Everyone is in a hiring bind. Twenty-four percent of American SNFs report as short-staffed. I’m surprised it’s that low.
We are stressed by losing staff, scheduling interviews with no-shows, and hiring staff who work a couple of days and disappear. I once heard a new nurse say, “I’m not feeling this job,” and walk out mid-shift. Not the best attitude, not the best professionalism, but I kind of get it.
When staff feel used and abused, they don’t stay. For the first time, those who are seeking jobs have more leverage than employers.
What retains a satisfied employee who does the job, enjoys the job and keeps coming back? Employees, like everyone, are looking for engagement and empowerment. They’re interested in how their value and expertise are recognized. The best jobs I ever had allowed me the autonomy to do my job without being micro-managed and able to do what I knew was right.
Where situations allow, flexibility in scheduling and allowing employees to have input on when they work and where they work is a plus. That’s a utopian ideal that may be hard to reach. But if a Tuesday-Saturday works for some, and Sunday-Thursday works for others, why not?
Many employees don’t feel like they’re a part of decision-making, and don’t feel that the employer is transparent. How many times have you asked an employee about an assignment, then hear, “I wasn’t told that was part of the job.” It seems fundamental, but it happens all the time.
I’ve been a part of team-building exercises to improve communication that felt demeaning, wasted time and provided no value. Gathering in a talk-circle to discuss feelings and complaints leads to animosity and more complaints. Writing down your feelings to be read by others just makes everyone unhappy. Forced to take a day to play Laser Tag with a bunch of your co-workers (this really happened) only puts grown-ups into an event enjoyed by 13-year-olds, wastes a day and doesn’t improve morale. I’m reminded of Michael Scott in The Office, who pulled everyone into the conference room to “educate” the team on diversity, ex-convicts and sexual harassment without ever actually educating anyone. It’s funny ‘cause it’s true.
You can develop loyalty with staff by treating them like people who have lives outside of work. When asked, “Can I leave early tomorrow to pick up my daughter from school?” my response is to get coverage and make that happen. We keep hearing about people who are forced to come to work sick with COVID-19. We hear about people whose PTO days are revoked because of staffing. When the kids are on summer break, families like to take a vacation. Telling your employees that they can’t take a week in July because staffing is short in the summer, and that they should wait until autumn, makes no sense and devalues the employee.
Getting coverage for planned and unplanned events that your employees prioritize over their jobs makes them feel like they’re respected. Something as simple as remembering birthdays makes employees feel seen and appreciated.
My eyes were opened when I treated my staff to lunch as a thank-you for an excellent survey. One of my people thanked me for lunch but then said, “It’s really a nice gesture, but we would be just as happy if you thanked us.”
Appreciating your employees by understanding their priorities and providing flexible options for the other 16 hours of their lives can be the most important aspect of retention and job satisfaction. Your staff needs to feel you hear them and that they are part of your team.
Jean Wendland Porter, PT, CCI, WCC, CKTP, CDP, TWD, is the regional director of therapy operations at Diversified Health Partners in Ohio.
The opinions expressed in McKnight’s Long-Term Care News guest submissions are the author’s and are not necessarily those of McKnight’s Long-Term Care News or its editors.
