Since the start COVID-19 pandemic, the healthcare sector has been struggling to recruit and retain employees. According to the Employee Perspective on Healthcare Real Estate survey by JLL, nearly a quarter of healthcare employees are considering leaving their jobs within the next 12 months, with 10 percent planning on leaving the industry altogether.

Pay and benefits still remain top priorities for employees, but more are taking into consideration how the physical workplace can play a role in the employee experience. According to the survey, 40 percent of respondents placed location/proximity in their top three criteria for choosing a position.

Meanwhile, there continues to be generational differences when it comes to workplace priorities. The survey found that 31 percent of Gen Z workers placed a higher importance on workplace culture, while 15 percent of Baby Boomers chose flexibility as their top factor.

Zillennials, a micro-generation born between 1993-1998, are unsatisfied with current working conditions and are demanding improvement. The generation has added more than 5 million workers since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. These workers had to struggle with burnout and social isolation at the very start of their careers, resulting in many evaluating their employers and considering all aspects of the job experience beyond traditional benefits. Professional development and potential job progression plays a major role for the younger generations when they are considering a new job. Career training, relationships for career advice and equitable career advancement are all things that are evaluated before accepting a new position.

In addition, proximity to affordable housing, shopping and restaurants, safety and convenience are all contributing factors to why people leave their current positions. According to the survey, 22 percent of respondents said that their jobs were far from affordable housing.

Healthcare facilities can make improvements to their campus that improve employee experience and satisfaction. When creating new spaces, organizations can focus specifically on design elements that encourage wellness and engage the staff in the process. The best discoveries come from the individuals that have been performing their job on a day-to-day basis. Adding lighting and increasing security patrols can make a location safer, potentially making it look more attractive for other developers as well.

Still, employees planning to stay in their current positions were significantly more likely to report that their workplace enabled them to work productively (93 percent), provides technology to help with efficiency (90 percent), care for patients effectively (88 percent) and support their overall well-being (87 percent).

To retain employees, all industries will have to adapt to new working demands. Healthcare facilities will have to abandon traditional mindsets that surround positions and their responsibilities. Getting input from this new, younger generation to best modify a role that ensures success will be important to how operations progress in the future.

Mackenna Moralez is the associate editor of the facilities market.