Creating a Culture of Retention - Step 1

Employee turnover and retention-related issues is one of the biggest challenges for providers of in-home and community based care today.

Turnover is costly in terms of dollars, reputation, quality of care and just about every other measure of success. Employers are reluctant to invest in new employees ("They'll just leave, anyway") and so the cycle continues.

PHI, an organization dedicated to "Quality Care through Quality Jobs" has just released a new resource for providers titled "12 Steps for Creating a Culture of Retention: a Workbook for Home and Community-Based Long-Term Care Providers." (Find the workbook on our Resources page)

Step 1: Recruitment and Selection. It's pretty hard to focus on retention if you don't have a good system to help you get good people in the first place. In fact, retaining poor workers is one of the top complaints of good workers - they end up carrying more than their fair share of the workload when companies keep poor workers on board just to fill slots or retain FTEs.

Here are some of the recommended actions to help you improve this first step in building a culture of retention:

Know what you want. Boil down the qualifications of new employees to a short list. We use the rule of thumb we call "clone your best and brightest." What are the qualities of the employees you'd like to clone? Be specific, and think of questions to help you evaluate these areas. In the case study report in the PHI workbook, the recruiters look for"people with some formal or informal caregiving experience who express compassion for other human beings and demonstrate an ability to set priorities and resolve problems."

Know how to recruit. Once you know the qualities you're seeking you need to develop a solid recruitment strategy. In today's electronic age, recruitment strategies need to be re-examined. The way it's always been done is not necessarily the best way to advertise and recruit today. Are you using web-based job boards (craig's list, Monster.com, etc.)? Do you have the ability to accept applications online? (Not just resume's - lots of caregiving candidates may not be resume' savvy, but can complete and submit an application on line.) If you need help with this aspect, ask us about Apply2Care - online applications right to your in-box.

Write your ad. You've got a plan for creative recruitment and selection. Is your ad reflecting your values? Does it somehow set you apart from others looking to hire the exact same people? One of the best ads we ever used focused on our love of humor. We specifically advertised for someone experienced in caregiving with a good sense of humor. We got great applicants, a few new hires, and one caregiver who stayed with us for over 10 years (until we sold the business). Print ads are expensive so we tend to cut them short; internet ads can carry a lot more content. Wherever you advertise, make your ad stand out and reflect you. The PHI workbook uses the term "compelling" to describe the perfect ad.

Involve your team. Those best and brightest people you'd like to clone? Involve them in the selection process. Let them give the quick tour through the building, or just meet and describe a typical day to a candidate. It will give those special individuals a bit of a job perk (they'll look and feel more important), and it will help you set the stage for new employees wondering just what it's like to work for you. Listen, too, to those employees' comments about applicants.


Make sure you're competitive. Are your wages competitve to other options the applicant has in the field? How about your benefits? One area where you can excell is training. That's an area consistently listed on surveys as making a company a preferred employer. Offer extensive training opportunities, and let applicants know what you offer. It'll help you recruit, before you even begin to train. (aQuire Training Solutions can help).

Step 2 - next week.

When Employees are Happy, Everyone's Happy!

You know the saying, "When mama's happy, everyone's happy." Of course, what we're really saying is exactly the opposite: When mama is NOT happy, somehow this unhappiness has a way of trickling down to everyone else in the family.

Think about your staff team. Are they a happy group, for the most part? Have you noticed how their happiness - or lack there of - filters down to everyone else in the building?

Enough research has been done to put it into fact: satisfied (happy) employees have a direct effect on the quality of care, the quality of resident life and business success of the company. Now you're talking not only about staff and resident happiness, but the happiness of the owners and investors - a pretty important factor to consider.

Seems like we'd better pay close attention to what can increase employee happiness, doesn't it? Fortunately, we've got some good research-based information to help us reach that goal.

My Innerview surveyed over 100,000 employees working in nursing homes in the U.S. a couple of years ago. What they found may surprise you: The top two things on the list of what affects employee satisfaction are pretty much up to you. Here's what employees said made the most difference to them:

1) Management who cares about me
2) Management who listens to me

You're probably not destined to stay in management long in senior care if you don't truly care about your team. But do you show it? Do you communicate it clearly? Do you actively listen to employees?

If you do, I'm guessing that mama's happy, and everyone's happy at your "house" today!

On Perfection

My mom used to tell me, "Anything worth doing is worth doing well."

I remembered that advice (sorry for all the other advice I've forgotten, Mom!) when I was painting my front porch for the 4th time with just a slightly different shade of "taupe" the other day, and trying to explain to my daughter why it was important to get it "just right."

As I listen to the voices of senior care providers, I hear the same sentiment echoed by each of you.

By Diane, who has 5 elderly people living in her home 24/7, caring for their every need.

By Dan, who owns several communities, and feels personally responsible not only for the lives of every resident, but also for the 100+ individuals his company employs.

You represent the best of who we are as a profession, and our personal dedication to doing the job we've set out to do, exactly right.

But on those days when things don't go right, do you, like me, tend to feel the stress of missing the mark?

When I feel my shoulders tense up, and my head start to clench into the sure signs of a headache, I remember some other advice I got early in my career.

Five years from now, will anyone remember this one failure? Does it really matter in the big scheme of things?

In reality, our striving for perfection in our work makes each little misstep seem that much worse.

Here's the advice I'm passing on to my eldest daughter, as she departs for college today. I hope she remembers it when she's striving for perfection in her own career some day:

Work because you love your job, not just for the paycheck.

Laugh often, and dance whenever you get the chance.

Enjoy good friends, and good wine.

Never give up. The world needs us, and we DO make a difference.

