By Greg Miller, Chief Human Resources Officer
Companies across the healthcare industry continue to grapple with historically high turnover, driven by operational strain, burnout, and systemic challenges across the care continuum. According to a recent ambulatory benchmarking report, staff turnover rates in ASCs have exceeded 20% in several markets, with particularly acute shortages among surgical techs, perioperative nurses, and anesthesia professionals. Additionally, over 60% of ASCs reported difficulty recruiting and retaining qualified clinical staff, citing factors like wage competition with hospitals, inflexible staffing models, and limited clinical training pipelines.
For HR leaders, the solution to this challenge isn’t just about filling clinical roles – it’s about reimagining our approach to build a more stable, engaged, and supported clinical workforce.
At Regent Surgical, we’ve implemented several strategies to address the issues facing teams today. With an eNPS of +93, our recent employee survey shows that we are doing something right. Drawing on my 35 years of experience in the Human Resources space and my observations of how industry leaders are enhancing employee retention, I have identified a few tactics that have proven especially effective.
Positioning Employee Wellness as a Priority, Not Just a Perk.
Post-pandemic, the conversation around employee wellness has shifted, evolving from a focus on surface-level perks to a more holistic approach that prioritizes mental health, work-life balance, and flexible work arrangements. In healthcare settings where trauma is prevalent and call schedules are demanding, the mental health of our colleagues can no longer be a side initiative.
It’s important to make clinical wellness a cornerstone of HR strategy, especially as nearly 60% of employees now consider mental health benefits a top priority when evaluating job offers, according to a McKinsey & Company Survey. This means going beyond traditional employee assistance programs, such as stress management workshops and nutrition and fitness resources. Some companies are now reevaluating PTO policies, moving away from allowing employees to cash out on unused days and instead enabling them to use their time off. Some have even introduced an annual dedicated ‘Mental Health Day’ to ensure staff genuinely step away and recharge.
At Regent, we’ve seen promising signs that mental health support resonates with staff. In our recent engagement survey, 88% said that our organization supports their work/life balance, and 78% reported that the job stress they feel is reasonable.
Bridging the Disconnect Between Managers and Employees.
One of the most overlooked drivers of turnover is the relationship between staff and their immediate leaders. Most frontline workers don’t meet regularly with their managers or have a weekly one-on-one. Consistent one-on-one meetings, combined with empathetic leadership, significantly boost engagement, as evidenced by our 95% employee participation rate in our latest survey. Ninety-two percent agreed that their manager treats them with respect, and 88% said their manager encourages teamwork, each statistic highlighting the impact of effective leadership. Without a structured process, teams often face gaps in empathy, unclear expectations, and minimal performance-related conversations.
Additionally, the healthcare industry is still playing catch-up in terms of leadership development. For far too long, clinical excellence has been prioritized over leadership readiness, resulting in many talented individuals being promoted into management roles without the necessary tools, training, and mentorship to lead effectively.
As someone who underwent strong leadership engagement training programs at previous organizations, I can attest that this strategy is powerfully effective. As a result, at my previous organization, we saw turnover drop significantly, from the high 50% range down to just 24%.
Strengthening and Leaning into Your Organizational Culture, Beginning with Leadership.
Beyond engagement, company culture is deeply intertwined with retention. A strong culture doesn’t tolerate poor performance, hide behind inflexible policies, or send the message—intentionally or not—that financial metrics matter more than patient care. While leadership plays a key role in shaping that culture, organizations must also reflect and ask: Are we caring for our people as deeply as we expect them to care for patients? A culture of compassionate, high-quality care starts internally. Leaders set the tone—not just through words, but through consistent actions that prioritize psychological safety, professional development, and a sense of shared purpose.
At Regent, the answer is reflected in results. Our employee Net Promoter Score now stands at +93, indicating a highly engaged and loyal workforce shaped by deliberate cultural and leadership investments.
Modernize Patient Scheduling with Data-Driven Insights.
Scheduling is another area with significant potential for transformation. In many healthcare organizations, this important interface with patients remains reactive and one-size-fits-all, overlooking critical nuances that directly impact staff satisfaction and rates of burnout.
In home health, for example, some clinicians spend disproportionate time driving between visits. In hospital and clinic settings, there are often major inconsistencies in overtime across teams. Without this level of visibility, organizations remain blind to the daily friction points that quietly drive turnover. By analyzing scheduling data and addressing these gaps, it is possible to create meaningful improvements in employee sentiment related to work-life balance, scheduling fairness and more.
Tackling turnover in healthcare isn’t about chasing the latest perk or hiring faster— it’s about looking inward. Are your people truly supported? Are your leaders equipped to lead? Are your systems helping or hurting the employee experience?
Reducing turnover is achievable—but only if HR leaders are willing to reexamine the fundamentals of how they support and engage their workforce.