More healthcare leaders are planning to leave their organizations

In the survey, researchers collected responses from 588 healthcare leaders between Oct. 18 and Nov. 17, 2024. Among the respondents, 39% were at the C-suite/trustee level, 11% were SVPs/VPs, and 46% were directors or managers.

Over 70% of the respondents worked at hospitals or health systems while the remaining respondents worked in clinics/group practices, post-acute facilities, urgent care centers, medical schools, or other care settings.

According to the survey, there has been a slight decline in job satisfaction among healthcare leaders, though levels continue to be "reasonably strong." Overall, 79% of respondents said they were extremely or somewhat satisfied with their jobs, a decrease from 82% who said the same the previous year.

There was also lower satisfaction among leaders who had been in their roles between one and five years (74%) and those who had been in their roles more than five years (82%).

Despite relatively high satisfaction with their jobs, a significant number of respondents said they planned to leave their jobs, with those who have been in their roles one to five years the most likely to leave.

Overall, 46% of respondents said they plan to leave their organizations within the next 12 months, an increase from 41% who said the same in 2024. Among the respondents, 11% said they plan to leave their organizations immediately while 15% said they want to leave within six months. 

Many respondents (74%) also reported receiving a recent credible approach about a new job, and 17% said they did pursue the opportunity. People who said they were dissatisfied with their current jobs pursued the new opportunity at a 10% higher rate than the overall respondent pool.

"Turnover among both healthcare executives and clinical professionals such as physicians, nurses, and others remains a key strategic challenge facing healthcare facilities," said Mary Newell, VP of physician and leadership search at AMN Healthcare. "Post pandemic, many healthcare professionals are reassessing where, when and how they work."

Factors impacting retention and recruitment

According to the survey, the top three factors influencing leaders' intent to remain at their current organization include organizational culture (44%), colleagues (39%), and compensation package (38%).

To address some of their leadership recruitment difficulties, respondents said they were expanding their recruiting scope (40%), relying more on outside executive search firms (39%), and increasing compensation packages (37%).