Rewards, recognition, and caregiver engagement at Cleveland Clinic

Abstract

Matthew E Majernik, Joseph M PatrnchakCleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USAAbstract: Organizations with high levels of employee engagement have been shown to significantly outperform those with lower engagement. In health care organizations, the level of engagement affects such critical metrics as quality, safety, and patient satisfaction. Being recognized for good work has been identified as a key driver of employee engagement. With this in mind, Cleveland Clinic has established a “Total Rewards” strategy as a core component of its ongoing drive to increase employee engagement – an effort that has produced dramatic positive results since its launch in 2008. In addition to an overview of the clinic’s Total Rewards strategy, this paper focuses in particular on “Caregiver Celebrations,” the clinic’s innovative employee recognition program. The success of Caregiver Celebrations can be measured by its high rates of utilization, by positive anecdotal feedback from both managers and caregivers, and by data from the clinic's annual engagement survey.Keywords: health care, employee engagement, employee recognition