| Getting, Nurturing,
and Keeping Valued Human Service Workers!
By Mike Flaherty, Organizational Consultant
at The Rural Institute
Human service providers are devoting a greater
degree of attention to staff retention than ever before. Program
managers’ lives are consumed with getting, training, and
most importantly KEEPING motivated, conscientious professional
staff. It is estimated that the average cost of hiring a single
new staff person is in excess of $5,000! Retaining staff is economical.
Keeping staff results in net savings because agencies avoid the
high cost of finding, hiring, and training new staff.
Most providers focus on low pay as the primary
cause of staff attrition. However, research by the DuPont group
over the last two decades indicates that money issues are not
the primary reason staff leave; money issues are well down on
the list of reasons for staying in a job or quitting. Most employees
indicated that work environment/culture and management attitude
toward employees are much more important in maintaining long-term
staff happiness, loyalty, and longevity. The best long-term “fix”
for successfully retaining staff goes beyond pay issues and is
more comprehensive.
Management
Staff retention is only one management concern,
but it is often the most problematic, expensive, and time consuming.
The same underlying problem of getting and keeping qualified staff
impacts small and large agencies alike. In those agencies large
enough to support a Human Resource Manager, the issue of finding
and holding onto qualified and motivated staff may be somewhat
easier than for smaller agencies. In reality, the majority of
Montana provider agencies are small and located in rural areas.
Financial and programming constraints often cede the personnel
management responsibility to the director or, in some cases, a
committee tackles personnel problems.
Management often frames the retention issue in
a negative context—staff attrition. The first and most important
step for each agency combating attrition is to evaluate its personnel
management practices. Sound, common sense management directed
at getting and keeping qualified line staff can build an agency
culture that bonds staff and management together. Look hard at
the staff turnover rate and the reasons staff give for quitting.
In some cases, self-evaluation may not be enough and managers
should look to outside help for more objective feedback as to
why staff are quitting or staying. Based on these findings, management
can then structure a more comprehensive personnel management system.
The personnel management system should focus on four areas:
• Hiring for Values,
• Nurturing Staff and Skills Acquisition,
• Supporting Team Members, and
• Growing Competent/Self-Confident Staff.
Hiring for Values
Attrition is only the negative outcome of a much
larger personnel management process that begins with recruitment.
In many cases the quick departure of “burned out”
staff triggers a crisis management response of finding immediate
help to plug programming holes.
Recruiting and hiring in crisis mode feeds and fosters staff attrition;
a revolving door of staff hiring and leaving results. Management
needs to pay more attention to recruitment if it wants to slow
down that revolving door.
The smart manager makes hiring decisions based
on the “big picture”—that agency’s vision
or mission. The first step in the hiring process is recruiting
a candidate pool that know and understand what the agency’s
long-term mission is all about as well as the intermediate goals
and objectives. This means actively seeking persons that share
the agency’s vision and the mission, much the same as choosing
a team member for a competition who shares common goals. Management
should seek to be proactive, willing to take adequate time and
spend the resources to find the best fit for each position.
Managers should also look for prospective employees
with the potential to learn and grow with the agency. The smart
manager seeks persons with the commitment to problem solving and
producing outcomes. Hiring efforts should always seek persons
willing to take risks and grow with the agency. Managers should
insure that potential hires understand that they are considered
a long-term investment for the agency. The DuPont studies further
emphasize the value of “investing” in staff, beginning
with the recruitment process. Investing in personnel from the
start builds and maintains competent staff.
Nurturing Staff/Skills Acquisition
Ongoing training, staff skills enhancement, and
challenging duties are all critical elements for new (and old)
staff satisfaction. More than just improving skills, training
sends a clear message from management to line staff that staff
are appreciated and valued. The cost of sending staff to training
may be an immediate concern, but its pales in comparison to the
cost of replacing staff who feel inadequately trained or prepared
to do their jobs. That also means the staffing budget should be
seen as an investment, rather than a cost. New information and
tools in the human services field are developed everyday, and
this demands that new and old staff alike regularly keep pace
with best practice technology.
Training improves staff competence and confidence,
which are immediate benefits to managers. Managers also benefit
from assurance that their team has the skills to best serve customers.
Well-trained staff “appreciates” the value of agency
service to both customers and constituents. Most importantly,
well-trained staff are likely to stay with the agency longer.
Well-trained staff make fewer mistakes and make the job of the
manager easier. Managers are freed from spending time on personnel
issues and are able to concentrate on decisions that further the
agency’s mission/vision.
Supporting Team Members
Staff that have a stake in the welfare of their
agencies become a great resource—comfortable in the knowledge
that they and their input are respected. Management’s message
should be, “you are valued and trusted.” The message
of trust is powerful and empowering. Also empowering is being
listened to—having one’s opinion valued in troubleshooting
sessions, brainstorming activities, as well as in the development
of new policies. Asking for, valuing, and implementing staff ideas
in the decision making process is an excellent way to say, “your
ideas are important to the agency and its team.” Staff who
are trusted return long-term value to agencies. They form a loyalty
to other staff and management alike. This fosters an organizational
culture that keeps good employees who are bonded to the agency’s
mission.
Employers typically expect their staff to be
loyal, but many fail to accept that they, in turn, should be loyal
to their workers. Loyalty works both ways. Management demands
staff loyalty in spoken and written directives, but what should
be expected from managers in return? A culture of loyalty begins
with open and sincere communication between management and staff.
Most important is management’s willingness to listen
and respond to staff concerns,
questions, and suggestions. Personnel who are afraid of management
repercussions are likely to hold back full efforts, thinking of
their own job security rather than the good of their agency and
its customers. A management culture that sincerely believes and
practices “staff loyalty” has more time and energy
to spend meeting positive customer outcomes.
Growing Self-Confident Staff
Smart managers recognize their staff is the agency’s
team and communicate this. Smart managers are like coaches, recruiting
the best prospects, giving specific directions, and most importantly
allowing their team to execute their work without undue interference
or second guessing. They match staff to the work environment so
staff always succeed. Success builds self-confidence. Success
also builds management respect, and personnel that are respected
and supported are happier and more productive. Staff who are comfortable
take risks and accept real decision making opportunities. Management
should adopt a continuous process of staff stewardship that builds
staff competence and confidence.
Typically money is viewed as a sole reward for staff longevity
and performance. New duties, promotions, continuing education
opportunities, etc. are other ways of recognizing and encouraging
staff performance. Rewards for jobs well-done can also include
opportunities for promotion. Loyal and hard working staff can
be the best candidates for management positions. Recruiting inside
your agency before seeking outside
candidates is also cost effective. The time to train staff promoted
from the inside is minimal when compared to the extensive time
often required to orient employees from the outside.
The Bottom Line
Starting with recruitment and hiring, management
needs a comprehensive plan if it hopes to retain competent, confident,
and caring staff. These staff members are more likely to return
the investment with years (rather than months!) of commitment.
Less time and money will be spent replacing staff. The bottom
line is measured in cost savings and these savings will offer
agencies greater fiscal flexibility for rewarding loyal, productive
staff.
Contact Information
Mike Flaherty, Organizational
Consultant
The Rural Institute
52 Corbin Hall, The University of Montana
Missoula, MT 59812
(406) 243-4619
mcf@ruralinstitute.umt.edu
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