Care Providers: Give Personnel Emotional Security Which Benefits the Business

There is no shortage of group homes and other assisted living venues in which we find ourselves on a regular basis.  We appreciate being able to influence the dignity, staff development and overall decorum of care providing organizations.  It is who we are and what we do.

One area we regularly speak to employers about is the need to create the right kind of environment that fosters a sense of belonging for staff.  Of course, a staff member who cannot separate themselves from home life during work time, who does not respect the value of teamwork or who does not follow company policy has to go.  Barring these circumstances, an employer in care needs to create an environment that creates a feeling of security among all.  Here are a few tips:

  1.  Have Reasonably Open Communication

Share with staff the goals of the business, speak about the mission and any planned expansion.  Allow them to share in the excitement of being a part of a forward moving organization.  This does not mean we share confidential items, however, there is much that can be imparted and this leads to well-rounded communication.

      2.  Polish Before Purging

Its easy to fire someone, although in the current economy, recruiting stable employees who will hang around long-term is incredibly difficult. It is better to craft a plan with a focus on an employee’s specific areas of strength and weaknesses and work a detailed routine to help them become better before we decide they can hit the door.  No business benefits from constant turnover and your clients will see what is going on, especially in assisted living, and this could make them nervous.

 

      3.  Conduct Regular Evaluations

 

One of the biggest slip-ups employers can make is not conducting regular staff performance evaluations.  Some employers do so quarterly, some annually, some bi-annually.  This gives employees specific information about how their employer views their performance.  It also gives them specific areas where the employer feels improvement is needed and how efforts at improvement will be monitored.  This Is fair people management and will reduce turnover and lead to a more polished workforce.

Special Point:  Some you may employ did not come from professionally managed environments.  As a result, personnel evaluations are a new concept so be sure they are introduced to this process during their initial orientation so they know its coming.  Otherwise, it could be seen as threatening and take away from their on-the-job emotional security.

Employees who feel secure are an asset.  The exact opposite is a disaster.

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Another Blog Post by Direct Care Training & Resource Center, Inc.

 

For more on our commitment to the success of residential care join the LinkedIn Group:  Small-Scale Assisted Living Success Strategies.

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