Salary, Career Growth Top Contributors To Job Satisfaction For Healthcare IT Professionals, Finds New Study

5/9/2002

From: Tarsis Lopez of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society, 312-915-9237 Email: tlopez@himss.org

CHICAGO, May 9 -- For healthcare information technology professionals, salary and opportunities for growth are key to evaluating satisfaction at work, according to the findings of a recent survey released today by the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) and Hersher Associates, Ltd.

Sixty-two percent of survey respondents listed salary as the top factor they use to assess job satisfaction. However, over 50 percent of respondents indicated they are competitively paid in their current job, compared to 39 percent who believe they are not paid market value.

While it appears a fair salary is important, pay alone does not promote job change. Better compensation and benefits were also identified as key reasons for respondents to leave a position (57 percent) or consider a new position (71 percent). Respondents noted challenges (41 percent), corporate culture (39 percent), and location (38 percent) as other reasons for leaving a workplace. Additional key factors for respondents considering a new position included career growth (56 percent) and location (48 percent).

The 2002 HIMSS/Hersher Associates, Ltd. Job Satisfaction Survey represents the opinions of healthcare IT professionals from a variety of healthcare organizations. The survey was conducted on the HIMSS and Hersher Associates, Ltd. Web sites between Jan. 21 and Feb. 22, 2002. Data was also collected at the 2002 HIMSS Conference and Exhibition in Atlanta. A total of 361 responses were received.

Overall, respondents seemed happy with the healthcare IT job landscape. Over half of the respondents (55 percent) indicated contentment with their current position, describing themselves as satisfied (23 percent), very satisfied (22 percent), or extremely satisfied (10 percent). Thirteen percent of respondents said they were not satisfied in their current job.

"The findings tell employers who want to hold on to their best healthcare IT workers that they must ensure salaries are in line with the market," said Linda Hodges, executive vice-president of Hersher Associates, Ltd, a Northbrook, IL-based healthcare executive search and consulting firm. "In addition, employers need to offer career ladders, development opportunities, and promote workers from within to provide real opportunities for growth."

The survey clearly reflects the importance of these opportunities for respondents. At 52 percent, career growth follows salary as a top factor used to assess job satisfaction. Comparatively, nearly 54 percent of respondents believe their current organization offers them growth potential. However, only 34 percent indicated the training they receive is satisfactory.

Work/life balance rounds out the top factors for job satisfaction. Almost half (46 percent) of the respondents believe the ability to balance career and family obligations is important, while 41 percent said it was an important consideration for accepting a new position.

Among the study's other key findings:

Nearly half (45 percent) of the respondents achieved advancement via promotion, indicating that their current organization had offered them growth.

Respondents who consider their superiors good coaches/mentors are more likely to be satisfied with their job than those who feel their superiors make poor coaches/mentors.

While almost half of the respondents have worked in the healthcare IT industry for at least 15 years, the majority have been in their current position for four years or less.

Almost two-thirds of the survey's respondents (67 percent) indicated they work at a healthcare provider organization, while 12 percent represent consulting firms. Among the other organizations represented are healthcare IT vendor firms, managed care/insurance companies, military/VA/government facilities, and academic institutions.

A detailed report of this survey is available on the HIMSS Web site, www.himss.org.

------ About the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS)

The Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) provides leadership in healthcare for the management of technology, information, and change through member services, education and networking opportunities, and publications. Members are kept abreast of the latest industry information and research, as well as legislative and policy issues. Based in Chicago with an office in Ann Arbor, Mich, HIMSS has 37 chapters and more than 12,000 individual members working in healthcare organizations throughout the world. Individual members include healthcare professionals in hospitals, corporate healthcare systems, clinical practice groups, HIT supplier organizations, healthcare consulting firms, and government settings in professional levels ranging from senior staff to CIOs and CEOs. HIMSS also serves approximately 100 corporate members, which include suppliers and consultants in the health information and management systems industry. HIMSS' Web site is www.himss.org.

About Hersher Associates, Ltd.

Hersher Associates, Ltd. is a nationally recognized executive search and consulting firm dedicated to the recruitment and retention of accomplished leaders in healthcare. Based in Northbrook, Illinois, Hersher Associates, Ltd. is recognized for the recruitment of healthcare chief information officers and other information systems professionals. Established in 1980, Hersher Associates, Ltd. is committed to the healthcare IT industry and has taken a leadership role in identifying and developing new trends in the industry such as succession planning, chief medical information officers, clinical redesign professionals, recruitment and retention planning, and chief technology officers. Hersher Associates, Ltd. is an active and supportive member of HIMSS and CHIME. The Hersher Associates, Ltd. Web site is www.hersher.com.