High employee turnover is top of mind for every I/DD and behavioral health provider we work with. In fact, in a recent survey conducted by OnShift, 78 percent of group home and healthcare providers cited turnover as their top workforce challenge. As a result, providers report they are struggling to fill open shifts, and in turn, see increased instances of employee burnout and a decrease in continuity of care.
As a healthcare provider, your top priority is providing the highest in quality care and service to the populations you serve. But in order to achieve this, you need a workforce who is satisfied, engaged and proud to work for your organization.
Here are some simple strategies you can put in to place to help make your organization a top place to work this year.
Make Scheduling A Collaborative Process
Today’s workforce places a high value on work-life balance. And many DSPs and caregivers are balancing multiple jobs, school and family responsibilities. In other words, their schedule is extremely important to them. And they expect their employer to be flexible in meeting their needs.
Online scheduling platforms like OnShift give everyone visibility into when they work and what additional shifts are available. The OnShift Mobile App for employees lets your staff view their schedule and request open shifts on-the-go, without having to call their home manager or scheduler. And if they are not at risk for overtime, they can be automatically assigned to that shift, giving them instant gratification and an instant answer.
Another simple way to maximize flexibility for your hourly employees is to allow them to request portions of a shift. The OnShift Mobile App makes it easy for staff to request 2 or more hours of a given shift. The remaining hours are then available for another employee to request. Providing this option is just another way to encourage collaboration between those managing the schedule and your staff.
Regularly Recognize Your Employees
When you’re in the business of care, you’re often so busy and focused on your clients and patients that it’s hard to find time to regularly pat your staff on the back for all the hard work they do. But it’s essential to keeping your DSPs and caregivers engaged.
Recognizing your staff doesn’t have to be complicated or elaborate. A simple note telling them what a great job they're doing can make a big impact.
Providing this feedback in person is great. But, it’s not always so easy to get that one-on-one time. Employee engagement software like OnShift Engage makes it easy for managers and supervisors to quickly message individual staff members to encourage them to keep up the good work. It also helps track key engagement metrics, such as clocking in and out on time and not calling off, which help managers spot those who are excelling, as well as those who could use some additional coaching.
Rewards are another great way to both engage and recognize your employees. But it’s important to make sure those rewards are given in real time. By taking a systematic approach to rewarding employees, you’ll encourage high performers to continue down their path, while also giving lower performers something to strive for.
And remember, recognizing and rewarding your employees should also be a public event. Dedicate time during team meetings to showcase your top performers and what they’re doing to go above and beyond. You can also call out high achievers in your monthly employee newsletter and/or create an achievement board where you highlight top performers each month.
Help Your Employees Achieve Financial Wellness
In a survey recently conducted by OnShift, 66 percent of I/DD and behavioral health providers cited growing compensation and wage pressures as another key workforce challenge. Additionally, 60 percent of providers recognize their employees struggle due to a lack of financial savings.
Financial wellness software is an easy way for providers to show employees that they care about their financial well being and provide support when they need it most. OnShift Wallet allows staff to easily and anonymously access earned but unpaid wages before payday, helping them avoid things like late fees, high interest rates and payday loans.
Providing a perk like OnShift Wallet is risk free for organizations and a simple way to differentiate yourself from the competition and show staff you care.
