Staff Retention
This section summarizes a presentation by Sharon Pierce, President and CEO of The Villages of Indiana, on innovative and successful methods her agency has used to increase staff retention.
The Villages is an agency dedicated to helping children and families through a broad range of
programs, including Healthy Families. Over three years ago, The Villages realized that the job market was becoming more competitive.
In order to continue to draw and retain quality staff, they began to take proactive steps to position the agency as an “employer of choice.” The needs of all agency stakeholders, such as families, community members, and funders were reviewed. The Villages then recognized that in order to be an effective agency and send a message of respect and empowerment to the community, they would need to mirror this message agency-wide, tending first to internal stakeholders: the staff.
Pierce recalls concentrating on customer service training in order make sure the value system of consideration and respect was present internally, and then evident in every service provided. The Villages further developed an atmosphere of learning and respect through proactive recruitment, a holistic orientation process, continuous training, and a range of flexible policies and morale -building incentives.
Recruitment
Position your organization as the “employer of choice” by offering competitive salary ranges and a diverse benefits package. Make it clear from the beginning that your agency believes in a flexible work and benefit plan that can best suit the needs of each employee. Recruit future
employees through an internship program, making every effort to provide a salary or stipend.
The Board of Directors of The Villages recognized the value of a paid internship program and is committed to supporting a pool of money for future interns. Local businesses (especially businesses that sell items and services the agency regularly purchases, such as computers and cell phones) were asked to invest in the future leadership of their community by contributing to this internship pool.
Orientation
An effective orientation of new staff includes a “Big Picture” overview, which outlines the
agency’s:
- Mission and vision
- Core values and culture
- Organizational structure
- Array of programs and services
- Customers and stakeholders
- Service environment
Orientation should also include the “micro” overview, such as a thorough review of job
descriptions, benefits, personnel policies, ethics and confidentiality policies, technical resources such as the computer, fax, phone, and email systems, and basic information on logistics, parking, security, and office space.
Finally, make new staff feel welcome through introductions to fellow staff, lunch with team
members, and discussions about identifying and integrating personal career goals. For example, Ms. Pierce has lunch with each new staff member in order to begin get to know them, establish a pattern of communication, develop a plan for reaching personal goals.
Continuous training
Continuous training is key to developing a “learning organization” where staff have many
educational opportunities and are encouraged to receive job specific training, cross training
within the organization, and training relating to personal skills such as customer service,
technical, or communication techniques. Whenever possible, staff could benefit from attending regional and national conferences, or taking advantage of educational reimbursement.
At The Villages, every employee that has been at the agency for six months is offered to
participate in “On the Right Track” training opportunities in other departments or skill sets.
These trainings, occurring every six months, are fun and interactive with opportunities for quality assurance input and evaluation. Inter-agency trainings are especially helpful because staff can gain a deeper understanding and appreciation for the work done by coworkers in each part of the agency.
Pierce also stressed training on change management. An agency that is responsive to best
practice discoveries, political climate, and service environment is a changing agency. Often,
these changes create the greatest source of challenge and discomfort for staff. Along with
training and open dialogue about questions and concerns, Sharon suggested the book, Work
Habits for a Radically Changing World, by Price Pritchett (http://www.pritchettnet.com/).
Something extra!
Many staff value flexibility and a positive work environment as much as, or more than, a higher salary range. There are many ways to create scheduling and educational choices for staff and offer extras that boost and maintain morale and show staff how much they are valued:
- The Five “P” Program: personal, polite, professional, prompt, and proud. Staff are
provided with coupons to award each other for “P” behavior. These coupons can be
collected and exchanged for a whole range of creative awards.
- Phone and Wal-Mart gift cards are great extras!
- “Feel too good to come to work today” Days. When implementing a new MIS system,
staff at The Villages were called upon (or volunteered) to contribute time and efforts
above and beyond their workloads and job descriptions. This bonus day off was awarded
as a way of acknowledging extraordinary efforts.
- Floating holidays. At The Villages, instead of closing the office on President’s Day, staff
were given the option of taking a holiday anytime in February. This way, the office
stayed open all month and staff were able to take advantage of a holiday that best fit their
schedules and needs.
- Video virtual breakfast. The Villages has the use of video conferencing, so once a month
anyone in a network office across the state with a birthday that month can join Sharon
Pierce for breakfast and an open forum for questions and concerns.
