Inside the retention gap: Why transparency is key

At the 2025 MGMA Leaders Conference in Orlando, Helen Falkner, regional vice president of recruiting and partner at Jackson Physician Search, said the single most powerful thing leaders can do to retain early-career physicians is simple: be transparent.

“Transparency — and that is not unique to health care,” Falkner says. “It is so important to the younger generation. Transparency in the form of open, two-way communication. Transparency in decision-making: Who are the decision makers? Why is the decision being made?”

She explains that younger physicians, like all employees, want to feel valued, respected, and supported — but they especially want a voice. “Ensuring that your doctors feel heard and that you’re open to receiving feedback is critical,” she says. “While you can’t always act on everything, taking stock of what’s being said and finding opportunities to make small impacts can create big wins.”

Falkner closed with a quote from her organization’s president, Tony Stajduhar: “People don’t quit jobs — they quit leaders.”