Flexibility Tops Pay in Nurse Satisfaction: 2025 Workforce Survey

Survey highlights the growing need for gig-style staffing models to address clinician engagement, patient safety, workforce shortages, and associated labor costs. Hallmark, a leading healthcare workforce management technology company, has unveiled the findings of its 2025 Evolving Healthcare Workforce Trends Survey. The results signal a major shift in priorities–flexibility is now on par with pay as a defining factor in workforce decisions, reshaping how healthcare organizations must adapt to attract and retain talent.

"Healthcare leaders overwhelmingly recognize that gig-style staffing is the future, but the technology they rely on is failing them."

“The healthcare industry is at a turning point,” said Hallmark's CEO, Bruce Cerullo. “Burnout, rising labor costs, and pervasive staffing shortages are forcing healthcare leaders to rethink traditional workforce strategies. This survey underscores the growing need for and value of gig-style staffing models to not only boost nurse satisfaction but also maintain exceptional patient care and operational efficiency.” HR Technology Insights: HR Violations or Office Celebrations: The Shocking Party Risks You Didn’t See Coming The survey gathered insights from over 1,200 senior healthcare leaders across the U.S., representing nursing, HR, IT, operations, and procurement professionals from a diverse range of organizations. Results reinforced the growing demand for flexible workforce solutions, with key findings including:

• 98% of respondents reported a surge in demand for flexible, gig-style work arrangements over the past one to two years.
• 78% identified flexibility as a top factor nurses value in workforce decisions, surpassing compensation, which only 17% ranked as a top factor.
• 67% noted that burnout and dissatisfaction are increasing due to a lack of flexibility.

HR Technology Insights: Phenom Report: 68 Percent of Companies Struggle with Manual Hiring and Scaling Beyond flexibility, the survey also highlighted deeper challenges, including the impact of staffing shortages on patient care, financial strain from outsourcing, and technology limitations:

• Quality of Care is at Risk: 95% of healthcare leaders are concerned that inadequate staffing is affecting patient care, while 94% fear burnout is diminishing workforce morale and safety.
• Traditional Staffing Models are Financially Unsustainable: 89% of respondents feel pressure to reduce staffing costs, with travel and contract nurses inflating labor expenses by 20-50%.
• A New Model for Healthcare Staffing Is Emerging: 96% of leaders recognize that gig-style work will play a critical role in the future of healthcare staffing. Additionally, 94% believe their organization would benefit from technology that enables nurses to select shifts at their convenience, helping to reduce dissatisfaction and turnover.

HR Technology Insights: MyPerfectResume Report: 99 Percent of Workers See Ageism in the Workplace “Healthcare leaders overwhelmingly recognize that gig-style staffing is the future, but the technology they rely on is failing them,” said Matt Dane, DNP, MBA, RN, Hallmark Regional Senior Vice President. “Right now, 94% of organizations use some form of staffing technology, yet nearly all struggle to integrate it in a way that actually fuels workforce flexibility. Outdated systems are creating barriers instead of breaking them down—leading to inefficiencies, rising costs, and frustrated nurses. Without modern, scalable solutions that truly support flexible staffing, organizations will continue to fall short in meeting both workforce and patient care demands.” To participate in our interviews, please write to our HRTech Media Room at news@intentamplify.com Source: Businesswire