SHRM Poll: The Ongoing Impact of the Recession—Health Industry August 28, 2012

SHRM Poll: The Ongoing Impact of the Recession—Health Industry

August 28, 2012

SHRM Poll: The Ongoing Impact of the Recession—Health Industry ©SHRM 2012 2

The Ongoing Impact of the Recession:Health

Introduction

Key Findings

Organizations’ Financial Health

Hiring

Recruiting Challenges

Demographics

Methodology


Introduction

Overall results have been released in three different topic areas: Recruiting and skill gaps (released November 7, 2011). Overall financial health and hiring (released November 22, 2011). Global competition and hiring strategies (released December 14, 2011).

Industry-specific results are reported separately for each of the eight industries included in the sample. These findings cover the results for the health industry. The following industries were also included in the sample: Construction, mining, oil and gas (released March 9, 2012). Manufacturing (released April 4, 2012). Federal government (released June 4, 2012). State and local government (released June 4, 2012). Finance (released June 4, 2012). Services—professional (released July 31, 2012). High-tech (released July 31, 2012).


Key Findings: Organizations’ Financial HealthHealth

What percentage of staff have organizations laid off since the U.S. and global recession began in December 2007? In 2011, one-third (33%) of respondents from the health industry indicated their organization had not laid off any staff since the recession began. More than one-half (53%) had lost between 1% and 10% of their staff. These 2011 figures are similar to 2010, when 83% of health industry respondents reported losing less than 10% of employees since the beginning of the recession.

How does organizations’ financial health compare to 12 months ago? The health industry’s organizational financial health has declined compared with what it was a year ago. In 2011, 46% of organizations from the health industry were in a significant or mild decline, whereas in 2010 this number was 34%. About one-quarter (27%) reported no change compared with one year ago in 2011, and the remaining quarter (27%) were in a significant or mild recovery.


Key Findings: HiringHealth

Are organizations currently hiring? A large majority (89%) of respondents from the health industry were hiring in 2011, compared with 84% in 2010. The majority (89%) of those who were hiring were recruiting nonmanagement hourly employees. Three out of five (60%) health organizations were hiring nonmanagement salaried employees, and 61% were hiring other management-level staff. Thirty-nine percent were hiring executive or upper-management employees.

Are organizations creating new positions or replacing jobs lost? Two-thirds (66%) of respondents in the health industry indicated they were mainly hiring direct replacements of jobs lost, an increase from 50% in 2010. Fewer respondents in the health industry indicated they were mainly hiring for completely new positions in 2011 (21%) than in 2010 (41%), while the remaining 13% in 2011 and 9% in 2010 were hiring for positions with new duties added to jobs lost since the recession began.


Key Findings: Recruiting ChallengesHealth

Is recruiting for specific jobs difficult in the current labor market? Among the health organizations that are currently hiring full-time staff, one-half (50%) reported having difficulty recruiting for specific open jobs.

What types of jobs are the most difficult to fill? The top five most difficult positions to fill for the health industry are high-skilled medical (90%), high-skilled technical (e.g., technicians and programmers) (69%), managers and executives (69%), accounting and finance professionals (60%), and HR professionals (46%).


Organizations’ Financial Health



More than 50% of staff

21% to 50% of staff

11% to 20% of staff (2011 data) * 10% to 20% (2010

data)

10% or less (2011 data) *Less than 10% (2010

data)

6% to 10% of staff

1% to 5% of staff

Not applicable—did not lay off any staff

0%

4%

13%

83%

0%

6%

9%

86%

13%

40%

33% 2011 (n = 80)

2010 (n = 143)

Thus far, what percentage of full-time jobs have been lost at your organization since the U.S. and global recession began in December 2007? Health

Note: Percentages may not total 100% due to rounding. An asterisk (*) indicates 2010 data had different categories than 2011 data: “Less than 10% of staff” and “10% to 20% of staff.”

86%


In relation to the U.S. and global recession, would you say your organization's overall financial health is declining or recovering compared with 12 months ago?Health

In a significant decline

In a mild decline

No change compared with 12 months ago

In a mild recovery

In a significant recovery

7%

27%

22%

36%

8%

10%

36%

27%

23%

4% 2011 (n = 81)

2010 (n = 143)



Manufacturing (19%)…is more likely to

be in a significant recoverythan...

Construction, mining, oil and gas (9%)Federal government (2%)

Health (4%)State and local government (1%)

Services—professional (10%)

Comparisons by industry

The manufacturing industry is more likely to be in a significant recovery compared with the construction, mining, oil and gas; federal government; health; state and local governments; and professional services industries.

Note: Only statistically significant differences are shown.

The finance industry is more likely to be in a mild recovery compared with the federal government, health, state and local governments, and high-tech industries.

Finance (46%)…is more likely to

be in a mild recoverythan...

