Horizon Health Network Acts on Listening Insights to Achieve 8.1% Turnover Rate

The Opportunity

When Horizon Health Network's leadership team reviewed their June 2024 engagement survey results, they faced a sobering reality. Despite operating one of New Brunswick's largest healthcare networks, they were grappling with a critical nursing shortage that threatened to undermine their ability to provide quality patient care. The engagement survey painted a clear picture: workplace culture needed attention.

The healthcare industry's standard turnover rate of 15.5% already creates significant challenges for maintaining consistent patient care. For Horizon, the stakes were particularly high given their vast network of facilities and the critical nature of their services. The challenges weren't just about numbers — increased absenteeism rates, eroding trust in leadership, and growing tension between colleagues were creating difficult work environments in some areas. Traditional feedback methods weren't capturing the full scope of the problem, and without systematic data collection, leaders struggled to identify and address issues before they escalated.

The Solution

Horizon embarked on an ambitious transformation of its employee listening strategy, one that would span its entire network of over 100 facilities. With strong endorsement from the executive leadership team, they implemented Perceptyx’s People Insights Platform to gain more real-time insights into their organization's pulse.

The organization took a bold step by implementing a "full lifecycle" listening approach. This meant creating listening touchpoints throughout the entire employee journey, from candidate experience through to exit interviews, with onboarding check-ins at 30, 90, and 180 days.

But the leadership team didn't stop at simply implementing the technology. They developed a structured change management approach that included creating an e-learning module for leaders as well as establishing listening champions within each VP portfolio. The implementation of formal action planning requirements ensured that survey feedback didn't just identify problems, it sparked solutions.

The Impact

Horizon achieved an 8.1% voluntary turnover rate — nearly half the national average of 15.5%. This wasn't just a number; it represented hundreds of experienced healthcare professionals choosing to stay with Horizon, maintaining continuity of care for patients and preserving institutional knowledge.

The organization's expansive approach to feedback also led to the creation of "Our Promise," a comprehensive retention program that was a direct response to employee input. This initiative became a tangible symbol of leadership's commitment to acting on feedback, not just collecting it.

Leaders across the organization began using their new dashboard to track and respond to employee feedback in real time. Each department now had clear visibility into their engagement drivers and could create targeted improvements based on their specific challenges. Horizon’s designated listening champions became advocates for their new approach, helping to ensure that feedback led to tangible actions.