Staff turnover in HIQA ‘very high’

The HIQA board heard at the end of last year that staff turnover rates were “currently very high” and “were expected to increase further”, the Medical Independent (MI) can report.

At its meeting on 30 November 2022, the HIQA CEO Ms Angela Fitzgerald provided an overview of a Human Capital Report, which was prepared at the end of October.

According to the report, which was obtained by MI through Freedom of Information law, the annualised year-to-date turnover rate in HIQA was 8.89 per cent.

The percentage increased to 9.81 per cent when retirees were included.

Statistics compiled by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) for its May 2022 report on the human resources landscape in Ireland were noted in the document.

According to the CIPD report, turnover rates have broadly remained at pre-pandemic levels, with a rate of less than 5 per cent being the most prevalent (36 per cent of respondents) and 15 per cent reporting turnover rates of over 20 per cent.

Within HIQA, the turnover rate was highest within the communications directorate (just over 35 per cent), followed by the directorates of the chief information officer (27 per cent), and corporate operations (13.8 per cent).

The number of agency staff contracts with HIQA has been reducing, according to the report.

In February 2021, there were 26 agency staff contracts and this fell to 16 by October 2022.

“HIQA staff turnover rates are monitored on an ongoing basis as part of our human capital review,” a HIQA spokesperson told MI.

“Staff engagement surveys and feedback mechanisms provide us with real-time information. We use this information to shape and refine our talent management and engagement activities and offerings on an ongoing basis.”

The spokesperson added HIQA was considering organisational structure and design options to ensure it was fit-for-purpose and responsive to current and anticipated future requirements.

This work is ongoing and will be brought to the board for further discussion later in 2023.

HIQA has recently implemented a new time and attendance system called ‘Softworks’.

“The system will provide the organisation with increased functionality and capability including the management of the flexi leave scheme for civil and public servants,” according to the spokesperson.