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Most healthcare organizations think they have a staffing crisis. The reality is more complex—and more urgent. Decades of critical facilities knowledge are vanishing daily, whether through retirement, turnover, or poor transfer practices. And while some organizations can't fill key positions, others can't get veteran staff to leave. Lindsey Brackett, Chief Empowerment Officer of Legacy FM, revealed at HealthSpaces how leading facilities teams are successfully navigating these challenges.
Two Sides of the Knowledge Crisis
Healthcare facilities are facing contrasting challenges. Some struggle with mass retirements and positions sitting vacant for a year or more. Others can't get their experienced staff to leave, with skilled operators working well into their 70s and 80s. However, both scenarios point to the same problem: facilities organizations aren't prepared for the inevitable knowledge transfer.
When staff do leave, the impact is significant:
- $2,800 − $4,400 per new hire in onboarding costs
- 6-8 months until full productivity in complex environments
- Critical knowledge gaps affecting operations
- Toxic workplace culture driving turnover at 10x the rate of compensation
A toxic workplace culture not only pushes people out but also discourages knowledge-sharing, making succession planning even harder. Without a strong retention and engagement strategy, critical expertise is lost before it can be passed down.
Breaking Down the Barriers
The real issue isn’t a lack of talent—it’s that outdated hiring requirements make it nearly impossible to bring in new workers. Many facilities organizations require healthcare experience for entry-level positions, drastically limiting their talent pool. "Where are you going to find an entry-level carpenter with three years of healthcare experience?" Brackett challenged.
Success requires partnering with HR to help recruiters understand facilities' qualifications and create job descriptions that attract rather than exclude qualified candidates. This includes tapping into non-traditional talent pools, such as veterans, who bring leadership skills and the ability to handle high-pressure situations.
How Some HealthSystems Are Responding
Forward-thinking healthcare organizations are taking proactive steps:
- Creating detailed competency matrices that clearly define critical skills, including soft skills like communication and project management.
- Implementing year-long leadership development programs covering compliance, operations, and finance—often starting years before succession needs arise.
- Building sustainable talent pipelines through partnerships with trade schools, high school programs like SkillsUSA, and initiatives like DoD SkillBridge for veterans.
- Recognizing the impact on families—from 2 AM emergency calls to weekend work—through family-inclusive events and flexible scheduling.
- Posting clear advancement pathways showing exactly what experience and certifications staff need to progress, from technician roles to management positions.
Moving Forward
"Too often, we try to extract 40-50 years of knowledge in just 5-10 days before someone retires," Brackett explained. Whether your challenge is capturing knowledge before retirement or attracting new talent, the time to act is now. With healthcare facilities becoming increasingly complex—from med gas systems to AI-driven technologies—the stakes have never been higher.
Facilities leaders must decide: wait until the knowledge is gone or take action now to capture and develop it.
Watch Lindsey’s talk from HealthSpaces here:
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