SKILLS FOR THE NEW ENVIRONMENT
THE COMMON GOAL OF HIGH-QUALITY CARE UNITES SENIOR LIVING TEAMS
H
ow did teamwork stand out during the pandemic? How can we keep the collaboration going? Peter Corless, executive vice president, enterprise
development at OnShift, a workforce solutions and software company based in Cleveland, Ohio, examines how senior living providers can unite teams for high-quality care.
Q. What does teamwork really mean today? A. Teamwork today is about coming togeth- er for a common goal to lead to the overall success of the organization, while respecting employees, employers, and residents along the way. While there are many goals within senior care, providing high-quality care for residents is paramount. A major component to building great team-
work is clear and effective communication. During the pandemic, teams came together unlike ever before. Senior care organiza- tions were rapidly adapting to COVID-19 by updating their policies and guidelines with complete transparency, often with the help of technology. In fact, during the beginnings of CO- VID-19, OnShift saw a 28 percent increase in messages sent to keep staff updated (mea- sured through its OnShift Schedule software data) and three times the usual volume of surveys sent (measured through data from its OnShift Engage software), showing how important communication and transpar- ency is when building effective teams. The best teams also have people willing
and eager to step in to help when needed. One of our clients shared how quickly they had changed their recruiting strategy due to COVID-19. Before COVID-19, they had usually giv-
en hiring managers a list of qualified can- didates to review. But since the pandemic, they have shifted some of these responsibili- ties to a centralized talent acquisition team, which makes the hiring decisions and con- ducts the final interviews.
12 SENIOR LIVING EXECUTIVE JULY/AUGUST 2021 This has helped alleviate the workload
of department leaders and resulted in hir- ing efficiencies: In just one month, they were able to hire 18 new employees. This change clearly shows how important trust in your colleagues is—knowing everyone is pursu- ing the common goal of resident care. When teams work well together, they fos-
ter deeper connections, leading to increased trust and a decrease in employee turnover— and, ultimately, leading to better care. Additionally, many employees develop
strong friendships along the way. In fact, one study from Gallup, an analytics and advisory company, found that employees who have a best friend at work are 27 per- cent more likely to report that the mission of their company makes them feel their job is important and 35 percent more likely to report co-worker commitment to quality.
Q. What are some factors that make a culture of teamwork easier to achieve? A. There are many, but here are some of the most important. First, show appreciation and reward employ-
ees for their hard work. With all the demands of COVID-19, many employees have been stressed and feel burned out. To help foster
a sense of camaraderie and teamwork, celebrate your employees both individually and as a group. Employee engagement technology, such as OnShift Engage, can help providers quickly and easily track who is doing well and systematically award points for key behaviors, such as consistent attendance. Managers are also prompted to recognize employees for their contributions and employees can trade in points for rewards. During the pandemic, when many com-
munities were short-staffed, supervisors and managers stepped in shoulder-to-shoulder with associates and other employees to help with the work that needed to be done. That willingness to assist employees with their workload demonstrates a commitment to teamwork and builds stronger relationships. Finally, managers should make sure to
keep lines of communication open and encour- age a strong feedback loop among their team. As managers gather and review comments from their staff, they should take action, especially if there are a lot of negative reviews in one area. A main function of any leader in a community is demonstrating consistency in caring for employees.
During the pandemic, when many communities were short-staffed, supervisors and managers stepped in shoulder-to-shoulder with associates and other employees to help with the work that needed to be done. That willingness to assist employees with their workload demonstrates a commitment to teamwork and builds stronger relationships.
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