Customer Service is the Key

We had the pleasure of attending the ALFA conference a few months ago in Orlando.

We also went on a few roller-coaster rides (the water ones are my favorite) but that's another story.

By far and away, the predominant theme of the conference was customer service. Clearly, if we're going to stand out - and thrive - in this very crowded, competitive field, we need to get the customer service element firmly ingrained into our entire approach to service delivery.

Speakers from the hospitality field talked on this subject every day of the conference. The place where the conference was held, the Gaylord Palms, has one of the best customer service programs in the US. They actually answer the phone, "Consider it done." Whatever your problem, question, or need, they work hard to fulfill on that promise.

They know what we in senior care need to see more clearly: the success of a company (hotel or senior living community) will be based on how the employees relate to the customer.

Every day.

Every contact.

How does the Palms make sure that everyone is on board? Their single word answer? They train. From day one, they train every single employee in what it means to be a part of their service team. They train in how to do the assigned job, but they also offer English language classes, among several training options. They celebrate every employee advancement or achievement by throwing a party, complete with cake, balloons and applause. They actively seek ways and times to add to the knowledge and skills of every employee, and to celebrate those individuals.

What are you doing to celebrate your team today? What are you doing to build the strongest, most service-oriented employee group possible?

8 Rules for Great Customer Service

One of our loyal aQuire clients emailed me the other day and said, “We are working on customer service this coming year with our staff – that would be a great class for aQuire!”

You’re right, Paula, that would be a perfect class! In fact, I’ve got about 100 really perfect classes waiting for the time and resources to get published so that your staff can benefit from them. In the meantime, you’ll have to make this do (it’s exactly where blended training comes in!):

Great customer service is sort of like the Golden Rule: there are many, many details you need to know to relate well to others, but at the end of the day there’s just one rule: Treat other people how you would want to be treated.

In customer service, there may be “8 Rules” but there is one underlying principle: Good Relationships = Good Service.

You’re not providing a one-time favor for someone; you’re building a long-term relationship. Treating customers like you’d treat a friend is another way to think about it. Learn (and use) names, learn life stories; treat each person like a special person. That’s the Golden Rule for customer service.

Now let’s look at 8 more rules that will make your customer service stand out – and really, truly work.

1. Be there. When the phone rings, does a person answer it quickly, every time? When someone walks in the door is a person there to greet him immediately? You can’t build relationships by sending people to voice mail or running them through a 5 layer phone tree. Make it a priority to take the first step in customer service, and be there when they call or come in.

2. Be reliable. When you say you’ll do something, do it. Don’t promise anything you don’t know, for sure, that you can deliver. Always follow-up. If a client asks you a question (“Can you find out where my mom’s new sweater went?”), provide an answer (“I’ll look into it and let you know by the end of the week”) and then follow-up (“It’s Friday, and I thought I’d let you know that we have found her sweater…”). Ask for more, too, while you’re at it (“Is there anything else I can help you with today?”). Few things annoy clients as much as someone dropping the ball and not doing what they said they’d do.

3. Listen up. When a client is talking, be listening. The only thing worse than having someone drop the ball on follow-up is someone not listening to you, and asking you for details you’ve already provided. Oh wait, I know something worse: having to tell the full story to one person, only to have to repeat it, details and all, to another person – and another. Remember the last time you were at the doctor’s office with a nurse demanding every single detail? You know exactly what I mean. If you’re not the person to solve the problem (“I have a question about my bill”), don’t ask for any details – refer the client to the right person first.

4. Apologize. Complaints can be tough. It’s easy to say, “Oh well – can’t please all the people all the time!” In reality, complaints are often the way our clients communicate their feelings of anxiety (“I’m really worried about my mom and don’t have a clue what to do about it”) or guilt (“I should really be the one doing this – then it would be perfect”). Listen (see Rule #3) and then, before you begin defending or explaining, apologize. Say, “I’m really sorry you had that experience.” You’ll instantly defuse the situation, and allow real communication – and real problem solving – to start.

5. Be helpful. Do you remember how you felt the last time a stranger held a door for you? Even the smallest helpful gesture changes relationships from stranger to friend. As you work to build relationships, look for ways to be helpful, even if you may not profit from it. Maybe someone on the phone actually needs a completely different kind of service – recommend one you know about. Helpfulness has wings of its own and will return rich reward to you.

6. Empower your team. Train these customer service principles to every member of your team. Give them opportunities to practice and ask them to notice each other’s great service – and share it. Public praise is one of the strongest rewards you can give and will change behaviors. Make sure, whenever possible, your team has the power to do small things for clients – offer coffee, cookies or simply pause to listen to an overwhelmed client. These are the things that build relationships – and create awesome, committed clients.

7. Go the extra mile. It might be enough to tell your client you’ll look into a problem and get back to him. But going the extra mile means not only locating the missing sweater, for example, but making sure it is correctly labeled and re-labeling it if necessary. It means taking the time to call back before the deadline you set and follow up. It means not just pointing to the activity area, but walking with the client to the area, chatting and visiting while you walk. Going the extra mile takes a few minutes of your time, but can pay big dividends when your clients start telling others about you.

8. Throw in something extra. A big smile, a certain saying (“Have a wonderful day!”), a long-stemmed rose from a big bunch on your desk or a cookie pre-wrapped in a cellophane bag – look for ways to add something extra to the service you provide. It can be something very small, but it will make a big, big difference to the perception of your clients (or future clients).

Great customer service doesn’t take a ton of new resources and effort. Little things will add a lot of polish as long as you keep in mind that one key word: relationships. Treat every client – and every prospective client – as a valued friend and you’ll automatically up the level of service you provide.