How to Build a Strong Company Culture: Retention Strategies for Rehab Therapy Practices FAQ

It’s more important than ever for rehab therapy practices to hang onto their clinicians—which is why company culture and employee retention efforts shouldn’t be overlooked as part of growing your business. During our most recent webinar, we were fortunate enough to have Dr. Heidi Jannenga, PT, DPT, Co-founder and Chief Clinical Officer at WebPT, Dr. Jonathon Lee, PT, DPT, OCS, FAAOMPT, MBA, CEO at Pickle, and Derek Fenwick, PT, MBA, SHRM-SCP, Vice President, People & Culture at Infinity Rehab, sharing what they know about building strong company culture.  We’ve gathered all of the questions we didn’t have time for during our webinar and answered them here.

What are some good examples of hybrid/performance-based compensation packages for current employees and for new hires?

One example that might work for small- to medium-sized outpatient practices is a model we discussed in this blog. In this particular arrangement, a therapist’s total salary would come from two buckets: base pay and performance-based pay. Depending on the therapist, you can change the formula for how much of their salary comes from each bucket; some might opt for a higher base salary and sacrifice some earning potential with performance, while others might choose the opportunity — and risk — of a higher percentage of their pay as performance-based. 

The benefit of this plan is that it gives both therapists and clinic owners greater flexibility. Clinic owners can decide how they want to measure productivity and performance — whether that’s total visits, total billed units, and total reimbursable units — and providers can choose the level of risk-reward with which they’re comfortable. 

Therapists choose the plan that best suits their workflows, and clinic owners choose how their therapists’ productivity and overall performance will be measured. Common units of production include total visits, total billed units, and total reimbursable units. Whichever performance metrics you select, be sure they align with your clinic’s goals and support its long-term growth.

What are some low-cost ways clinics can create a more positive culture?

Building a better culture doesn’t have to be a major expense. Moreover, giving employees swag or taking them on costly outings isn't culture in and of itself. Ultimately, creating a more positive culture is about embracing and embodying those values. Employees value recognition, even if you can’t afford to pair it with gifts. And they want to know that their leaders genuinely care, which you can demonstrate with heartfelt conversations and smaller tokens of gratitude rather than the big budget items.     

How can company values be communicated more effectively to staff?

For a start, your company values should be written down and visible to your team in the clinic as a reminder. Beyond that, it can help to not only reiterate those values, but to celebrate them— and to celebrate the folks that embody those values on a daily basis. It can also help to frame decisions and actions made in the clinic as they relate to those values — how those choices align with your core values, or how they advance your stated goals and objectives for the practice.   

How do you keep culture consistent as your team or organization grows?

Maintaining a consistent culture requires constant reinforcement with your team. It’s in part about making culture and values a regular part of team meetings, performance reviews, and any other formal processes within your practice. It’s also important to emphasize culture and values on a daily basis, in every interaction between team members, between patients and employees, and in every decision that leaders are making in the clinic, big and small.

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If you missed the webinar live, you can check out the recording here.