3 huge benefits of a digital workforce platform
Digital workforce platforms are going to form an integral part of the NHS’ digital revolution post Covid-19.
With technology taking over our everyday lives, the move to digitisation has touched just about every aspect of modern life: from how we buy our groceries, to how we exercise and how we work. The NHS is no different; with many trusts now actively looking to digitise their services in-line with the NHS’s Long Term Plan and ready themselves for the resumption of ‘business as usual’ post Covid 19.
However, the move to digital services and solutions will still need the human touch; so, NHS employees will form an integral part of this digital transformation. This is where the NHS will need to re-think their approach to how employees engage with their traditional staff banks and, in particular, acknowledge the benefits of implementing a digital workforce platform.
By re-designing an NHS staff bank with content and context in mind of its users to a better, digitally-pleasing and persuasive technology, it will guarantee a trust’s ability to attract the best talent and increase employee satisfaction and productivity. But how?
Keep reading to find out more!
1. Attracting talent
In a 21st century economy, a medical professional’s primary work no longer just lies with the care of their patients, but with the technology that allows them to do their job both efficiently and rapidly – especially when lives are at risk!
With Brits spending an average of nearly four hours a day on technology – it’s a trust’s responsibility to ensure employee satisfaction is met with the ability to use technology as part of their job role.
By introducing a managed workforce solution into a trust it will allow all healthcare professionals to upload compliance documents, book shifts and communicate with rota managers from the comfort of their home. This means that not only will more employees book extra shifts, but it will increase the pool of prospective employees looking to join a particular NHS trust.
So, you should ask yourself: is your trust harnessing technology that empowers your staff to take on extra work? Is your trust making it easy for staff to do the extra work?
In a post Covid 19 climate, with over 10 million patients on waiting lists – you’re going to need as many hands on deck as possible.
2. Employee Satisfaction
Employee satisfaction should be at the forefront of any organisation’s model, including the NHS’.
Research reveals strong links between employee happiness and their sense of control. This is underscored by an organisations ability to offer flexible work options to employees to ensure that their personal lives are lived to full potential, giving them time to meet their aspirations and goals whilst also spending time with loved ones.
Again, the introduction of a digital staff bank allows your staff to take control: it offers a cross-functional collaboration for teams to work together whilst being spread across various hospital departments filling last minute rota gaps, streamlining the compliance process, instant accessibility to vacant shifts and most importantly, the ability to instantly book a shift.
Today, technology can offer us facial recognition, accelerated decision-making, streamlining workflow and bolstering productivity – allowing healthcare professionals to take control and thus in turn, improve employee satisfaction. After all, it’s difficult to uphold a sense of unity if some of your workforce is out the door as soon as their contracted shift ends. See more information on healthcare workforce technology and managed workforce solutions here.
3. Employee Productivity
Far from eradicating the need for human skill, the right technology platform can be used to make tasks simpler and faster, freeing up time for jobs that absolutely require a human to be involved.
Doctors and nurses have decided to specialise in healthcare, they have the unique knowledge, insight and experience to heal a patient and so, their time should absolutely not spent filing paperwork to request to work an extra shift. By implementing technology, an individual’s productivity levels can increase via their ability to self-serve.
Instead of your employees having to physically visit the staff bank, they should be able to utilise technology available to them, freeing up time for more pressing matters such as patient care.
In addition, technology removes the time spent by administration staff trawling through spreadsheets, databases and paperwork, reduces the risk of human error – freeing up time for human skill to be spent on essential trust areas.
A Final Word
Technology at its core is a tool to improve efficiency, by giving your workforce access to such tools will allow your trust to meet service demands without putting extra stress and expectations on your employees.
The fact that technology can allow all professionals of a dynamic trust to benefit is astronomical. From healthcare professionals, the administration team to patients getting access to faster care is an advantage for everyone… but it’s up to you to make a conscious decision to invest in productivity technology.
Discover more about our award-winning and framework-approved Digital Workforce Technology
ID Medical is proud to bring all NHS trusts an easy-to-use digital staffing platform that acts as a collaborative Roster System, Staff Bank and Agency Bank; creating an internal pool of compliant qualified staff that are available to fill staffing gaps. Our workforce technology guarantees you a more engaging, efficient and flexible alternative to traditional models.
