Why Your Best Healthcare Employees Are Secretly Job Hunting (And How to Make Them Stay)

Professional development is the #1 retention strategy for healthcare organizations in 2026. Research shows 94% of employees stay longer when organizations invest in their career development. This is more effective than salary increases or perks because it addresses why people really leave: they feel stuck and don't see a future.

 

Read the full strategy below →

 

I used to be afraid of professional development.

 

Not in theory, of course. In theory, I loved the idea of investing in my team's growth, helping people reach their potential, building a culture of learning.

 

But in practice? I was terrified.

 

Here's what I told myself: "If I pay to develop my employees, they'll just take those newfound skills and confidence somewhere else. I'll be funding their exit strategy. Why would I do that?"

 

So I didn't. I kept professional development budgets tight. I focused on operations, patient care, compliance—the "essential" things. I told myself we couldn't afford it.

 

And then I watched good people leave anyway.

 

They didn't leave with new skills I'd given them. They left feeling stuck, undervalued, and like we didn't see a future for them here.

 

That's when I realized I had it completely backward.

 

The Mindset Shift That Changed Everything

When I finally started investing in people's growth—helping them build skills, develop confidence, and create clear career pathways—something surprising happened.

 

They didn't leave.

 

They became better employees. More capable. More confident. More engaged.

 

And they wanted to stay because they felt seen and supported.

 

As the CEO of a health center, I eventually went all-in on this philosophy. I didn't just invest in my providers—I invested in every single person's growth. We helped people create career pathways and paid for the training they needed to continue progressing on those pathways.

 

We became an organization that "grew our own" professionals.

 

And it worked.

 

The Data That Makes This Non-Negotiable in 2026

But here's what really convinced me that professional development isn't just a nice-to-have—it's a strategic imperative:

Professional development has been in the top 2 recruitment and retention strategies for the last 5 years.

 

Five consecutive years.

 

And the statistics for 2026 are even more compelling:

• 94% of employees say they would stay at a company longer if it invested in their career development (LinkedIn's 2024 Workplace Learning Report)
• 48% of employed Americans are actively searching for new opportunities or watching for openings (Gallup, 2024)
• The average cost to replace a healthcare worker ranges from 50% to 200% of their annual salary when you factor in recruitment, onboarding, lost productivity, and impact on team morale

Let that sink in for a moment.

 

Nearly half of your team is keeping their options open right now. Not because they hate their jobs. Not even necessarily because they're unhappy. But because they don't see a future where they are.

 

Why Professional Development Works When Everything Else Fails

You might be thinking, "But Jill, we can't compete with the sign-on bonuses and higher salaries other organizations are offering."

 

You're right. You probably can't.

 

But here's the good news: That's not actually what most people want.

 

While compensation absolutely matters, research shows it's not the primary driver of engagement or retention for most employees.

 

What is?

 

Opportunities for growth and development.

Professional development works because it addresses the deeper reasons people leave:

1. It Signals Investment

When you invest in someone's growth, you're sending a powerful message: "You're worth it. We see a future for you here. Your success matters to us."

That message alone transforms the employment relationship from transactional to relational.

2. It Creates Upward Mobility—Even in Flat Organizations

You can't always promote people. Budget constraints, organizational structure, and simple math mean there aren't always positions to promote people into.

But you can always develop them.

When people are learning new skills, taking on new challenges, and expanding their capabilities, they feel like they're moving forward—even if their title hasn't changed.

3. It Builds Loyalty Through Reciprocity

There's a psychological principle called reciprocity, and it's incredibly powerful.

When you invest in someone's professional growth—when you help them become more valuable not just to your organization but to their entire career—they remember that.

 

People who feel invested in want to invest back.

 

The 5 Critical Mistakes Most Leaders Make With Professional Development

Before we talk about what works, let's address what doesn't—because I see health center executives making the same mistakes over and over (and I made most of them myself).

 

Mistake #1: Random Lunch-and-Learns With No Strategic Intent

Look, I'm not against lunch-and-learns. But if your professional development strategy is "we bring in speakers sometimes," you're not actually developing people. You're providing occasional entertainment.

