Workplace Perception Study May Help Dietetic Managers Retain Staff
Workplace Perception Study May Help Dietetic Managers Retain Staff
A challenge many dietetic managers face is staff retention. The ability to identify factors their employees consider important in workplace satisfaction may be key to retaining dietitians. A recent study published in Nutrition & Dietetics, the journal of the Dietitians Association of Australia, was able to identify five sources of value that dietitians seek to find in their workplace.
Researchers conducted 32 interviews with clinical dietitians from 11 different hospitals in New South Wales. Questions asked sought to determine each person's motivation for career choice, personal values, opinions on their career, perception of their work quality, and career vision.
Analyzing the interviews using a grounded theory approach, the results were grouped into five themes. It is these themes which dietitians find value and validation of their jobs. These themes included acquisition of knowledge, relationships with others, work culture, role clarity, and personal attributes.1
Additionally, researchers were able to group the interviewed dietitians by their career stage- new graduates, mid-career dietitians, specialists, and managers. They found that specific themes were more prevalent in different career stages. For example, new graduates were concerned with acquisition of knowledge whereas mid-career dietitians were more concerned with role clarity and work culture.
In practice, dietetic managers can use this information when developing workplace training and setting department goals. The specific values found for each classification of dietitian can help the manager tailor individual tasks and goals to each employee based on where they are in their career. However, the results of this study are limited as the research is qualitative in nature and the determined workplace values may not be the same for each dietitian. It is important that managers take the time to get to know their employees and could even use questions from this study to determine what makes their employees "tick". In doing so, the dietetic manager can work to create the best workplace environment possible in hopes of retaining employees successfully.
1. Milosavljevic M, Noble G, Goluza I, Keep A, Ponta G. New South Wales public-hospital dietitians and how they feel about their workplace: an explorative study using a grounded theory approach. Nutri Diet. 2015;72:107-113. doi:10.1111/1747-0080.12119.
AG
A challenge many dietetic managers face is staff retention. The ability to identify factors their employees consider important in workplace satisfaction may be key to retaining dietitians. A recent study published in Nutrition & Dietetics, the journal of the Dietitians Association of Australia, was able to identify five sources of value that dietitians seek to find in their workplace.
Researchers conducted 32 interviews with clinical dietitians from 11 different hospitals in New South Wales. Questions asked sought to determine each person's motivation for career choice, personal values, opinions on their career, perception of their work quality, and career vision.
Analyzing the interviews using a grounded theory approach, the results were grouped into five themes. It is these themes which dietitians find value and validation of their jobs. These themes included acquisition of knowledge, relationships with others, work culture, role clarity, and personal attributes.1
Additionally, researchers were able to group the interviewed dietitians by their career stage- new graduates, mid-career dietitians, specialists, and managers. They found that specific themes were more prevalent in different career stages. For example, new graduates were concerned with acquisition of knowledge whereas mid-career dietitians were more concerned with role clarity and work culture.
In practice, dietetic managers can use this information when developing workplace training and setting department goals. The specific values found for each classification of dietitian can help the manager tailor individual tasks and goals to each employee based on where they are in their career. However, the results of this study are limited as the research is qualitative in nature and the determined workplace values may not be the same for each dietitian. It is important that managers take the time to get to know their employees and could even use questions from this study to determine what makes their employees "tick". In doing so, the dietetic manager can work to create the best workplace environment possible in hopes of retaining employees successfully.
1. Milosavljevic M, Noble G, Goluza I, Keep A, Ponta G. New South Wales public-hospital dietitians and how they feel about their workplace: an explorative study using a grounded theory approach. Nutri Diet. 2015;72:107-113. doi:10.1111/1747-0080.12119.
AG
Thanks for the great post and the opportunity for comparison! This post concerning job satisfaction for, and retention of, dietitians is an interesting parallel to my earlier post “Are you happy with your job? Job satisfaction measures of Clinical Nutrition Managers”. When looking at the satisfaction measures of both manager and employee, the needs differ greatly. Managers find satisfaction when given the opportunities to mentor and educate, work as teams with competent colleagues, and experience variety in their daily tasks. These points of satisfaction include more interaction and fusion of ideas and teams. Employees, on the other hand, focus more on individual measures of satisfaction, including gaining knowledge, role clarity, and development of personal attributes, as well as, becoming familiar with work culture and colleagues. These values and needs couldn’t be more different in scope and focus. Through a comparison of these two studies, it is interesting how as dietitians proceed through various stages from entry-level to clinical nutrition manager, their needs evolve from a focus on the individual to an emphasis on the global health of the department.
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