 |
MHA
Service Corporation Professional Search Services, Stephen O’Connor,
Senior Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . .December
2006 |
In
this issue:
Discover
the Secrets of Managers who Retain Workers
Use Career Interviews to Retain Your Workers
Staff Matters: Employee Retention: Navigating
the Seven “Cs”
Enhance Retention with Time Off
Retention Boosters Worth Trying Today
Professional Search Services: Management Recruiting for the Health
Care Community
|
Discover
the Secrets of Managers who Retain Workers
|
| What
does it take to make people want to work for you? Simple — just
master these secrets:
- Hire
the best. Great managers fearlessly hire great workers because
they’re not threatened by the competition. When you hire
great people and give them the opportunity to reach their potential,
you win and the organization wins. And everyone wants to work for
a winning organization.
- Invest
time wisely. Poor performers are the downfall of many well-meaning
managers. Managers spend so much time trying to bring these mediocre
workers up-to-speed that they wind up ignoring their best and brightest.
Try following this formula from Jeffrey J. Fox, author of How
to Become a Great Boss (Hyperion): Devote 60 percent of your time
to developing your best workers, 30 percent to mid-level performers
who have the potential to become top-notch-and only 10 percent
to your poorest performers.
- Relieve
workplace pressure. Work is, well, work. But that doesn’t
necessarily mean it has to be the opposite of play. Even if you
labor in a high-pressure industry, you can still create a fun environment
that gives workers the chance to decompress and rejuvenate.
- Encourage
employee candor. Make it clear that you want to know what employees
are thinking about their projects, about the organization and its
mission, and especially about your performance as a manager — even
if it hurts. Never, never, never punish the messenger. Regard all
honest feedback as a gift.
- Show
your appreciation. Recognize and reward workers. Show that you
appreciate their efforts even when things don’t go smoothly.
Invest time and energy in helping them develop and get ahead. Demonstrate
how much you value their contribution, and they’ll reward
you with their loyalty.
Adapted
from “Deal with People Effectively: Become a Better Manager,” by
Cord Cooper, in Investor’s
Business Daily
Back
to Top |
Use
Career Interviews to Retain Your Workers |
| You
already know it’s cheaper to keep an existing worker than
to hire a new one. But you may not realize that one way to keep
workers is by rehiring them on a regular basis. While you don’t
have to relive the entire recruiting process, you should at least
revisit the interview.
About
twice a year invite each employee to sit down and chat about their
goals, their aspirations, their expectations of the job, and whether
their expectations are being met. These meetings should be conducted
separately from the annual performance review and should be less
formal — similar to the first round getting-to-know-you interviews
you conduct during the hiring process. These “career” interviews
are a good way to reconnect with your staff and get a heads up
that some workers may be getting itchy feet.
Adapted
from “Motivating Employees,” by Tony Alessandra, on Alessandra.com
Back
to Top |
Staff
Matters: Employee
Retention: Navigating the Seven “Cs”
|
by
Stephen O'Connor
One
of my favorite stories is the one about a guy who enters a monastery.
He has to take a vow of silence, but once a year he can write a
word on the chalkboard in front of the head monk.
The
first year it’s tough not to talk, but Word Day comes around
and the monk writes “the” on the chalkboard. The second
year is painful — it’s very difficult not to talk — but
finally Word Day rolls around. The monk scratches “food” on
the board and enters his third year, which is excruciating. But
the monk struggles through it and when Word Day rolls around again,
he writes “stinks.” And the head monk says, “What
is it with you? You’ve been here for three years and all
you’ve done is complain.” I
like this story because it illustrates one of two things: Either
a worker’s self-discipline and sacrifice doesn’t get
enough recognition or even a little complaining on the job is too
much for some managers. Employee retention requires both recognition
of employee’s
contributions and sensitivity to their complaints and needs.
For
example, at New Hanover Health Network in Wilmington, NC, a newly
implemented mentorship program is the system’s number one
priority and is designed to help nurses deal with the physical
and emotional demands of the job. The health care network
paired 51 mentors with 52 of the 56 new RNs. Results: A 34 percent turnover
rate among newly graduated nurses has plunged to 8 percent in less than a year.
In
the March 2002 issue of Success in Recruiting and Retaining, the
National Association of Colleges and Employers suggests that companies
revisit the seven “C’s” of retention.
- Core values and culture — Employers who know their values
(what an organization holds dear) and culture (system of shared
values), and “live them,” instill a sense of belonging.
- Connect — Using communications or reward systems to connect
employees with each other and the company helps them feel like
key players.
- Communicate like you mean it — Top-down communication, such
as through an Intranet or newsletter, keeps employees informed,
productive and content because they feel like insiders who have
the information they need to do their jobs. Employees also value
two-way communication.
- Create continuous learning opportunities — Companies that
support professional development satisfy workers’ innate
desire to grow. This affects how employees feel about the company
and their role in it.
- Care about career development — The opportunity for career
development gives employees more confidence and a broader base
of skills, abilities and knowledge. Ideally, employees will use
their new knowledge to perform more effectively in their current
jobs or make career-enhancing moves within the firm.
