate relationship, and other aspects, as well as individual nuances associated, for instance, with educational barriers. At the same time, while assessing the situation from either side, one can note that this is important to address these difficulties as a whole because they are interrelated. As Pabico et al. (2019, p. 10) state, “creating a culture of lifelong learning is a valuable strategy for organizational success”. In other words, by addressing educational gaps, HR managers can improve the level of organizational culture, thereby enhancing employees’ job satisfaction, which is a critical perspective.

The awareness of one’s own value as a professional is a significant factor that stimulates employees’ productivity and motivates them to expand their professional competencies. However, at the GH hospital, this criterion, which is closely related to engagement, is at a low level, as evidenced by the responses of the participants in the study. According to the data demonstrated in Appendix A, about three-fourths of the respondents state they do not feel valued as employees, and this gap is crucial to address. Ricker, Greene, and Vail (2021) raise the issue of cultural appraisal of the professionalism of young medical professionals and note that in this category, many people experience anxiety and stress about individual professional fitness, often due to a lack of experience. To address this barrier, the authors insist that the organizational culture of any healthcare institution should include engagement aspects as one of the main factors in increasing individual self-confidence and, therefore, professionalism among young employees (Ricker, Greene, and Vail, 2021). Therefore, the current statistics at the GH hospital are a strong argument in favor of revising the organizational culture and increasing involvement rates to enhance job satisfaction.

Following the results of the analyzed survey, one can create an objective intervention plan designed to amplify the identified gaps and address those aspects of the workflow that newly joined employees find the most problematic. An alternative form of intervention could be a project based on the respondents’ answers and their vision of potential changes. However, in this case, the lack of experience is a barrier. Despite the objectivity of the collected data and their practical significance, the change project should be based on a rational transformation that involves addressing weak operational aspects but not the entire working regime. As the results show, many young employees are aware of the purpose of their activities and the skills they need to successfully adapt to the team and expand the range of professional competencies. The relevance of the intervention is justified by the listed gaps, but for the productive transformation of the onboarding process, not the entire workflow needs to be transformed but only those aspects that relate to new employees’ initial period of work. Therefore, the development of an intervention plan should proceed in accordance with the results of the survey.

The analysis of the onboarding process shows that some activities, such as sessions within the induction program, are almost never carried out, although they should be mandatory to increase professionalism and strengthen teamwork. At the moment, the organization is at the stage of transition to an autonomous form of work, which is accompanied by complex restructuring processes. However, young employees who are also part of this transformation are not getting sufficient support and are not being prepared for change, which is an oversight. Moreover, the difficulties that newly hired specialists face, for instance, passing a mandatory six-month test period, during which they are forced to prove their professional knowledge and, at the same time, perform direct work duties. The lack of sufficient practical experience and sometimes theoretical knowledge are barriers. According to Xenakis (2018, p. 449), “identification of learning needs early on can help to provide the necessary support to enhance job performance”. Thus, the current onboarding process needs changes that should address new hires’ difficulties and obstacles. Otherwise, the risk of turnover increases, and the leakage of promising employees may be the result of an inadequately built adaptation program.

Based on the experiences of employees involved in the survey, unclear job descriptions do not allow them to fully cover the range of expected results to achieve as part of the workflow. This has a negative effect on motivation because the onboarding experience of recently joined specialists is insufficient to realize their professional potential. As Gupta et al. (2018) remark, self-efficacy indicators are directly correlated with turnover intentions, and if employees feel weak self-confidence due to an incorrectly built organizational process, this is a prerequisite for staff leakage. More detailed and constructive goals are required for subordinates to avoid ambiguity in job descriptions and ensure a personal approach to each position, thereby avoiding a unified task-setting practice and supporting new employees.

In summarizing the analysis, one can note that the identified gaps and shortcomings in the coordination of the current onboarding program at the GH hospital can be addressed through adequate intervention. Targeted practices designed to strengthen workers’ educational backgrounds and enhance the practical skills of newly joined staff can be effective strategies. The management should not ignore the dissatisfaction of subordinates because this is contrary to the ideas of effective control and directly affects patient outcomes, which is unacceptable. Stimulating motivation and preventing turnover moods among young specialists are priority tasks, but expanding the professional competencies of employees and helping them acquire the necessary skills are no less important tasks to achieve within the current onboarding process.