Federal government (5%)Health (23%)

State and local government (25%)High-tech (29%)




The federal government is more likely to be in a significant decline compared with the construction, mining, oil and gas; finance; health; manufacturing; state and local governments; professional services; and high-tech industries.

Federal government (29%)…is more likely to

be in a significant declinethan...

Construction, mining, oil and gas (7%)Finance (3%)Health (10%)

Manufacturing (4%)State and local government (13%)

Services—professional (5%)High-tech (4%)


The health industry is more likely to be in a mild recovery compared with the federal government.

Health (23%)…is more likely to

be in a mild recoverythan...

Federal government (5%)


Hiring



Is your organization currently hiring full-time staff?Health

No

Yes

16%

84%

11%

89%

2011 (n = 81)2010 (n = 142)


Is your organization currently hiring full-time staff?Health



The health industry is more likely to be currently hiring full-time staff compared with the construction, mining, oil and gas; federal government; and professional services industries.


be currently hiring full-time staffthan...

Construction, mining, oil and gas (66%)Federal government (68%)

Services—professional (71%)


At what level(s) is your organization hiring?Health

Executive/upper management (e.g., CEO, CFO)

Nonmanagement salaried employees

Other management (e.g., directors, managers)

Nonmanagement hourly employees

39%

60%

61%

89%

Note: n = 72. Percentages do not total 100% due to multiple response options. Only respondents whose organizations were currently hiring full-time staff were asked this question.


At what level(s) is your organization hiring?Health


The federal government, professional services and high-tech industries are more likely to be hiring nonmanagement salaried employees compared with the health and manufacturing industries.

Federal government (83%)Services—professional (78%)

High-tech (91%)

…are more likely tobe hiring nonmanagement salaried

employeesthan...

Health (60%)Manufacturing (64%)

The federal government and health industries are more likely to be hiring executive/upper management employees compared with the construction, mining, oil and gas; finance; manufacturing; professional services; and high-tech industries.

Federal government (39%)Health (39%)

…are more likely tobe hiring executive/upper management employees

than...

Construction, mining, oil and gas (15%)Finance (19%)

Manufacturing (20%)Services—professional (18%)

High-tech (16%)



At what level(s) is your organization hiring? (Continued)Health


The finance, health, manufacturing, and state and local government industries are more likely to be hiring nonmanagement hourly employees compared with the federal government, professional services and high-tech industries.

Finance (77%)Health (89%)


…are more likely tobe hiring nonmanagement hourly

employeesthan...

Federal government (53%)Services—professional (60%)

High-tech (51%)



Which of the following best describes the nature of full-time positions your organization is currently hiring?Health

Note: Only respondents whose organizations were currently hiring full-time staff were asked this question.

Direct replacements of jobs lost (e.g., due to layoffs, attrition) since the recession began

New duties added to jobs lost (e.g., due to layoffs, attrition) since the recession began

Completely new positions

50%

9%

41%

66%

13%

21%

2011 (n = 71)2010 (n = 114)


Which of the following best describes the nature of full-time positions your organization is currently hiring?Health

Health (66%)

…is more likely tobe hiring direct replacements of jobs

lost since the recession began than...

High-tech (39%)


The health industry is more likely to be hiring direct replacements of jobs lost since the recession began compared with the high-tech industry.

The high-tech industry is more likely to be hiring for completely new positions compared with federal government, finance, health, and state and local government industries.

High-tech (46%)

…is more likely tobe hiring for completely new

positionsthan...

Federal government (21%)Finance (29%)Health (21%)

State and local government (12%)



Recruiting Challenges



In general, in the current labor market, is your organization having a difficult time recruiting for specific jobs that are open in your organization?Health

Yes; 50%

No; 50%

Note: n = 66. Respondents who answered “Don’t know” were excluded from this analysis. Only respondents whose organizations were currently hiring full-time staff were asked this question.


Do you believe that your organization is facing global competition (i.e., competition from other countries) for jobs that your organization is having difficulty filling?Health

Yes; 27%

No; 73%

Note: n = 30. Respondents who answered “Don’t know” were excluded from this analysis. Only respondents whose organizations were having a difficult time recruiting for specific types of jobs were asked this question.


Has your organization hired any workers from outside the U.S. in an attempt to fill key jobs that have been difficult to fill?Health

No, but we have plans to do so in

the next 12 months

No, but we are considering it

Yes

No

0%

0%

22%

78%



Has your organization hired any U.S. veterans in an attempt to fill key jobs that have been difficult to fill?Health

No, but we have plans to do so in the next 12 months

No, but we are considering it

Yes

No

0%

8%

42%

50%



Has your organization hired any U.S. veterans in an attempt to fill key jobs that have been difficult to fill?Health

Federal government (96%)…is more likely to

have hired U.S. veteransthan...