- Commit managers to people — If people are a priority for
your organization, then managers need to believe it and show it.
- Compensate with tangibles and intangibles — You’re
likely to improve retention with competitive salary and benefits
and recognition for a job well done.
This
article originally appeared in the September/October
2002 issue of Michigan
Health & Hospitals magazine and is being
used with permission.
Back
to Top
|
Enhance
Retention with Time Off |
|
Meet
three employers who leverage paid time off as an effective tool
to boost retention, morale, and productivity:
- Wachovia
Corp. has built paid leave into its reward system with a “manager-awarded
time away” initiative. Supervisors at the North Carolina-based
banking firm can dole out up to three extra vacation days to employees
who deliver exceptional performance. Additional leave “carries
more clout” than money for some staffers, says call-center
operations honcho John McCabe.
- Earthlink groups all paid leave into an earned time, or “e-time,” bank — and
closely monitors employees for potential burnout. If managers at
the Atlanta-based ISP sense staffers have been in the saddle too
long, they encourage them to take a breather. HR director Lynn
Felgenhauer recently embarked on a three-week Spanish vacation
after an executive noted she hadn’t had a break in six months.
- Ernst & Young meanwhile created four-day weekends tied to Memorial Day, Independence
Day, and Labor Day. “People have told us that really recharged
their batteries,” says HR exec Kevin Kelly.
Adapted
from “Retooling Time Off to Prevent Burnout, Reward Performance,” by
Sue Shellenbarger for the Wall
Street Journal Online
Back
to Top |
Retention
Boosters Worth Trying Today |
What
are the biggest changes managers and organizations can make right
away to enhance retention and productivity? Organizational development
expert Scott Cawood offers the following suggestions:
- Remember
your manners. “We continually find that one of the most meaningful
rewards in an organization happens to be a verbal thank you from
an immediate supervisor,” Cawood says. “Those shouldn’t
cost you anything, but so many managers don’t believe they’re
worth anything or don’t think they have time to say thanks.
But it’s a great way to get people more involved in the business.”
- Open
the books. “We repeatedly hear organization
leadership saying, ‘We
need employees to step up and give more,’” Cawood
notes. “And
then we say, ‘How much information have you given them
relative to what’s really going on in the business?
Have you disclosed the financial concerns as much as you
can?’” Giving
employees the ability to really know what’s going on
is a powerful way to get them connected to your business. You
really want to get people out there selling for you and
recruiting the best people all the time. In order to get
that kind of return
from your folks, you have to make sure they understand
the business model and their role in executing that model.
- Tell
them why their job matters. “Instead of spending your time
telling employees what they’re supposed to do, tell them
why what they’re supposed to do matters to profitability,
and how it fits into the larger picture,” Cawood recommends. “That
serves as a great retention tool and a great motivator to excel.”
Source:
Employee
Recruitment & Retention, (800) 878-5331, August 2006
Back
to Top |
Professional
Search Services: Management Recruiting for the Health Care Community |
Steve
O'Connor, SPHR,
Senior Director
|
Professional
Search Services
- Large national
candidate pool
- Internet recruiting
at www.mhaservicecorp.com
- Background checking
service
- Low contingency
fee
When you need
a healthcare management recruiter, call Steve O’Connor at
the Michigan Health and Hospital Association in Lansing, MI at (517)
663-5755. He’s the search consultant who produces this
monthly newsletter and has hundreds of management candidates
currently
registered with
his service.
Most
are open to
relocation. You are also invited to browse his web site for more
information on Professional Search Services at www.mhaservicecorp.com.
Available
positions may include:
CEO/COO/VP • Dietitians • Finance •
Food Service • Fund Development • Health Information Management • Home
Health Care • Human Resources • Information Systems •
Managed Care • Management Engineering •
Marketing/Public Relations • Materials Management • Nursing
Administration • Pharmacy • Physician
Practice Administrators •
Planning • Plant Operations • Quality Improvement • Rehabilitation
Management • Risk Management • Social Work • Training
and Development • Utilization
Review
For more information
contact:
Stephen
O’Connor, SPHR, Senior Director
MHA Service Corporation
Professional Search Service
Corporate Office:
6215 West St. Joseph Hwy.
Lansing, MI 48917
(517) 663-5755
Fax: (517) 663-5897
E-mail Address: soconnor@mha.org
Regional Office:
24725 W. Twelve Mile Rd.
Southfield, MI 48034
(248) 356-7950
Fax: (248) 356-8543
Back
to Top
|
|
Professional
Search Services
|
Management
Recruiting for the Health Care Community |
Stephen
O’Connor, SPHR, Senior Director
6215 West St. Joseph Hwy. • Lansing, MI 48917
(517) 663-5755 • Fax: (517) 663-5897
E-mail: soconnor@mha.org
Full Service Background Screening
and Applicant Tracking
Sales Department
3009 Douglas Blvd., 3rd Floor
Roseville, CA 95661
(800) 943-2589
www.absolutehire.com
Back
to Top
|
| |
|