Conclusions

The evaluation of the results of the analysis based on a conducted literature review and a mixed-method research survey reveals specific problems associated with the onboarding process at the GH hospital. Talent management in the healthcare facility is not a priority, which is confirmed by the results of the survey. The management of the institution does not create the appropriate conditions for the successful adaptation of newly joined employees, which is expressed in rarely organized educational sessions and unclear task settings. This, in turn, may lead to staff dissatisfaction with current working conditions and the likelihood of turnover intentions.

A weak focus on stimulating productivity directly correlates with the inability to motivate subordinates to constantly improve their professional competencies. According to the results of the survey, many young professionals cannot fully understand the challenges they have to overcome, which is largely due to both the lack of practical experience and an insufficiently thought-out onboarding program. The coaching sessions promoted at the hospital are not aimed solely at supporting newly joined staff, which is an oversight. As a result, ignoring skill improvement is a problem of the current HR policy and a reason for revising the existing mechanism of interaction with young specialists.

The recruiting practices promoted at the GH hospital also deserve changes. At the moment, the organization is at the stage of transformation, and the current processes of restructuring its financial, managerial, and other systems should be accompanied by the optimization of recruitment programs. Hiring new employees should be accompanied by performance incentives and open support, which is not the case at the GH hospital. The probation period deserves particular attention because this phase is difficult for most recently joined employees due to the need to combine direct work duties with passing test tasks. A focus on engagement is an essential aspect of a sustainable HR policy, and to achieve this, more flexible and transparent ways of interacting with job seekers are essential to promote. Proper job descriptions should be part of the onboarding program; otherwise, the risks of misunderstanding between managers and subordinates arise, which inevitably affects productivity outcomes.

The importance of reorganizing the educational process for young employees is one of the priorities. Based on the survey, according to the age composition of the respondents, some of them belong to the category of millennials. The analysis of the educational needs of this population shows that more flexible and dynamic learning practices need to be promoted to interest professionals from this age group. Particular attention should be paid to interaction with colleagues and maintaining productive communication in the team. Failure to establish a sustainable knowledge-sharing algorithm is an oversight at the GH hospital, and the current coaching program does not address young specialists’ educational interests. At the same time, the survey demonstrates that many of the newly joined employees are ready to expand their professional competences, including in relation to routine duties, which is due to their anxiety caused by the lack of experience. Therefore, promoting educational initiatives is one of the main interventions to implement in the context of optimizing the current policy of interaction with new employees at the GH hospital.

Applying a mixed-method research approach is a convenient practice for answering the research question and addressing the proposed objectives. Collecting data from target participants is a credible practice to get objective views, while statistical calculations reflect a specific picture and allow for identifying specific perceptions and visions. In the context of the stated problem associated with the weak organization of the onboarding process, this approach makes it possible to highlight the key gaps and present adequate optimization mechanisms related to the proposed shortcomings. Implementing a suitable intervention should be based on the development of a relevant and effective mentoring program designed to address the adaptation challenges and learning interests of newly joined employees to strengthen their professionalism and increase engagement.

Recommendations and Implementation Plan

As a relevant and justified recommendation for addressing the problems associated with the onboarding process at the GH hospital, establishing a sustainable mentoring program is an effective step. To begin with, all new employees hired by the institution should receive a comprehensive description of the tasks to achieve and the skills to apply within their immediate duties. Such an initiative will allow them to quickly become aware of their professional responsibilities and minimize potential misunderstandings between them and leaders. As responsible curators, senior nurses, heads of departments, and other employees in managerial positions should be engaged. This step does not involve long-term implementation and can be completed within the first week after the worker is employed.

