By partnering with OpenSesame, this large healthcare provider crafted a leadership development curriculum that’s boosting employee confidence, course completion, and retention, too.
As a major healthcare provider with over 25,000 employees, Baptist Health of Kentucky and Indiana has big training goals. Not only do they need to ensure staff have the appropriate clinical and technical expertise, but, as explained by their Learning Operations and Delivery Specialist, Heidi Hess-Bynum, on-the-job learning is an essential part of keeping teams motivated and effective—ultimately improving staff retention and protecting the organization’s bottom line.
“We know from outside research that if your manager is more competent, your team is more cohesive,” Hess-Bynum notes, which is why Baptist Health’s Organizational Development team partnered with OpenSesame to create a new leadership development program: Igniting Baptist Leaders.
From a compliance-only culture to a community of learners and leaders
Five years ago, skill development at Baptist Health looked very different than it does now. Learning departments were scattered, resulting in decentralized and disconnected training programs across facilities. Without system-wide leadership development options, many employees were left without opportunities. The creation of the Organizational Development department established the first system-level L&D team, initiating essential changes to address these issues.
“The problem we run into for healthcare leaders is that it’s hard to get people in the same room at the same time.” Hess-Bynum explains. “People wanted to learn, but more importantly, they wanted connection to other leaders across the system. We needed a paradigm shift for the organization as a whole, since we were not used to training and interacting across departments.”
Igniting Baptist Leaders is organized around three key competencies: personal leadership (Ignite Yourself), people management (Ignite Teams), and organizational influence (Ignite Organizations). It uses a blended learning approach, pairing modules of digital training from the OpenSesame library with interactive sessions and group coaching to build the cross-organizational connections people were craving.
“We know from outside research that if your manager is more competent, your team is more cohesive.”
Heidi Hess-Bynum, Learning Operations and Delivery Specialist
“We wanted to address remote and in-person employees and contribute to a high level of adoption,” says Hess-Bynum, adding “OpenSesame was meeting all our needs.” Through this hybrid approach, they could give employees the flexibility to access compelling content on their own schedule while fostering a supportive learning environment that encourages deep connections with others across their healthcare system.
Working with OpenSesame’s dedicated Curation team, Baptist Health’s Organizational Development team rolled out digital learning paths specific to each of Igniting’s competencies. Through the OpenSesame integration with their LMS, the dynamic duo could also add some gamification into the mix to incentivize participation: As they passed milestones in their learning journey, individuals were awarded badges celebrating their progress.
A success story backed by data
Several years after launching Igniting, the results tell an impressive success story. Participants have shared that they feel more confident and equipped in their decision-making abilities, communication, and emotional intelligence, with one leader saying “I think my team is more cohesive and satisfied in their roles. I have taken accountability for my team’s shortcomings and areas for improvement, given grace, and included active listening. I truly feel different about how my leadership skills have advanced.” Another adds that “This program has provided me with valuable information and training with difficult conversations, which was a big downfall for me. I am more aware of actively listening and I am more confident in my ability to fluctuate into different situations. Overall, my confidence and ability to trust myself and my decision making has improved.”
“I think my team is more cohesive and satisfied in their roles. I have taken accountability for my team’s shortcomings and areas for improvement, given grace, and included active listening. I truly feel different about how my leadership skills have advanced.”
Igniting Company Leader
The numbers back this up. Previously, the Organizational Development team struggled to build interest in system-wide webinars, but now they’re seeing record-high demand for training opportunities. Igniting is run in cohorts—recently, there were more than 100 applicants for the 60 spots available, a testament to how popular the initiative has become.
While not everyone is able to participate in the group-based part of the program, the online courses from the OpenSesame catalog have been made available to the whole organization, providing inclusive access to developmental resources. Previous data showed that learners only engaged with Baptist’s LMS to complete their mandatory compliance training; despite the leadership curriculum being entirely optional, the Organizational Development team are now seeing a completion rate of roughly 80 percent.
Best of all, they’re seeing their efforts pay off in terms of internal mobility and staff retention, too. “We had PRNs who were given the opportunity to learn and move into practice manager positions,” says Hess-Bynum, adding that three participants earned promotions during their last session of the program.
80%
completion rate for optional leadership curriculum
85%
likely to stay another year due to program participation
$110,000
saved per employee retained, based on the industry average
When they surveyed program participants, the Organizational Development team were delighted to find 85 percent of respondents say they were likely or very likely to stay with the company another year based on their participation in Igniting. In the healthcare industry, the turnover of a single employee costs $110,000 on average—for Baptist’s talent development pros, the savings from improved retention after this program have far outweighed the initial investment to get it up and running. They even earned an Impact Award from their local ATD chapter for their efforts!
With such a strong foundation, and plans to support even more organizational connection through the program, Baptist Health is undoubtedly a model for L&D success in the healthcare space, and we at OpenSesame are delighted to be part of their success. We can’t wait to see how it grows from here.