Shaping the Future of Workforce Planning in Healthcare: Key Insights from Becker's Healthcare Conference

As we navigate the evolving landscape of healthcare, workforce planning is necessary to overcome challenges that threaten the long-term sustainability of our industry. During my time at Becker’s Healthcare CEO + CFO RoundTable, industry leaders gathered to discuss strategies to shape the future of healthcare.

The insights shared during the keynote sessions were both insightful and actionable, and I believe they offer valuable lessons for all organizations looking to create a stronger, more resilient healthcare workforce.

Here are the key takeaways that resonated with me and could benefit your organization:

Fostering Collaboration to Drive Innovation

One of the key themes I heard throughout the event was the importance of collaboration. Healthcare leaders stressed that fostering trust and ensuring frontline voices are heard is essential for driving innovation. Teams must work seamlessly together to create an environment where diverse perspectives can solve complex problems.

Actionable Insight: Encourage a culture of open communication where staff feel empowered to contribute ideas and collaborate across departments. Innovation thrives in environments where diverse perspectives come together to solve problems.

Staffing Strategies Towards Expanding Education & Career Pathways

The main focus the leaders spoke on was diversifying the clinical pipeline as part of long-term workforce planning. At the Roundtable, leaders shared how they’re partnering with educational institutions to create sustainable career paths for new healthcare professionals. Programs like nurse residencies and collaborations with local schools are helping to build a strong pipeline of talent from within. They also touched on international direct hiring to be part of the solution of diversifying their clinical pipeline.

Actionable Insight: Start building your workforce from within by developing partnerships with high schools and community colleges. Fostering early career development ensures a steady pipeline of talent and reduces the pressure to recruit from a competitive job market.

Reimagining Caregiver Roles with Technology and AI

It was interesting to see how organizations are beginning to approach AI. While many are taking a cautious "wait and see" approach, there's a growing excitement around specific applications like clinical documentation automation.

The conversations consistently emphasized how health systems are actively exploring AI's role in supporting workflows, people, and processes.

Technology was another hot topic, with several leaders sharing their personal frustrations with appointment scheduling and making a strong case for investing in more intelligent scheduling solutions. It was clear that while the industry is still in an exploratory phase, there's a genuine momentum building around strategic AI integration.

Actionable Insight: Explore hybrid and AI-driven models to increase workforce flexibility and reduce burnout. Virtual care solutions, such as virtual nursing, can be leveraged to enhance both nurse satisfaction and patient outcomes.

Balancing Short-Term and Long-Term Needs

As economic pressures continue to challenge healthcare organizations, we’re all grappling with how to balance short-term cost-cutting with long-term workforce development. During the sessions, it became clear that robust onboarding and reskilling programs—especially in the first year of employment—are crucial to retention and preparing staff for future growth and employee retention.

Actionable Insight: Prioritize onboarding and continuous upskilling to stabilize your workforce and foster long-term growth. Investing in employee development pays off in both retention and performance.

Forming Transformational Partnerships

Another key takeaway was the growing importance of partnerships in workforce planning. Leaders are recognizing that aligning with like-minded organizations—whether to address health equity or build sustainable workforce pipelines—creates mutual benefits that

extend well beyond any single organization. I was inspired by examples of healthcare systems working hand in hand with community organizations and educational institutions.

Actionable Insight: Look for opportunities to collaborate with community organizations and educational partners that align with your mission. These partnerships can help build a more sustainable workforce while advancing your organization's broader goals.

Leveraging Data for Workforce Planning

Data-driven decision-making was another hot topic at the Roundtable. Whether it's identifying the right resources for stay interviews or analyzing turnover trends, healthcare leaders are increasingly turning to data to make more strategic decisions. This data-driven approach is also vital for workforce stabilization planning, where leaders are using insights to anticipate staffing needs across multiple pipelines. For example:

• Hospitals with growth plans—such as the addition of new facilities or expanded units—must carefully manage supply and demand to ensure they have the right talent in place.
• Organizations like SSM Health, are exploring international clinical pipelines as part of their staffing strategy.
• AI tools are also helping streamline tasks, reduce administrative burdens, and even improve patient communications, all of which contribute to a more efficient and strategic workforce planning process.

Actionable Insight: Embrace data to guide strategic decisions about workforce needs and create efficiencies across the organization. These tools can help you anticipate future workforce challenges and optimize staffing.

Building a Mission-Driven Culture

Another recurring theme was the importance of creating a culture rooted in trust, adaptability, and innovation. Some organizations are beginning to use social media platforms like TikTok to engage potential recruits and foster a sense of belonging among staff.

Actionable Insight: Develop and nurture a culture that prioritizes engagement, trust, and innovation. When employees feel connected to the organization’s mission, they are more likely to stay and contribute to its long-term success.

The Power of Purpose

Finally, the importance of purpose-driven work was a theme that resonated deeply with me. As healthcare organizations, we need to remember that today’s employees are seeking more than just a paycheck—they want to feel connected to something greater. Whether it’s through career pathways in behavioral health or simply creating a culture where staff feel valued and empowered, the message was clear: purpose is key.

Actionable Insight: Focus on creating programs and initiatives that provide employees with a sense of purpose. When staff feel their work is meaningful, they are more likely to stay motivated and committed to the organization’s mission.

The healthcare industry is at a critical crossroads. By embracing innovative ideas, leveraging technology, and implementing progressive workforce planning strategies, we can not only address the current workforce challenges but also set the foundation for a sustainable future.

The insights shared at Becker's Healthcare CEO + CFO Roundtable provide a roadmap for organizations looking to navigate these challenges. At PRS Global, we are committed to adopting these strategies to help improve our clients' overall long-term workforce strategies. Ready to optimize your workforce strategies? Contact us to learn how we can help transform your healthcare workforce for the future!