The following and most important step is the appointment of an employee who will accompany each individual newcomer during the entire onboarding period (six months). This will be a rational solution to involve a senior specialist who has experience in this healthcare institution and has extensive theoretical and practical skills to pass them to the mentee. Even though senior staff members do not possess advanced mentoring attainments, their knowledge is valuable to share with newly joined professionals. The preparation of special brochures for the mentor and mentee can help compile the necessary points regarding the interaction principles, the steps to achieve in the communication process, and the long-term objectives to realize through the exchange of experience.

Building the phases of the mentoring program is the next step to implement as part of the planned optimization of the onboarding process. This activity will require additional costs, including both time and financial expenses. Budgetary funds will be spent on the purchase of handouts, access to educational portals, digital equipment, and other resources necessary for the educational preparation of mentees. The entire period of such a program will take six months, which is equal to the standard probation phase. It is expected that a clear schedule of meetings between mentors and mentees will be drawn up; twice a week, they will interact, and the communication will be two-way. This means that, unlike traditional coaching sessions, at these meetings, participants will share their experiences, and mentees will be able to convey their challenges and concerns to mentors, who, in turn, will control the adaptation of new colleagues and give practical and theoretical recommendations, using relevant materials as evidence base. It is assumed that such an interaction algorithm will make it possible to find an individual approach to each recently joined employee and contribute to mitigating job stress.

In the short term, one of the valuable optimization changes is redeveloping job descriptions for them to satisfy the needs of new employees. In the medium term, successful adaptation of newly joined specialists of different positions can be achieved, which, in turn, will allow for establishing sustainable and transparent communication in the team, improve the leader-subordinate interaction, and reduce the psychological pressure on young professionals. Finally, in the long term, the performance of the entire healthcare facility can be enhanced through the coordinated activities of all employees without exception, and the planned goals of increasing autonomy can be achieved.

If the intervention plan is implemented partially, for instance, only through the introduction of a mentoring program, this will also have a positive impact on productivity, but it will take more time for the newly joined employees to adapt. As potential difficulties, one can note poor education preparation of new workers, communication barriers in establishing interaction with mentors, as well as financial constraints associated with the challenges of adequate budget allocation. However, these barriers can be successfully addressed through competent oversight of the plan implementation and the involvement of professional facilitators who can monitor each step of the intervention and alert the senior management of potential obstacles timely. All these factors speak in favor of introducing a mentoring program, supplemented by appropriate changes in the policy of interaction with new staff.

Reference List

Becker, K. and Bish, A. (2021) ‘A framework for understanding the role of unlearning in onboarding’, Human Resource Management Review, 31(1), pp. 1-13.

Bethel, C. et al. (2019) ‘Travel nurse onboarding: current trends and identified needs’, JONA: The Journal of Nursing Administration, 49(9), pp. 436-440.

Chang, H. et al. (2022) ‘Reflections of mentors and mentees on a national mentoring programme for pharmacists in the United Kingdom: an examination into organisational culture and systems’, Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy, 18(4), pp. 2659-2669.

D’Agostino, J. (2018) Exploration of onboarding for director of nursing position at Illinois community colleges. EdD dissertation. Ferris State University.

Eder, M. et al. (2020) ‘An observational study of a clinical guideline implementation project in primary care’, Journal of Clinical and Translational Science, 4(3), pp. 219-223.

Garcia, M. G. et al. (2017) ‘Orienting and onboarding clinical nurse specialists: a process improvement project’, Clinical Nurse Specialist, 31(3), pp. 163-168.

Gregory, C. (2017) ‘Effective communication for a global workforce’, Nurse Leader, 15(6), pp. 392-395.

Groves, K. S. (2019) ‘Examining the impact of succession management practices on organizational performance: a national study of US hospitals’, Health Care Management Review, 44(4), pp. 356-365.

Gupta, P. D. et al. (2018) ‘Relationship between onboarding experience and turnover intention: intervening role of locus of control and self-efficacy’, Industrial and Commercial Training, 50(2), pp. 61-80.

Heileman, J. M. (2022) The power of connections: an online doctoral program’s use of strategic onboarding to enhance the doctoral experience. EdD dissertation. The University of Kentucky.

Jeffery, A. D., Jarvis, R. L. and Word-Allen, A. (2018) Staff educator’s guide to clinical orientation: onboarding solutions for nurses. 2nd edn. Indianapolis: Sigma.

