rewards, and they want someone to be keeping score. Millennials grew up tracking everything, from their steps to their game scores. They want numbers, and they want the credit. Their hunger for feedback means you can
motivate them though offering a series of rewards for a series of achievements—just do it in sprints.
Strategies in the race against time Looking at some broad trends in human capital management as well as responding to questions from the group, Tulgan pos- ited some real-world strategies to address retention, recruitment, and engagement in senior living.
Beat the “development investment paradox.” » Most in this industry know the problem: You invest in developing workers only to have them leave. (Second-wave millenni- als are the prime offenders, Tulgan says.) Tulgan suggests an iterative approach: Unbundle complex roles and tasks, and feed in training gradually, one task and responsibility at a time, as rewards. Natu- rally, basic skills to do the job will have to be taught—but “broad, transferable skills should be a reward that you help people earn.”
Cultivate flexible retention to retain the advantages of older employees. » “Build your own reserve army,” Tulgan says. Let experienced people leave—even to the competition—and come back. Save perks like flexible scheduling for older and experienced employees to evade the devel- opment investment paradox. Superstars get to earn more flexibility.
Concentrate not just on knowledge transfer but on wisdom transfer. » You can harvest knowledge before older employees leave with the help of tech- nology. But “wisdom capture,” as Tul- gan calls it, is more challenging. Turn wisdom into a tangible asset that the organization controls by offering oppor- tunities for older employees to become mentors and consultants.
Be selective in hiring (even when you’re in a scarcity environment). » “Our research points to what most know but few like to acknowledge: one very good person is worth more to the busi- ness than 2 or 3 mediocre people,” Tul- gan says. It’s not a numbers game, but a quality one: “All retention is not good; all turnover is not bad.” The key is avoiding an environment where “low performers hide out and high performers leave.”
Create a work culture by design, not by default. » Executive leadership often balks at this, envisioning dogs at work and ping-pong tables when they hear “workplace cul- ture.” But instead of being a nice guy and making the workplace a playground, design a culture of excellence, Tulgan says. Value high performance, and bring in human resources as a strategic partner to ensure the culture is expressed in every aspect of the workplace. The culture will then drive recruitment and retention.
Try boot-camp onboarding. » Not doing lots of pushups, but using on- boarding to connect people to mission, teach them the organization’s values, and create a bonding experience that makes them part of an elite crew. This is an in- vestment less in training in certain skills than in creating community—an asset those who leave can’t take with them, and one those who stay benefit from greatly.
Scare them away. » It’s counter-intuitive, but even in a scar- city environment such as senior living, you can win more retention by making it difficult to get hired and stay. If your staffing strategy is to attract any warm body, or a “come join the family, we’ll invest in you” model, people won’t feel as valued or valuable, and they’re more likely to leave.
Get transparent about rewards. » “All rewards should be contingent and on the table all the time,” Tulgan says. Rewards can be tailored to what indi- vidual employees need. Some in the
TOP MANAGEMENT MISTAKES IN THE GENERATIONAL SHIFT
• Hands-off managing and undermanaging
• Everyone practicing different management styles (“That’s like everyone having their own accounting style,” Tulgan says.)
• False promises to attract applicants • No staffing strategy • Shortcuts in the selection process • Lack of robust onboarding • Overinvesting in training
• Lack of leadership or undervaluing leadership
audience pointed to having an Uber or Lyft account for help with transportation or offering self-scheduling, for instance. However, these approaches require more management rigor, such as daily performance monitoring. But if you pay attention and keep score, you send the message that real performance will gain real rewards in real time.
Be the best place for the best people. For many in senior living, recruiting and re- taining people involves facing workers’ daily life challenges—child care, cars breaking down, family problems. Tulgan advocates keeping the focus on
the workplace: “You can’t control every- thing that happens to everyone outside the workplace. But you can become an anchor in an otherwise uncertain world.” Several leaders during break-time discus-
sions also brought up this issue, saying they have found workers appreciate being in a place where needs and duties are clear and where they’re valued—a “drama-free zone,” as one said. You can’t solve all the problems, but “you
can be the place where people have a chance to serve with professional colleagues,” Tulgan said. “You can offer a supportive environ- ment where effort leads to rewards.”
ISSUE 5 2017 /
ARGENTUM.ORG 25
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
