Keeping Competent and Qualified Staff: Promising Strategies

By Freda Bernotavicz and Nancy Dickinson Spring 2008, Pennsylvania Leadership Academy

Keeping Competent and Committed Staff 1

Recruitment: Finding the Best

 Realistic Understanding of the Job  Inside source recruiting  Goodness of Fit: Applicant and Work  Applicant Characteristics:  Human caring, motivation to make a difference, persistence, ability to multi-task, enjoying fast paced work, likes a challenge, etc.

Keeping Competent and Committed Staff

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North Carolina: Jordan Institute, University of North Carolina

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Develop a Recruiting Message and a Plan

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Professional Materials (posters, fliers, public service announcements (PSA), paid advertisements)

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Use diverse methods to reach potential employees (job fairs, community events, regional cable, print media, internet job sites, agency website, press releases, etc.)

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Involve supervisors!

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Sample Advertisement

 CW Agency is a fast paced, supportive and stimulating place to work. We are looking for child welfare workers who desire challenging, meaningful work and welcome the opportunity to make a difference for families and children. If this describes you, consider applying for a public child welfare position at….  You’ll never be bored!

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Keeping Competent and Committed Staff

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Selection

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Job analyses leading to

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Structured interviews and Work Sample Tests

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Consistent, well trained selection teams

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Strong selection processes! HR is our friend…

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Realistic Job Previews

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Video introduction to the job

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Balanced view of opportunities and challenges

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Client and worker perspectives

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Impact of a Realistic Job Preview: University of Michigan

 Workers who saw the RJP were significantly more likely to:  Indicate a commitment to remain in child welfare for five years  Say that the application and selection process helped them cope with job pressures  Say that the agency’s honesty made them feel more loyal, and  Less likely to say they would “never have taken the job if they had known what it was like.”

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Arizona Realistic Job Preview: Butler Institute, University of Denver

 Developed by team of agency workers and supervisors in Phoenix  Supported by a trained group of current workers who are on call to answer questions from applicants.

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Keeping the Best

 Supervisors are the key to success!  Almost every aspect of the worker’s experience with clients and the agency is mediated by the supervisor.

 Supervision quality and quantity count

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Iowa Supervisor Training: University of Iowa

 Supervisor curriculum focuses on  human resources functions  case practice supervision  clinical supervision, and  supervisor’s role in leading positive change and promoting worker resilience.

Keeping Competent and Committed Staff

Training Strategies

 Support a culture of development  Ensure that all training is linked to the practice model and agency mission  Provide competency-based training  Promote transfer to on-the-job behavior

Keeping Competent and Committed Staff

Connecticut’s Mentoring Program: Fordham University

 Formal mentoring program connects new workers with experienced workers, supervisors and managers.

Keeping Competent and Committed Staff

Professional Development

 Strategies  Accessible and affordable opportunities for professional development  Incentives for MSW achievement; link promotional opportunities to professional development  Resources for professional development • membership dues, professional conferences, journal subscriptions & continuing education

Keeping Competent and Committed Staff

Agency/University Partnerships

 Infusing child welfare content into courses/ agency staff as adjuncts  Providing pre and in-service training  Providing educational benefits: tuition support, educational leave  Internship programs

Keeping Competent and Committed Staff

Keeping the Best

 Organizational interventions are also critical to success!

 Leadership for recruitment and retention begins at home.

 Organizational interventions can be facilitated by outside partners, who can provide time, support and focus.

Keeping Competent and Committed Staff

Role of Leadership

 Inspiring vision  Congruence of agency/individual values, mission and practice  Provide resources to do job  Learning and high performance organizations  Communication channels  Celebrate performance

Keeping Competent and Committed Staff

Leadership Development Strategies

 Model of leadership  Leadership academy  Mentor programs  Job shadowing  Succession planning

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Wage and Benefits

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Adequate Salary

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Wide pay bands

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Pay for performance

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Retention/length of stay incentives

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Performance Management

 Strategies  Clear goals  Aligned with practice standards and core competencies  360 degree evaluations  Promotions based on equity  Career ladders  Flexible career/classification systems

Keeping Competent and Committed Staff

Performance Management Process

Professional Development Coaching Support Performance Execution Activities Performance Planning Communication Agency Goals / Performance Culture Performance Assessment Feedback Assessment Performance Evaluation Documentation

Keeping Competent and Committed Staff

Quality of Work Life

 Wellness, EAP, addressing trauma  Flexible HRM approaches  Recognition/appreciation for contributions  Support for work/life balance  Structures for worker input  Team approaches

Keeping Competent and Committed Staff

Design Teams: State University of New York, Albany

 Local agency design teams focusing on organizational culture and work issues.

 Workers, supervisors, and managers served on design teams.

 New York District Commissioner

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Conclusion

 There are serious workforce challenges facing child welfare.

 Solutions involve both recruiting and selecting the best candidates and managing organizations such that we can keep them.

 This is not an easy journey, but it is an essential one.

 There are effective strategies and useful partners than can help.

Keeping Competent and Committed Staff