SUMMARY: Healthcare leaders know the truth. A workforce strategy is only as strong as the alignment behind it.
Better by connection
Even with better data and better systems, staffing decisions fall apart when teams work from different assumptions, different processes, or different interpretations of “what’s happening.”
The challenge isn’t a lack of intelligence. It’s a lack of connection between teams, between workflows, and between the people who actually own staffing decisions day to day.
This playbook outlines how leaders can build a more connected workforce strategy that supports their people, their budgets, and their long-term goals.
1. Start With Shared Visibility, Not Shared Opinions
Workforce conversations often start with this phrase: “Well, what we’re seeing is…”
Different teams see different pieces:
- Finance sees spend
- Operations sees coverage
- Clinical leaders see burnout
- Staffing teams see the latest crisis
When those views aren’t connected, alignment becomes guesswork.
A connected workforce strategy starts with one assumption: That everyone is looking at the same truth. That means, shared dashboards, shared definitions, and shared context. When the data is common, the debate becomes constructive.
2. Replace Urgency With Anticipation
Healthcare has been in “just get through today” mode for years. But leaders who build connected strategies make a different move. What's that? They pair real-time data with forward-looking planning.
That means:
- Reviewing workloads weekly
- Forecasting by season, specialty, and facility
- Identifying operational patterns instead of reacting to them
- Using spend and coverage data to drive quarterly staffing conversations
Urgency creates burnout. Anticipation builds stability.
3. Build a Culture of Fairness Through Clear Workload Balance
Nothing damages trust faster than uneven workload distribution. People don’t need perfect balance, but they do need transparency and fairness. Leadership plays a critical role here:
- Reviewing utilization monthly
- Sharing dashboards openly with teams
- Showing how decisions were made and why
- Being consistent about how locums and internal staff are deployed
A connected workforce strategy treats fairness as a measurable goal, not an abstract value.
4. Bring Finance Into the Staffing Conversation — Early
In many organizations, finance gets involved after the fact. By then, coverage decisions have already been made and spend has already occurred. Connected strategies bring finance in early, using shared data to:
- Set expectations
- Define budget guardrails
- Understand cost drivers
- Identify achievable savings
- Support proactive internal hiring decisions
When finance and operations plan together, teams stop arguing about numbers and start solving the same problem.
5. Standardize External Staffing Before It Becomes the Default
Locums and agencies play an important role, but without structure, overuse is inevitable.
Connected workforce strategies standardize:
- Rate expectations
- Vendor performance criteria
- When to escalate to locums
- Which shifts require internal-first planning
- How to communicate needs to agencies
This removes emotion from staffing decisions and rebuilds trust internally.
6. Empower Schedulers With Better Inputs, Not More Stress
Schedulers hold the frontline of workforce reality. They shouldn’t have to rely on email threads, outdated calendars, or wishful thinking. Leadership’s role:
- Give them accurate data
- Reduce manual work
- Automate what can be automated
- Involve them in planning conversations
- Recognize the skill required to manage complex schedules
Schedulers don’t need more pressure. They need better tools, clearer context, and a seat at the table.
7. Choose Systems That Clarify — Not Complicate
Not every technology can meaningfully support workforce strategy.
- Some tools collect data but don’t connect it.
- Some tools schedule but don’t forecast.
- Some tools track spend but don’t explain its drivers.
A connected workforce strategy needs technology that helps leaders answer one question:“What should we do next?”
Kimedics was built around that question — connecting scheduling, spend, utilization, and vendor performance so leaders can see the whole picture and act with clarity.
8. Align Around One Mission: A Sustainable Workforce
At the end of the day, leaders want the same thing:
- Coverage that doesn’t burn people out
- Spend that matches reality
- Schedules that support care delivery
- Workflows that feel predictable and fair
A connected workforce strategy makes that possible.
- It gives people confidence.
- It reduces friction.
- It turns staffing from a constant crisis into a sustainable system.
And sustainability is the core of any strong leadership philosophy.
See How Leaders Are Connecting Their Workforce Strategy With Kimedics
Kimedics helps healthcare leaders connect the people, data, and decisions that drive staffing — so teams can work with clarity instead of chaos.
Ready to build a more connected workforce strategy?
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Learn more about Kimedics
Kimedics is a provider utilization management solution. We help healthcare organizations reduce scheduling complexity. For more information, book a demo or email kimedics@kimedics.com