Professional development that drives retention is intentional, personalized, and connected to career progression. It's not a random assortment of topics—it's a pathway.

 

Mistake #2: Sending People to External Conferences and Calling It Development

Conferences can be valuable. But if you send someone to a conference and there's no follow-up, no application, no conversation about what they learned and how it connects to their growth—you just gave them a nice break from work.

That's not development. That's a perk.

 

Mistake #3: Only Developing Your High Performers or Leaders

This is huge, and I see it constantly.

If you only develop your senior people, everyone else gets the message loud and clear: "You're not worth investing in until you've already proven yourself."

That's how you lose your emerging talent to organizations that saw their potential before you did.

Professional development should be accessible at every level. The investment might look different, but everyone should feel like their growth matters.

 

Mistake #4: Making Professional Development Voluntary

If professional development is optional, people will treat it like it's not important. And if people don't participate, you won't see the retention impact.

Development needs to be woven into your culture. It's not something people do on their own time if they feel like it—it's something you make time for because you value growth.

 

Mistake #5: Neglecting Your Own Development While Developing Everyone Else

Here's the truth most executives don't want to hear: You can't build a culture of development if you're not developing yourself.

When you invest in your own growth, you model what you want to see in your organization. You demonstrate that learning doesn't stop when you reach the C-suite.

 

The Strategic Framework That Actually Works

So what does effective professional development look like? Here's a framework you can implement starting this quarter:

Step 1: Create Development Pathways, Not Just Training Events

Instead of random professional development opportunities, create clear pathways that connect learning to career progression.

For example:

• Emerging Leaders Track: For individual contributors who show leadership potential
• New Manager Fundamentals: For people stepping into their first supervisory role
• Executive Readiness: For senior managers preparing for C-suite roles

These don't have to be elaborate programs. They can be a curated sequence of courses, coaching check-ins, and applied projects that build specific competencies.

The key is that people can see the path: "If I complete this track, I'll be prepared for the next level."

 

Step 2: Make Development Part of Performance Conversations

Professional development should not be separate from performance management—it should be integrated into it.

Every performance conversation should include:

• What are you working on developing this quarter?
• What support do you need from me to grow in that area?
• How does this development connect to your career goals?

When development becomes part of regular one-on-ones, it signals that growth isn't an afterthought—it's a priority.

 

Step 3: Create Internal Learning Opportunities

You don't need a massive budget to invest in development. Some of the most impactful learning happens peer-to-peer.

Consider:

• Internal expertise sharing where team members teach each other
• Job shadowing programs so people can learn about other roles
• Mentorship pairings that connect experienced staff with emerging talent
• Project-based learning where people stretch into new responsibilities

The message you're sending is: "We believe in growing our own talent. You don't have to leave to learn."

 

Step 4: Measure What Matters

If you want professional development to be strategic, you need to track its impact.

Ask:

• What's our retention rate for employees who participate in development programs vs. those who don't?
• Are we promoting from within, or are we hiring externally for leadership roles?
• When we conduct stay interviews, do people mention growth opportunities as a reason they're staying?

Data will tell you if your investment is working—and it will help you make the case for continued investment when budgets get tight.

 

5 Actions You Can Take This Week

Let's make this practical. Here are five things you can implement immediately:

1. Conduct Stay Interviews

Stop waiting for exit interviews to understand why people leave. Start doing stay interviews to understand why people stay—and what would make them stay longer.

Ask:

• What do you enjoy most about working here?
• What would make you consider leaving?
• What opportunities for growth or development would be most valuable to you?

This gives you real data on what your team needs.

 

2. Launch a Simple Mentorship Program

You don't need a sophisticated platform. Just start pairing people:

• Match experienced staff with emerging talent
• Set expectations: meet once a month for an hour
• Provide conversation starters or focus areas

Mentorship costs almost nothing and has massive impact on engagement and retention.

 

3. Create a Professional Development Budget Line Item

Even if it's small, having a dedicated budget for development sends a message. It says, "This is important enough to fund."

You can start with something as simple as:

• A subscription to an online learning platform for your team
• A book stipend so people can continue learning
• Funding for one team member per quarter to attend a conference or training

The amount matters less than the intentionality.