Construction, mining, oil and gas (50%)Finance (13%)Health (42%)


Services—professional (38%)High-tech (34%)


The federal government is more likely to have hired U.S. veterans in an attempt to recruit for hard-to-fill jobs compared with the construction, mining, oil and gas; finance; health; manufacturing; state and local governments; professional services; and high-tech industries.


The health industry is more likely to have hired U.S. veterans in an attempt to recruit for hard-to-fill jobs compared with the finance industry.


have hired U.S. veteransthan...

Finance (13%)


In general, what basic skills/knowledge gaps do job applicants have in your industry?Health

Other

History/geography

Humanities/arts

Technical (computer, engineering, mechanical, etc.)

Government/economics

Foreign languages

Science

Mathematics (computation)

English language (spoken)

Reading comprehension (in English)

Writing in English (grammar, spelling, etc.)

14%

0%

4%

7%

11%

14%

21%

29%

32%

39%

57%

Note: n = 28. Percentages do not total 100% due to multiple response options. Only respondents whose organizations were having a difficult time recruiting for specific types of jobs were asked this question.


In general, what applied skill gaps do job applicants have in your industry?Health

Other

Lifelong learning/self-direction

Diversity

Creativity/innovation

Ethics/social responsibility

Leadership

Written communications

Teamwork/collaboration

Oral communications

Information technology application

Critical thinking/problem solving

Professionalism/work ethic

7%

20%

23%

23%

37%

43%

47%

57%

57%

57%

70%

73%

Note: n = 30. Percentages do not total 100% due to multiple response options. Only respondents whose organizations were having a difficult time recruiting for certain types of jobs were asked this question.

SHRM Poll: The Ongoing Impact of the Recession—Health Industry ©SHRM 2012

Specific Job Categories for Which Organizations Have Difficulty RecruitingHealth

Administrative support staff (n = 30)

Customer service representatives (n = 20)

Hourly laborers (n = 22)

HR professionals (n = 24)

Accounting and finance professionals (n = 25)

Managers and executives (n = 32)

High-skilled technical (e.g., technicians, programmers) (n = 26)

High-skilled medical (n = 28)

17%

20%

27%

46%

60%

69%

69%

90%

Note: Chart represents “Somewhat difficult” and “Very difficult” responses. “Not applicable” responses were excluded from this analysis. Only respondents whose organizations were having a difficult time recruiting for specific types of jobs were asked this question. No statistics are provided where the n is less than 20; therefore, the job categories of “production operators” (n = 2), “drivers” (n = 10), “skilled trades” (n = 18), “sales representatives” (n = 5), “engineers” (n = 5) and “scientists” (n = 3) were excluded from this analysis.

28


Demographics



Demographics: Organization SectorHealth

30

n = 77

Other

Government

Publicly owned for-profit

Privately owned for-profit

Nonprofit

0%

0%

9%

21%

70%


Demographics: Organization Staff SizeHealth

25,000 or more employees

2,500 to 24,999 employees

500 to 2,499 employees

100 to 499 employees

1 to 99 employees

0%

45%

26%

20%

9%

31

n = 74


Demographics: OtherHealth

32

U.S.-based operations only 87%

Multinational operations 13%

Single-unit organization: An organization in which the location and the organization are one and the same

41%

Multi-unit organization: An organization that has more than one location 59%

Multi-unit headquarters determines HR policies and practices 39%

Each work location determines HR policies and practices 4%

A combination of both the work location and the multi-unit headquarters determine HR policies and practices

57%

Is your organization a single-unit organization or a multi-unit organization?

For multi-unit organizations, are HR policies and practices determined by the multi-unit headquarters, by each work location or both?

Does your organization have U.S.-based operations (business units) only or does it operate multinationally?

n = 76 n = 79

n = 46

Corporate (companywide) 70%

Business unit/division 7%

Facility/location 24%

Note: n = 46. Percentages do not total 100% due to rounding.

What is the HR department/function for which you responded throughout this survey?


SHRM Poll: The Ongoing Impact of the Recession:Health

Response rate = 5% Sample composed of 81 randomly selected HR professionals from the health industry

in SHRM’s membership With small sample sizes, the response of one participant can affect the overall results

considerably; this issue should be noted when making interpretations of the data, particularly when interpreting small percentage differences.

Survey fielded August 18-September 2, 2011

33

Methodology

Project leader:Tanya A. Mulvey, survey research analyst, SHRM Research

Project contributors:Mark Schmit, Ph.D., SPHR, vice president, SHRM ResearchEvren Esen, manager, SHRM Research

Copy editor:Katya Scanlan, SHRM Knowledge Center

For more poll findings, visit www.shrm.org/surveys

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Documents

SHRM Poll: The Ongoing Impact of the Recession—Health Industry August 28, 2012