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Anatomy of Engagement: Administrative/Clerical Workers

Anatomy of Engagement: Administrative/Clerical Workers

by Rick Blizzard

This is the fifth article in a multipart series on healthcare job categories. Previously discussed categories include licensed technicians and registered nurses (see Related Items).

Upon examining the scores of administrative and clerical workers in Gallup's healthcare employee engagement database, an interesting dichotomy emerges: Workers in this category have above-average scores on the job satisfaction question (which asks for their overall satisfaction with their organizations as places to work), but have below-average scores on their combined responses to the 12 questions that measure engagement within their workgroups. In short, administrative/clerical workers tend to be more satisfied with their overall organizations than they are at the individual workgroup level.

How can we account for this disparity?

On Gallup's Q12 employee engagement questions, administrative/clerical workers give ratings that are above the 50th percentile of the healthcare database on six of the questions, and below the 50th percentile on the other six questions. However, members of this job category tend to give the higher ratings to the more fundamental items at the foundation of the employee engagement hierarchy; administrative/clerical workers score above the 50th percentile on four of the first five items on the employee engagement survey.

The items on which administrative/clerical workers are most dissatisfied (with scores of .10 or more below the 50th percentile) are as follows:

  • At work, my opinions seem to count. (-.15)
  • This last year, I have had opportunities at work to learn and grow. (-.13)
  • My associates or fellow employees are committed to doing quality work. (-.12)

What Are Administrative/Clerical Staff Telling Us?

So while administrative and clerical employees say they have the materials and equipment they need, their relationships with coworkers leave them less satisfied. They don't feel that their opinions count, despite the fact that these workers are often in the unique position of interacting with both patients and a variety of staff members, and so offer a valuable perspective. Does a mechanism exist for them to communicate their ideas? Do others pay attention when they offer their opinions?

The low scores on the "associates committed to quality" item suggest that administrative/clerical workers may feel that their work is not valued. Low scores on this item may suggest that these workers feel that others don't care about the quality of their work. Or, they could be saying that they do not observe a commitment to quality among workers in their own category and in other job categories. Either case leads to reduced motivation to maintain high standards for service quality.

Administrative and clerical employees are also concerned that they do not have adequate opportunities to learn and grow. Today's healthcare environment is fraught with change and staffing shortages. Computer systems are increasingly more sophisticated, and administrative/clerical employees need training and support to meet the needs of the future. Some workers in this category may even be interested in taking on positions in areas such as licensed practical nurses (LPNs) and radiology technologists, where shortages are rampant.

Bottom Line

Providing the proper materials and equipment to administrative/clerical workers is not enough. These workers are valuable and should not become invisible. Their positions give them a unique perspective on the inner workings of a hospital, and their insights can help improve quality. Administrative/clerical workers may also be a valuable resource for filling vacancies where there are shortages. The only way to find out is to ask.

The Q12 items are protected by copyright of The Gallup Organization, Princeton, N.J., 1992-1999. All rights reserved.

 

 


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