Dive Brief:

• When it comes to creating a great culture, some healthcare industry employers have created workplaces where employees share a closeness with co-workers and pride in their work, even in tough times, according to Fortune.
• In fact, camaraderie, pride and fairness is a trademark among the employers rated in the 20 Best Workplaces in Health Care for 2016, from Great Place to Work and Fortune. These employers also benefit from competitive advantages in the healthcare talent wars.
• Fortune reports that despite ACA-fueled directives to do more with less, employees at the best health care organizations remain "gung-ho about work," and say they "can't wait to show up in the morning, feel valued for their contributions, and enjoy a work atmosphere that’s encouraging and respectful."

Dive Insight:

Hannah Elise Jones, a Great Place to Work consultant, told Fortune that in the top 20 healthcare employers, employees are "working in a family-like atmosphere where everyone’s in their corner and has a common goal of taking care of people and saving lives."

For example, Fortune says that healthcare institutions typically are hierarchical, so there is often competition for scarce resources among departments and work groups. Among thes top companies, however, workers report feeling they are all part of the same organization. And the vast majority of employees describe their workplace as “friendly,” with co-workers cooperating regularly.

Fortune also reports that talent retention is a trademark of these companies. It cites Dallas-based Encompass Home Health and Hospice, a $369 million company with a workforce of 8,140 nurses, therapists and other clinicians, kept voluntary turnover for Encompass’ full-time employees at 10% last year. And another employer making the list, Martin’s Point, which has 808 employees at multiple offices in Maine and New Hampshire, kept turnover at 7%.

Recruitment is also much smoother among the top 20, especially for referrals. In the past year, employee referrals accounted for 36% of new hires at Encompass, 25% at Martin’s Point, and 17% at Texas Health Resources, an employer that pays $3,000 bonuses when a candidate that an employee recommends for an eligible position gets the job.