REDUCING THE LEARNING CURVE FOR NEW EMPLOYEES
pictures of real residents rather than cre- ate a false image of what we are,” she said. “We use pictures of people as you would see them in the real environment.”
Making introductions The emphasis on social media tells us some- thing critical. Indoctrination into the senior living culture starts long before the official “new hire orientation” begins. In fact, experts from across the industry
say that the hiring process itself is key to establishing a cultural alignment. This is your first chance to share critical informa- tion about the organization, and also a key opportunity for weeding out candidates who may not have the right personal attributes to succeed in senior living. Early in the hiring process, Lee at The
LaSalle Group starts to look for a likely cul- tural fit based on experience. Whether it’s a front-line hire or a managerial position,
family engagement—all these will be easier to convey to someone who has been a pro- fessional nurturer in the past. The interview process likewise offers an opportunity to expose potential new hires to the realities of the job they are seek- ing to take on. In addition to thinning the herd, this has the advantage of laying the groundwork for a more detailed cultural orientation. Most hiring managers don’t come into
the interview thinking that this is “day one” of training, but in fact that’s a big part of what goes on, whether it’s intended or not. Just as you’re seeking to uncover what you can about this potential hire, he or she is scoping out the operation, trying to decide whether this will be a good fit. Knowing this, candor is a key component. “You give them a foretaste,” Woodka
said. “It doesn’t have to be a whole day, but you have a peer walk them around the
“We use social media to show what it actually looks like and feels like to be a part of our community. We want people to see what the job looks like, so that they can picture themselves doing what they are actually going to be doing,” said Suits.
she’s looking for people whose histories reso- nate in some way with the mission. “For caregivers we may find someone
who took care of their grandmother, someone who worked at a daycare, or has been a nurse’s assistant,” she said. “In most of our management-level roles we are going to look for some directly-related experience. For the leadership in the com- munity, it is common and desirable for us to find individuals who have served in similar roles. Maybe it’s a different-sized community or maybe it’s assisted living and memory care, or even emergency medicine, but there will be something transferrable there.” Candidates won’t come in knowing the particulars of the LaSalle approach, but those with some related experience will more likely be teachable. The vocabulary of caring, concepts of service, the notion of
10 SENIOR LIVING EXECUTIVE MARCH/APRIL 2018
building. If it is a caregiver job you get an- other caregiver to take them around. A lot of people don’t know what this job entails, and this is a way to begin to show them what the job is—and what the mission of the or- ganization is.” This peer-led approach serves a valu-
able purpose in the interview process. It puts a second pair of eyes on the ap- plicant—someone who can report back to the hiring manager on the new hire’s likely strengths and weaknesses, who can assess this person for technical and cul- tural aptitude. More than this, the peer tour begins the cultural introduction: It’s a chance to start telling the story of senior living in general, and of your community in particular. That one-on-one storytelling in turn
forms the central core of the next phase, the formal orientation.
Pairing with peers There’s a lot to do when a new hire comes on board, a lot of information that has to get conveyed. Some of it includes the practical ins and outs of the job itself, but some of it will be information that cuts across all job titles: The safety orientation for example, as well as company policies, and perhaps an overview of the laws and regulations that motivate certain policies and procedures. Functional training and safety protocols
are vital elements in the orientation process and must be given due attention. But what about the “fuzzy” stuff? “Corporate culture,” for instance, of-
ten comes down to some easily-repeatable buzzwords. But there’s something real here, something true and deep about the mission and purpose of this enterprise. What do we do here and why do we do it in this way? That isn’t easily conveyed in a PowerPoint presentation. This is where the critical need for mentorship enters. Virtually every senior living organi-
zation has a formal or informal process wherein a new hire is teamed with a men- tor or guide: Someone typically at or near their own level in the organizational chart but with more experience and a certain knack for nurturing. This relationship of- ten is the key mechanism by which a new hire comes to understand the nature of senior living and the nuances of a given organization. “We always have a person who is re- sponsible for that training plan for that new hire. We use the word ‘mentor’ a little more frequently now, someone who has demonstrated that they understand de- mentia and who can mentor the new hire through their training activities. This is someone who is part of their journey from day one,” Lee said. Most senior living leaders agree that this individual ought to be a peer, rather than a direct supervisor. A peer relationship offers the freedom to stumble and get back up. “If you have somebody who is more at
your peer level, it can be less intimidating to ask questions versus going to your man- ager,” Welshhons said. There’s an added benefit, too, in that serving as a mentor can improve the more seasoned employee’s own morale. “For the person who serves as the mentor, it shows them that the organi- zation values them and values their expe-
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76