When asked what first step she would recommend to other agencies regarding staff retention,
Pierce suggests surveying your existing employee base. Ask your employees why they stay, what supports they need, and what supports they will need in the future. Begin building an internal culture of support, respect, and empowerment which best serves staff, families and your community as a whole.
Information initially provided by Sharon Pierce - July 2001
Tips for Motivating and Retaining Staff
- Supervisor does ongoing shadow visiting, helps staff problem-solve, and provides support
- Have a "compliment box" to anonymously praise other staff (positive affirmations only) at staff meetings
- Ask families to write letters about how their FSW has helped them. Read these letters at a festival for all families
- Have the supervisor periodically take time at staff meetings to say what she appreciates most about each staff member in front of their peers and colleagues.
- Hold a team building retreat and revisit your mission
- Take staff to a local flea market where they can spend the day making observations of parent child interaction. This can be both fun and educational.
- Always promote from within if possible
- Develop career ladders
- Host a bowling competition against other HFA sites
- Have a "make-it day" where staff make crafts and other items to use with families
- Have the management team make breakfast for all staff at retreat or other meeting
- Provide each staff member with a special bag in which supervisors can deposit notes and encouragement
- For new staff members who don't yet have full case loads, encourage them to take on a creative project that will help the entire program, e.g., compile resource list, portfolio, initial informational packets for families
- Host a make-over day for female staff using Mary Kay or Avon products
- Make a given day of the week paperwork day and try to close early if possible. Make that day "casual dress day".
- Have a scavenger hunt where staff brainstorm where to find different resources
- Develop a mentoring/buddy program to pair new supervisors in your state with more experienced supervisors at another site, so they have someone to call for support and technical assistance
- Have a movie day
- To relieve a rut, one site had May Mania. FSWs were encouraged to be creative on their home visits. They submitted activities to the Program Manager and the team voted for the top three ideas. They also nominated colleagues for treats.
- Host a picnic and give everyone awards. Create clever and fitting categories such as: Most Creative, Most Economical, etc.
- "Kidnap" your team and take them bowling instead of having a team meeting.
- Have a quarterly retreat complete with massage therapist
- Offer flex time
- Provide safety tools such as cell phones
- Offer healthy snacks in the office
- Give away free passes to a local health club
- Involve staff in board retreats (planning, evaluation and board development) and strategic planning
- Celebrate staff birthdays
- Send staff to state and/or national conferences
- Start college funds for staff
- Take staff out to lunch from time to time
- Cover medical reimbursements
- Offer occasional wellness days to allow staff to play miniature golf, softball or volleyball, etc.
- Give random gifts
- Encourage group brown bag lunches
- Encourage Level II FSWs to become mentors and help provide training to other sites
- Have staff run weekly team meetings and start each meeting with an inspiring thought or team- building activity
- Give out in-kind donations to staff (eg free cruises from travel agencies)
- Equip home visitors with carbon copied receipts that provides documentation of outreach efforts and enables staff to leave reminders for families and dates of next HV.
- Have food at meetings (nice if program can provide but people can also bring in pot luck)
Staff Supervision
- Modify your participant satisfaction survey to capture staff satisfaction. Discuss results at a subsequent team meeting. Ask staff "Are you getting what you need?"
- Utilize the communications strategies taught in core training to establish a parallel process: feel-felt-found, wonderment.
- Check in with yourself: am I working with my staff in the same way I want them to work with the families?
- Sometimes the supervisor becomes a problem-solver for the staff. It's important to stop and say, "What are staff bringing to the 'fix'? How do they generate ideas to grow and develop?"
- Some supervisors develop IFSPs for their staff, tied into staff development goals and review processes. A career ladder or tier system can be tied into delegating activities. For example, an FSW I focuses on working with families. An FSW II adds responsibilities as a community liaison. An FSW III might help to write policies.
- Allow staff to vent and get it out of their systems. They're emotionally overloaded. You need to have an open door system.
- Have a schedule and sticking to it (create a do not disturb time each day to get work done)
- Have a psychologist or other experts (domestic violence, substance abuse) available on a periodic basis
- Even though it is difficult to make time for this, it is important to get out into the homes with your FSWs
- Allow staff to be the experts on their home visits. Trust them to know what's best for their families.
- Program Managers should make it a priority to meet with supervisors every week and give them an opportunity to vent as well.
- Put your expectations of staff in writing
- Be willing to do absolutely everything you ask staff to do
- Conduct case presentations with your team
