How to Build a Sustainable Workforce Pipeline

It doesn’t matter if you’re in a rural community or an urban center, healthcare systems rely on people to care for patients.  That means any restraint to workforce pipelines can have serious impacts. Difficulty recruiting and retaining staff can lead to longer wait times for patients, cause clinics to close and hospitals to reduce services. With hospitals across the country facing workforce shortages, Mercy has found creative solutions that are all about identifying local challenges and using community partnerships to create practical solutions.

Why This Matters

Every organization depends on its people, yet many employers continue to approach workforce challenges as short-term hiring problems. Mercy's experience suggests a different approach.

Instead of focusing only on filling today's openings, Mercy has invested in building a stronger talent pipeline years before positions become vacant. Through partnerships with schools, colleges, community organizations and healthcare professionals, Mercy is creating pathways that strengthen not only its own workforce but the region's workforce as a whole.

The strategies highlighted throughout this series demonstrate that sustainable workforce development is rarely the result of a single initiative. It comes from consistently investing in people, relationships and opportunities over time.

Whether your business employs 25 people or 2,500, the principles remain the same: develop talent early, build strong partnerships and create an environment where great employees choose to stay.