Abstract
CONTEXT: The public health workforce is critical to the functioning of the public health system and protection of the population's health. Ensuring a sufficient workforce depends on effectively recruiting and retaining workers.
OBJECTIVE: This study examines factors influencing decisions to take and remain in jobs within public health, particularly for workers employed in governmental public health.
DESIGN: This cross-sectional study employed a secondary data set from a 2010 national survey of US public health workers.
PARTICIPANTS: Survey respondents were included in this study if they responded to at least 1 survey item related to recruitment and retention. A total of 10 859 survey responses fit this criterion.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Data examined demographics of public health workers and factors that influenced decisions to take jobs in and remain in public health.
RESULTS: Job security (β = 0.42; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.28-0.56) and competitive benefits (β = 0.49; 95% CI, 0.28-0.70) were significantly and positively associated with governmental employees' decisions to take positions with their current employers compared with public health workers employed by other types of organizations. The same finding held with regard to retention: job security (β = 0.40; 95% CI, 0.23-0.57) and competitive benefits (β = 0.53; 95% CI, 0.24-0.83). Two personal factors, personal commitment to public service (β = 0.30; 95% CI, 0.17-0.42) and wanted a job in the public health field (β = 0.44; 95% CI, 0.18-0.69), were significantly and positively related to governmental employees deciding to remain with their current employers.
CONCLUSIONS: It is important to recognize the value of competitive benefits for both current and potential employees. Public health agencies should maintain these if possible and make the value of these benefits known to policy makers or other agencies setting these benefit policies. Job security associated with governmental public health jobs also appears to offer public health an advantage in recruiting and retaining employees.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 559-566 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| Journal | Journal of public health management and practice : JPHMP |
| Volume | 22 |
| Issue number | 6 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Nov 1 2016 |
| Externally published | Yes |
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ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Health Policy
- Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
Cite this
Why Do People Work in Public Health? Exploring Recruitment and Retention Among Public Health Workers. / Yeager, Valerie; Wisniewski, Janna M.; Amos, Kathleen; Bialek, Ron.
In: Journal of public health management and practice : JPHMP, Vol. 22, No. 6, 01.11.2016, p. 559-566.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Why Do People Work in Public Health? Exploring Recruitment and Retention Among Public Health Workers
AU - Yeager, Valerie
AU - Wisniewski, Janna M.
AU - Amos, Kathleen
AU - Bialek, Ron
PY - 2016/11/1
Y1 - 2016/11/1
N2 - CONTEXT: The public health workforce is critical to the functioning of the public health system and protection of the population's health. Ensuring a sufficient workforce depends on effectively recruiting and retaining workers.OBJECTIVE: This study examines factors influencing decisions to take and remain in jobs within public health, particularly for workers employed in governmental public health.DESIGN: This cross-sectional study employed a secondary data set from a 2010 national survey of US public health workers.PARTICIPANTS: Survey respondents were included in this study if they responded to at least 1 survey item related to recruitment and retention. A total of 10 859 survey responses fit this criterion.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Data examined demographics of public health workers and factors that influenced decisions to take jobs in and remain in public health.RESULTS: Job security (β = 0.42; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.28-0.56) and competitive benefits (β = 0.49; 95% CI, 0.28-0.70) were significantly and positively associated with governmental employees' decisions to take positions with their current employers compared with public health workers employed by other types of organizations. The same finding held with regard to retention: job security (β = 0.40; 95% CI, 0.23-0.57) and competitive benefits (β = 0.53; 95% CI, 0.24-0.83). Two personal factors, personal commitment to public service (β = 0.30; 95% CI, 0.17-0.42) and wanted a job in the public health field (β = 0.44; 95% CI, 0.18-0.69), were significantly and positively related to governmental employees deciding to remain with their current employers.CONCLUSIONS: It is important to recognize the value of competitive benefits for both current and potential employees. Public health agencies should maintain these if possible and make the value of these benefits known to policy makers or other agencies setting these benefit policies. Job security associated with governmental public health jobs also appears to offer public health an advantage in recruiting and retaining employees.
AB - CONTEXT: The public health workforce is critical to the functioning of the public health system and protection of the population's health. Ensuring a sufficient workforce depends on effectively recruiting and retaining workers.OBJECTIVE: This study examines factors influencing decisions to take and remain in jobs within public health, particularly for workers employed in governmental public health.DESIGN: This cross-sectional study employed a secondary data set from a 2010 national survey of US public health workers.PARTICIPANTS: Survey respondents were included in this study if they responded to at least 1 survey item related to recruitment and retention. A total of 10 859 survey responses fit this criterion.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Data examined demographics of public health workers and factors that influenced decisions to take jobs in and remain in public health.RESULTS: Job security (β = 0.42; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.28-0.56) and competitive benefits (β = 0.49; 95% CI, 0.28-0.70) were significantly and positively associated with governmental employees' decisions to take positions with their current employers compared with public health workers employed by other types of organizations. The same finding held with regard to retention: job security (β = 0.40; 95% CI, 0.23-0.57) and competitive benefits (β = 0.53; 95% CI, 0.24-0.83). Two personal factors, personal commitment to public service (β = 0.30; 95% CI, 0.17-0.42) and wanted a job in the public health field (β = 0.44; 95% CI, 0.18-0.69), were significantly and positively related to governmental employees deciding to remain with their current employers.CONCLUSIONS: It is important to recognize the value of competitive benefits for both current and potential employees. Public health agencies should maintain these if possible and make the value of these benefits known to policy makers or other agencies setting these benefit policies. Job security associated with governmental public health jobs also appears to offer public health an advantage in recruiting and retaining employees.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84959082366&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84959082366&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1097/PHH.0000000000000380
DO - 10.1097/PHH.0000000000000380
M3 - Article
C2 - 26910865
AN - SCOPUS:84959082366
VL - 22
SP - 559
EP - 566
JO - Journal of Public Health Management and Practice
JF - Journal of Public Health Management and Practice
SN - 1078-4659
IS - 6
ER -