We recently surveyed HR professionals on a variety of spooky topics with our Second Annual HR Horrors Survey, and I wanted to share the results with you.

Today I’m going to take a look at how talent management can be used to demonstrate that healthcare management cares for and listens to employees.

We recently released a white paper that examines the role that effective talent management practices and systems can play in supporting patient satisfaction and safety in the healthcare industry. This link between employee satisfaction and patient satisfaction and safety is something we’ve heard about anecdotally from our healthcare customers for years, and is increasingly being recognized and understood within the industry. For example, The Georgia Quality Institute has found that long term care facilities with happy employees record fewer patient falls and fewer residents with acquired pressure ulcers and acquired catheters.

Well, I’m back from the HR Technology Conference in Chicago. Compared to last year, it was the year of Talent Management. The number of vendors in this area seemed to explode compared to 2007, and many were spending tons of money to attract attention. It kind of reminded me of the new Mac vs PC commercial where PC uses humungous investments in marketing to solve all evils. Hmmm.

HR’s evolving role has become a popular theme. I seem to keep reading articles and blog entries that say now, more than ever, organizations need their HR teams to play a more strategic role, helping to guide people related programs and strategies so organizations can become more efficient and weather the current economic downturn.