EHR Vendor Cerner Announces Hybrid Workforce to Foster Innovation

With rising COVID-19 vaccination rates, Cerner announced that it will conduct business through a hybrid workforce that will allow most associates to work in-office or from home.

Most employees will have the option to choose if they work from home or in-person, Tracy Platt, executive vice president and chief human resources officer, explained in a blog post.

“The majority of our associate base will be dynamic – allowing them the flexibility of working from home or on-site as determined by the activities and work to be completed and their work style preferences,” she explained. “For Cerner, our future workplace and workforce is about flexibility within a framework –balancing the needs of our associates with the needs of the business.”

A recent internal survey found that 70 percent of Cerner associates desired in-office and work from home flexibility, Platt noted.

“After a year of working primarily at home, a majority of our associates are finding it hard to turn off work mode at the end of the day,” she explained. “The mental health and well-being of associates is a critical component of any companies’ future workforce strategy.”

“As we begin the transition of returning to the office methodically and strategically throughout the remainder of the year, we are committed to providing a highly flexible, hybrid work environment to continue fostering the necessary organizational conditions for enhanced associate engagement and innovation,” Platt wrote.

According to current COVID-19 guidelines, Cerner anticipates that its hybrid workforce environment on US campuses will be in full swing by fall of 2021.

To support leaders in successfully operating within a hybrid workforce model, the EHR vendor will ramp up training and development opportunities.

“We are committed to promoting a culture of mutual trust and empowerment to truly unlock the potential of our workforce,” Platt wrote. “As such, we are relying on our leaders and their teams to determine the best scenario for their organizations, working within the framework provided.”

“While there is no single recipe for success, we envision many teams will choose to work on-site a few days a week, or a few weeks a month, with the remaining time spent at home or in a remote location,” she continued.

A small percentage of associates will work virtually full-time while others will work in-person full-time due to the nature of their work, Platt added.

A recent study from a global research firm found that 90 percent of employers are adopting hybrid work models, she noted.

“As with most organizations, this is a new enterprise approach for Cerner and we expect it to evolve over time as we learn more about what works best for our associates, our clients and our company,” Platt wrote.

“We are proud to be implementing innovative, flexible, forward-thinking workforce strategies that balance the needs of our associates, our business, and our clients. We believe flexibility and inclusion foster innovation, and innovation drives change.”