Boosting Employee Engagement to Reduce Attrition in Allied Health Roles

In healthcare, the pace barely slows. Shift handoffs blur, charts pile up, and yet, through it all, a group of professionals quietly holds it all together: allied health workers. They draw blood, assist with imaging, coordinate patient care, manage pharmacies, and more. These workers are essential. They’re also leaving.

Across the country, the healthcare industry saw an average turnover rate of 18.3% in 2024.¹ While rates for individual roles vary, it’s clear that high attrition continues to be a challenge — especially in fast-paced, high-demand allied health positions. Addressing employee engagement is a critical step in improving retention and maintaining quality care.

If you’ve felt the pain of a staffing shortage or watched a promising new hire burn out too soon, you’re not alone. But here’s the good news: a strategic approach to employee engagement doesn’t just slow the bleeding — it builds retention, morale, and momentum.

Let’s unpack how organizations are making that happen — and how you can, too.

1. Treat Onboarding Like a Launchpad, Not a Checklist

Imagine this: a new medical assistant clocks in for their first shift. They're handed a clipboard, directed to an orientation video, and shadowed for an hour before being sent into the fray. They're overwhelmed — and within weeks, already reconsidering their new job.

Now, imagine another version. They're greeted by name, introduced to their team with warmth, given a clear training schedule, and paired with a peer mentor for 30 days. They know who to turn to, what’s expected, and where they fit.

That second scenario? It’s the one that makes employees stay.

According to the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), organizations with a strong onboarding process improve new hire retention by 82% and productivity by over 70%.² In healthcare settings, where stress can peak quickly, that early engagement makes a sizable difference.

Ideas to improve the onboarding process:

• Assign a buddy or mentor for the first 30–60 days.
• Clearly outline role expectations and success metrics.
• Create a 30–60–90 day plan that covers not just what to do, but why it matters.

2. Implement Structured Mentorship Programs

Allied health roles can feel isolating, especially for new grads or career changers. That’s why mentorship is more than a nice-to-have — it’s a retention game-changer.

Fifty-five percent of U.S. frontline workers are dissatisfied with the number or quality of relationships within their professional networks.³ This is where a mentorship program can help fill the gap, especially for entry-level healthcare roles that typically offer minimal structured support once onboarding ends.

Even a lightweight mentorship initiative can ease the transition, boost confidence, and reduce early burnout. For example, pairing new hires with experienced peers for their first 30–60 days.

At UMA, we’ve seen firsthand how mentorship contributes to workforce readiness. Our graduates complete supervised externships that emphasize both technical skills and professional behavior, including how to communicate, receive feedback, and contribute to team culture. That means they show up to their first job with the mindset and soft skills employers value most.

When employers carry that torch forward with structured guidance in the workplace, it helps graduates (and the organization at large) thrive.

Pro tip: Don’t overthink it. A simple “mentor of the month” rotation, where senior employees guide new hires informally, can be just as powerful as a formal program.

3. Recognize, Reward, Repeat

In high-pressure healthcare environments, positive feedback often takes a backseat. With so many time-sensitive, urgent tasks flying around, it's understandable... to a degree.

When recognition is missing entirely, workers eventually disengage — and that disengagement is contagious. Recognition is one of the fastest ways to improve morale and retention. It's a low-cost initiative with high return and doesn’t need to be complex. Even simple gestures can have a remarkable impact.

Ideas for spreading recognition:

• Handwritten notes from department heads
• Shout-outs during shift huddles
• Rotating “wins wall” in a break room or Slack channel
• Peer-nominated appreciation programs

4. Make Growth Visible and Attainable

Many allied health workers don’t leave because they hate the job. They leave because they don’t see a path forward. Workers desire the opportunity for growth, promotion, and continuing education.

When it comes to learning opportunities, 8 in 10 people say that learning adds purpose to their work, and 7 in 10 people say that learning improves their sense of connection to their organization — showcasing how continuous learning and professional growth are key to boosting retention.⁴ Yet, many healthcare support professionals have limited access to clear upskilling or advancement opportunities, highlighting a gap that organizations can address to improve retention and reduce attrition.

What does growth look like?

• Mapping out lateral and upward career tracks for employees
• Promoting internal hiring for leadership roles
• Hosting quarterly “career days” with HR and clinical leads
• Offering support for certifications in the form of scholarships or reimbursements
• Partnering with organizations like UMA to align on continuing education goals as part of the hiring pipeline

5. Don’t Wait to Communicate

Many entry-level employees only hear from leadership when something goes wrong. That lack of connection breeds disengagement. So, in frontline roles where conditions change rapidly, communication isn’t just a soft skill — it’s a survival skill.

Ideas to improve workplace communication:

• Surveys or suggestion boxes to collect feedback
• Monthly “Ask Me Anything” sessions with leadership
• Short 1-on-1 meetings during an employee’s first 30, 60, and 90 days

Most importantly, follow up with employees. Nothing disengages employees faster than offering feedback and watching it disappear into a black hole.

6. Build Flexibility Into Your Retention Strategy

Burnout isn’t always about the work — it’s often about everything else. Entry-level healthcare roles are often filled by individuals juggling second jobs, childcare, eldercare, or school. When employers acknowledge this and build in flexibility, they make it easier for great employees to stay.

While “flexibility” in healthcare can’t always mean remote work, it can show up in powerful ways. What flexibility can look like in frontline roles:

• Offering staggered shift start times for parents or students
• Offering self-scheduling options
• Supporting shift swaps without penalty
• Mental health days or floating holidays

When workers feel seen as whole people, they show up more fully at work.

7. Make Belonging the Culture, Not the Campaign

Creating a culture of belonging isn’t a trend — it’s imperative to building a strong workforce. In healthcare, patients and providers thrive in environments that reflect diverse experiences and voices.

However, some entry-level workers — especially those from underrepresented backgrounds — can feel like outsiders in their own organizations. That’s a missed opportunity for engagement.

Ideas to improve openness and a sense of belonging in healthcare workplaces:

• Offer bilingual onboarding materials if needed.
• Celebrate heritage months and cultural holidays with input from staff.
• Create space for employees to give anonymous feedback on how inclusive the environment feels.

When belonging is woven into the day-to-day, retention takes care of itself.

Partnering with UMA Means Better Hires and Better Outcomes

At Ultimate Medical Academy, we understand that hiring is only half the battle — retention starts with finding the right fit. That’s why our no-cost talent solutions are designed to connect you with job-ready allied health professionals who are trained, credentialed, and prepared to contribute from day one.

Whether you’re supporting a small regional facility or managing large-scale healthcare staffing nationwide, you’ll work with a focused UMA business development team to assess your hiring needs and match you with the right talent . Our curriculum is aligned to real-world demands, and our ongoing support helps ensure long-term success for both employers and employees.

With UMA, you get:

• A pipeline of skilled, job-ready candidates
• No-cost recruiting and placement support
• A proven partner committed to workforce development

Find job-ready talent and learn more about our workforce solutions at hireUMA.com.