Jeske, D. and Olson, D. (2022) ‘Onboarding new hires: recognising mutual learning opportunities’, Journal of Work-Applied Management, 14(1), pp. 63-76.

Kurnat-Thoma, E. et al. (2017) ‘Reducing annual hospital and registered nurse staff turnover – a 10-element onboarding program intervention’, SAGE Open Nursing, 3, pp. 1-13.

Magaña, C. et al. (2021) ‘“Thank you for not letting me crash and burn”: the imperative of quality physician onboarding to foster job satisfaction, strengthen workplace culture, and advance the Quadruple Aim’, JCOM, 28(2), pp. 57-70.

Mayzell, G. (2020) The resilient healthcare organization: how to reduce physician and healthcare worker burnout. New York: CRC Press.

Mitchell, H. B. (2021) The influence of mentorship on job satisfaction and retention of nurse practitioners. PhD dissertation. The University of Arizona.

Morgan, P. et al. (2020) ‘Emerging practices in onboarding programs for PAs and NPs’, Journal of the American Academy of PAs, 33(3), pp. 40-46.

Murphy, M. et al. (2021) ‘Implementation of remote consulting in UK primary care following the COVID-19 pandemic: a mixed-methods longitudinal study’, British Journal of General Practice, 71(704), pp. e166-e177.

Niyigena, A. et al. (2022) ‘Rwanda’s community health workers at the front line: a mixed-method study on perceived needs and challenges for community-based healthcare delivery during COVID-19 pandemic’, BMJ Open, 12(4), p. e055119.

Owolabi, T. and Adeosun, O. (2021) ‘Succession planning and talent retention: evidence from the manufacturing sector in Nigeria’, British Journal of Management and Marketing Studies, 4(1), pp. 17-32.

Pabico, C. et al. (2019) ‘Creating a culture of lifelong learning: a strategy for organizational success’, Nursing Management, 50(2), pp. 9-11.

Ricker, M., Greene, C. and Vail, A. (2021) ‘Advanced practice provider onboarding support model comparison: is there a superior choice?’, Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice, 19(3), pp. 1-4.

Shufutinsky, A. and Cox, R. (2019) ‘Losing talent on day one: onboarding millennial employees in health care organizations’, Organization Development Journal, 37(4), pp. 33-51.

Stroo, M. et al. (2020) ‘Impact of implementing a competency-based job framework for clinical research professionals on employee turnover’, Journal of Clinical and Translational Science, 4(4), pp. 331-335.

Tom, W. et al. (2019) ‘Ensuring mentorship of new physicians in their first year: constructs for new mentoring processes’, The Permanente Journal, 23, pp. 1-3.

Venkatesh, A. N. (2017) ‘Integrated talent management framework for healthier healthcare performance – a strategic approach’, American International Journal of Research in Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, 19(1), pp. 46-54.

Woodberry, T. (2020) Mentoring curriculum for new adjunct faculty at Community College. EdD dissertation. Capella University.

Xenakis, N. (2018) ‘Creating a professional development platform to transform social work clinical practice in health care’, Social Work in Health Care, 57(6), pp. 440-464.

Reflective Account and Critical Review

The performed research has made it possible to evaluate the benefits of a mixed-method approach in the process of analyzing data received from the target audience. In the future, skills in working with statistical results may help interpret relevant findings objectively and accurately. In the course of work, knowledge about the integration of credible sources into the research process was needed. Learning the principles of academic research, including the aspects of literature review, is an effective mechanism for honing relevant skills. No significant obstacles have affected the work carried out, but the process of collecting data from the target audience and interpreting the corresponding results proved to be time-consuming. However, this could hardly have been addressed more effectively because, to obtain reliable information, communication with the target participants could not have been superficial.

The study has made it possible to reveal the features of the analysis of primary and secondary data utilized to answer the research question. Initially, more participants could have been recruited, and more questions could have been added to the survey. Nevertheless, the results obtained have helped formulate a comprehensive picture of the issue and achieve the declared objectives through relevant analysis and the proposed implementation plan.

Appendix A