Background/aims The COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath has arguably exacerbated challenges relating to healthcare staffing on an international scale. This study aimed to explore the human resources (HR) challenges experienced by HR managers in private hospitals in India and how these had evolved following the pandemic. Methods A qualitative study was conducted, with data collected via in-depth interviews with 26 HR managers and hospital administrators across 13 hospitals in India. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to analyse the data and generate global, organising and basic themes. Results The global theme of human resources challenges emerged from the data, with seven organising themes: migration-driven staff attrition; fostering commitment; discrepancies between staff qualifications and practical competencies; training for hospital culture; increased staffing costs; back-to-back recruitment; and perceived lack of empathy and trust. Within these groups were 19 basic themes. Conclusions HR managers in private hospitals face a variety of challenges, several of which have been exacerbated by the pandemic and its aftermath. Recruitment and retention of sufficiently skilled staff members were particular areas of concern, alongside training and culture. Implications for practice Addressing HR management challenges will likely require holistic, proactive and targeted approaches to improve training, reduce staff turnover and meaningfully shape organisational culture.
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