 

4. Publicize Internal Promotions and Development Success Stories

When someone on your team completes a training program, earns a certification, or gets promoted—celebrate it publicly.

Share it in team meetings. Put it in your newsletter. Post it on your internal channels.

This recognizes the person's growth AND signals to everyone else that development leads to real outcomes here.

 

5. Make Time for Development in Work Hours

This is non-negotiable.

If you expect people to develop professionally but they have to do it on their own time, you're sending the message that it's not really a priority.

Build learning time into the workday:

• Dedicate one hour per week to professional development
• Allow people to complete online courses during work hours
• Create "learning Fridays" where the last hour is dedicated to growth

When you make time for development, people take it seriously.

 

The Bottom Line

In 2026, the organizations that win the talent war won't be the ones with the highest salaries or the flashiest perks.

 

They'll be the ones that invest in people's futures.

 

Professional development is not a nice-to-have. It's not something you get to when budgets allow. It's a strategic imperative—and it's one of the most powerful tools you have for recruiting and retaining the high-quality team your health center deserves.

 

Your people aren't leaving because they don't care about the work. They're leaving because they don't see how you're investing in their future.

 

Change that, and everything changes.

 

Want to Go Deeper?

I just released a full Community Health Collective podcast episode on this topic: "Healthcare Recruitment Crisis 2026: Why 94% of Employees Stay When You Do This One Thing."

In the episode, I share:

• The psychology behind why professional development works when everything else fails
• Real examples from my years as a health center CEO
• A detailed framework you can implement this quarter
• Common pitfalls to avoid

 

Listen to the full episode here → 

 

And if you're a health center executive who's been neglecting your own professional development while trying to develop everyone else, I created the CEO Bootcamp specifically for you.

 

It's a 5-month long professional development experience designed for health center executives who want to sharpen their strategic business skills, build a network of peers, and get personalized coaching on their biggest leadership obstacles.

Because here's the truth: You can't build a culture of development if you're not developing yourself.

 

Learn more about the CEO Bootcamp →

 

About the Author

Jill Steeley is a former FQHC CEO with over 20 years of healthcare leadership experience. During her tenure, she reduced employee turnover by 40% through strategic professional development initiatives and built a leadership pipeline that promoted 75% of management positions from within. She is the founder of the FQHC Leadership Academy and the FQHC CEO Connect Bootcamp, and host of the Community Health Collective podcast, where she provides practical, evidence-based leadership and business strategies to healthcare executives nationwide. She helps healthcare executives build profitable, reputable and sustainable health centers without burnout. Her practical, no-nonsense approach is informed by decades of real-world healthcare leadership experience.

 

What's one thing you're going to do this week to start building a culture of development at your organization? Email me at [email protected]—I'd love to hear from you.

 

Frequently Asked Questions About Healthcare Professional Development

**Q: How much does employee turnover actually cost healthcare organizations?

**A: The average cost to replace a healthcare worker ranges from 50% to 200% of their annual salary when you factor in recruitment, onboarding, lost productivity, and impact on team morale.

 

**Q: What percentage of employees value professional development?

**A: 94% of employees say they would stay at a company longer if it invested in their career development, according to LinkedIn's 2024 Workplace Learning Report.

 

**Q: How many employees are currently looking for new jobs?

**A: 48% of employed Americans are actively searching for new opportunities or watching for openings, according to a 2024 Gallup study.

 

**Q: What are the most effective professional development strategies for retention?

**A: The most effective strategies include:

1) Creating clear development pathways tied to career progression,

2) Making development part of regular performance conversations,

3) Offering internal learning opportunities like mentorship programs,

4) Making time for development during work hours.

 

**Q: Do I need a large budget for professional development?**

A: No. Some of the most impactful professional development happens through peer-to-peer learning, mentorship programs, and internal expertise sharing—which cost very little to implement.

 

**Q: How do I measure the ROI of professional development?**

A: Track retention rates for employees who participate in development programs vs. those who don't, measure internal promotion rates, and conduct stay interviews to understand if growth opportunities influence employee decisions to stay.