For Nebraska Spine Hospital, improving employee engagement started with rethinking how they selected, developed and supported their people.   

“We had built a solid culture, but when it came to development, there were gaps — especially in certain parts of the organization,” shared CEO Chris Palumbo. “It was easy to create a plan specific to a person, but we lacked an organization-wide development plan.”  

As a physician-led specialty hospital with about 85 permanently assigned staff members and a couple hundred contracted staff, Nebraska Spine Hospital’s leadership team knew that any effort to improve engagement and growth had to start with those closest to the mission—full-time, permanent staff.   

So they looked for a partner who could help refine their staffing approach at every level. That led them to Talent Plus.  

A More Deliberate Selection and Development Process  

To set the tone for a more intentional approach across departments, the leadership team began by taking assessments themselves.   

“We wanted to take a slow, deliberate approach,” Palumbo said.   

First, he and other executives completed a Talent Online ® Assessment through Talent Plus. Rather than rushing to the next step, the team took time to reflect. This pause allowed leadership to absorb the insights and think through implications before expanding the initiative.  

Next, they assessed managers. After those layers were established, the team rolled out development efforts to the rest of the staff.   

“Every team member completed an assessment, and then leadership developed personalized goals for each person,” Palumbo outlined. “We focused on their strengths, how those strengths support our mission, and partnered with them to set development goals for the year ahead. 

They followed this up with a consistent, proactive approach—quarterly meetings between each team member and their managers to track development, align goals and reinforce progress. Today, hiring decisions more clearly align with long-term team composition, culture fit and individual strengths.  

Quality Selection Improves Retention   

A turning point came when Nebraska Spine Hospital began using Talent Plus’ selection tools. These gave hiring managers new levels of insight into each candidate’s strengths, potential team dynamics and likely areas of growth before interviews even began.   

“Once we saw the Talent Plus selection and interview process, we realized how little we had known going into interviews,” Palumbo said. “Seeing the sort of information we could have before the first interview was very attractive to us. Now we can’t imagine interviewing without talent assessments.” 

This data-informed approach has had measurable results. Since incorporating Talent Plus into their broader talent strategy, Nebraska Spine Hospital has seen measurable improvements in retention—reducing turnover from about 15 percent to under 10 percent. 

“There’s no doubt in my mind that if you select the right people and create a culture where they’re valued and growing, they’ll stay,” Palumbo said.   

Improving Staff Alignment and Efficiency  

Talent development at Nebraska Spine Hospital isn’t limited to hiring and retention—it’s influencing operations as well. The same data that drives better hiring also helps the organization schedule smarter, structure stronger teams and more thoughtfully allocate resources.  

When leadership reevaluated how the hospital handled weekend inpatient assignments, they turned to Talent Plus Talent Profiles to bring even more intention to staff alignment. Previously, assignments were often based on availability or interpersonal dynamics.  

“This time, we used Talent Profiles to compare teammates on the same shift and weekend assignments,” Palumbo explained. “We used employee Talent Online Assessments to find the best pairings, and it helped shape our operational alignment as it relates to how we assign people.”  

The data gave teams a clearer path forward—without adding time, strain, or extra steps.  

“Because we had the assessments at our fingertips, implementing it was fast and straightforward,” he added. 

A Talent Strategy Worth Recommending  

Palumbo shared that he would confidently recommend the Talent Plus system to peers in healthcare and beyond. For him, the value goes well beyond development—it’s a critical tool for hiring the right people and building strong teams.  

“If you don’t know what talents someone is bringing to the table, how can you really do a complete assessment on whether or not to hire an individual?” he asked. “I would 10 out of 10 recommend these talent assessments to any healthcare organization — even just for hiring, they’re worth it.”  

Palumbo has seen firsthand how scientifically backed assessments from Talent Plus improve hiring accuracy, reduce turnover, and strengthen long-term employee engagement—making them a must-have beyond just selection.  

“It’s not just in healthcare. In any organization, people are our most important resource. You have to assess talent for both fit and skill. Hiring the wrong person is just too expensive.”  

Nebraska Spine Hospital’s commitment to building a high-performing, Talent-Based Organization ® is a strong example of how intentional strategies can transform both engagement and operations. It’s a privilege to collaborate with an organization so dedicated to aligning people with purpose. 

If you’re exploring ways to strengthen how your organization selects, develops and retains top talent, Talent Plus offers science-backed solutions designed to support your goals at every stage. Discover what’s possible with a talent-first approach.