Why HR transformation is a critical first step in unburdening front-line healthcare workers

Shrinking shadow HR teams by reducing administrative burdens

There are many strategies for addressing capacity constraints. The Canadian Medical Association has recognized that transforming back-office human resources (HR) functions is a critical first step in unburdening the front-line workforce.^[6],[7]

Traditionally underinvested HR functions are bogged down with highly manual and administrative processes (typically resulting from a lack of technology enablement), which limits their ability to proactively manage front-line workforce needs. This has contributed to the crossover of mandates from HR into clinical operations and the emergence of shadow HR teams to compensate for HR’s limitations. Research has shown that nurses and other clinical front-line staff are spending more than 25% of their time on documentation, scheduling and other manual HR tasks^[8],[9]. Similarly, PwC Canada’s recent assessment of the long-term care workforce found clinical front-line staff spent upwards of 50% of their time on administrative or supportive HR and payroll activities. At the same time, 44% of administrative tasks are mostly or completely automatable^[10]. Collectively, these findings illustrate a clear opportunity for healthcare organizations to increase capacity by rethinking several elements of the HR mandate.

Unlocking the HR fuction's strategic business value

Elevating the HR function’s role to an even more proactive and strategic partner, working to solve healthcare’s most critical front-line workforce challenges, requires a coordinated effort between the back office and clinical operations. This encompasses technology investments as well as a refreshed HR vision, strategy and mindset. Several opportunities that can make the greatest impact on capacity include:

1. Strategic workforce planning: Drawing on internal and external workforce and industry insights can help illuminate the full picture of your organization’s current workforce as well as anticipate your future requirements. This information is particularly valuable in the talent management and talent acquisition processes. It’s also a critical step in addressing capacity constraints and creating operational efficiencies, such as reducing overtime. Strategic workforce planning requires several elements, including:

• robust and real-time workforce data
• HR technology for analysis and scenario planning
• a deliberate and dedicated HR mandate
• close collaboration between health leaders and clinical operations

2. Investing in robust HR technologies: Modern, cloud-based solutions offer out-of-the-box capabilities that let organizations automate manual tasks such as shift bidding and swapping, absence and attendance management, wage progression as well as overtime and wage premium calculations. This can create a seamless experience across the entire employee lifecycle while reducing the number of hand-offs and opportunities for error. It also frees back-office staff from the responsibilities of infrastructure maintenance, support and upkeep.

3. Realigning HR’s functional structure and ways of working: Rethinking your organization’s vision for the HR function as well as the strategic plan that supports it can allow your professionals to be more proactive in providing valuable workforce solutions. This can lead to operating model changes—including refreshed governance structures, interaction models, roles and responsibilities, spans and layers, sizing, mandates, functional structures and capability requirements—when combined with investments in technology, simplification and process automation.

4. Simplification, optimization and automation of HR processes: Many organizations have opportunities to rationalize processes and increase digitization and automation through technologies such as human resource information systems, robotic process automation, machine learning and new workflows. This is critical for creating capacity for both the HR function and front-line staff. Instilling a culture of continuous improvement through a formal framework that celebrates incremental advances and employee engagement encourages sustainability and ownership at all levels.

These are just some of the opportunities for healthcare organizations to address capacity constraints across their workforce. At PwC Canada, we’ve seen how a human-led and technology-enabled approach to back-office HR transformation helps organizations relieve pressure on front-line workers and leaders. Without these efforts, clinical staff will continue to spend valuable time on HR work, taking their focus away from patient care and reducing their ability to address case backlogs. Reducing pressures across the front and back office is key to creating sustained outcomes that support the workforce of today and of the future. 

_{[1] Maunder RG, Heeney ND, Strudwick G, et al. Burnout in hospital-based healthcare workers during COVID-19. Science Briefs of the Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table. 2021;2(46), https://covid19-sciencetable.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Burnout-in-Hospital-Based-Healthcare-Workers-during-COVID-19_published_20211007.pdf.}

_{[2] Murphy, Gail Tomblin et al. “Investing in Canada’s Workforce Post-Pandemic: A Call to Action.” RSC Policy Brief. May 2022. https://rsc-src.ca/en/investir-dans-la-main-duvre-en-soins-infirmiers-canada-apr-la-pandmie-appel-action.}

_{[3] OECD. Medical graduates (indicator). 2022. https://doi.org/10.1787/ac5bd5d3-en (Accessed May 26, 2022).}

_{[4] “Canada commits $2 billion in additional health care funding to clear backlogs and support hundreds of thousands of additional surgeries,” Government of Canada, March 25, 2022, https://www.canada.ca/en/department-finance/news/2022/03/canada-commits-2-billion-in-additional-health-care-funding-to-clear-surgery-and-diagnostics-backlogs.html.}

_{[5] “OMA estimates pandemic backlog of almost 16 million health-care services,” Ontario Medical Association, June 9, 2021, https://www.oma.org/newsroom/news/2021/jun/oma-estimates-pandemic-backlog-of-almost-16-million-health-care-services.}

_{[6] “Canada’s health system is on life support: Health workers call for urgent mobilization to address shortages, burnout and backlog issues,” Canadian Medical Association, March 10, 2022, https://www.cma.ca/news-releases-and-statements/canadas-health-system-life-support-health-workers-call-urgent.}

_{[7] “Physicians, nurses offer solutions to immediately address health human resource crisis,” Canadian Medical Association, May 16, 2022, https://www.cma.ca/news-releases-and-statements/physicians-nurses-offer-solutions-immediately-address-health-human.}

_{[8] Yen, Po-Yin et al. “Nurses' Time Allocation and Multitasking of Nursing Activities: A Time Motion Study.” AMIA Annual Symposium proceedings. AMIA Symposium vol. 2018 1137-1146. Dec. 5, 2018.}

_{[9] PwC client project - Current State Analysis.}

_{[10] Willis, Matthew et al., “Qualitative and quantitative approach to assess the potential for automating administrative tasks in general practice.” BMJ Open, 10 vol. 6 (2020), https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/10/6/e032412.abstract.}