Removing the Revolving Door: Strategies to Address ...

1 Removing the Revolving Door: Strategies to Address recruitment and retention Challenges Learner Guide ii This curriculum was developed by Susan O Nell, Amy Hewitt, John Sauer, and Sheryl Larson at the Research and Training Center, Institute on Community Integration (UAP) at the University of Minnesota. This project was funded by the Partnerships for Success Project funded by the Department of Labor grant # N-7596-9-00-87-60; by the Administration on Developmental Disabilities, Department of Health and Human Services through their Training Initiative Project grant #90-DD0468-02; and by NIDRR through the Research and Training Center on Community Living grant # H133 B980047. The analyses, interpretations, and conclusions are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Institute, the Center, the University, or their funding sources.

2 Iii Table of Contents Introduction and Curriculum Goals .. vii Module 1: How Organizational Practices and FLS Roles Influence recruitment , retention , and Training Module 1 Session 1 ..1 Session 1 Introduction and Participant Competencies .. 2 Unit 1A: Overview of the Course and Course Goals .. 4 Activity 1A-1 Housekeeping and Sign-In .. 4 Activity 1A-2 Getting to Know You .. 5 Activity 1A-3 Agenda Review .. 6 Activity 1A-4 Course Overview and Pre-Assessment of Skills .. 7 Frontline Supervisor Self-Assessment 9 Frontline Supervisor Self-Development Plan Worksheet .. 15 Unit 1B: Understanding Workforce Challenges .. 16 Unit 1B Introduction .. 16 Activity 1B-1 Workforce Challenges .. 17 Activity 1B-2 New Paradigms in 21 Unit 1C: Developing a Plan to Meet the 23 Unit 1C Introduction .. 23 Activity 1C-1 Tools for Understanding recruitment and 24 Site Plan Worksheet .. 29 Annual DSP Turnover and Vacancy Rate 32 Organizational and Site History Worksheet.

3 33 Activity 1C-2 An Overview of Strategies .. 35 Activity 1C-3 Components of a recruitment and retention Plan .. 37 Unit 1D: Session 1 Summary and Assignment Review .. 39 Unit 1D Introduction .. 39 Unit 1D-1 Assignment Review and Final Session Questions .. 39 40 Module 1 Session 2 .. 41 Session 2 Introduction and Participant Competencies .. 42 Session 2 Check-in and Warm-Up .. 44 Unit 1E: Mission, Vision, and Core Values: The Importance of Organizational Fit .. 45 Activity 1E 45 Activity 1E-1 The Effect of Organizational 46 Mission and Vision Worksheet .. 48 Personal and Organizational Values and Vision Match 49 Unit 1F: Creating Opportunities for Staff to Participate .. 50 Unit 1F Introduction .. 50 Activity 1F-1 Organizational Participation .. 51 Improving DSP Participation Worksheet Part 52 Improving DSP Participation Worksheet Part B .. 53 Unit 1G: Understanding the Impact of Teamwork on Successful Organizations.

4 54 iv Unit 1G Introduction .. 54 Activity 1G-1 What is a Team?.. 55 What Does the Word "Team" Mean to You? Handout .. 56 Various Definitions of "Team" Handout .. 57 Activity 1G-2 Types of Teams .. 58 Activity 1G-3 Team 61 Best Teams Handout .. 62 Activity 1G-4 Why Are Teams Important? .. 64 Activity 1G-5 Planning for Team-Building .. 65 Team-Building Worksheet .. 66 Unit 1H: Session 2 Summary and Assignment Review .. 67 Unit 1H Introduction .. 67 Unit 1H Assignment Review and Session 67 Module 2: FLS Roles in recruitment and retention Module 2 Session 3 .. 68 Session 3 Introduction and Participant Competencies .. 69 Session 3 Check-in and Warm-Up .. 71 Unit 2A: Effectively Marketing Your Organization to Prospective Employees .. 72 Activity 2A-1 Understanding recruitment .. 73 Activity 2A-2 Bonuses .. 75 Bonus Possibilities at Your Agency 77 Activity 2A-3 What's In It For the Recruit?

5 79 Activity 2A-4 Your Ad Here!.. 81 Unit 2B: Realistic Job Previews (RJPs) .. 82 Unit 2B Introduction .. 82 Activity 2B-1 What is an RJP? .. 85 Activity 2B-2 Characteristics of an Effective RJP .. 86 Realistic Job Preview Evaluation 87 Activity 2B-3 Developing an Effective RJP .. 88 Developing an RJP 89 Unit 2C: Making Employee Selection a Top Priority .. 90 Unit 2C Introduction .. 90 Activity 2C-1 Using Structured Interviews .. 91 Sample Structured Interview Questions .. 92 Activity 2C-2 My Structured 97 A Primer on Structured Behavioral 98 My Structured Interview Worksheet .. 100 Activity 2C-3 The "Best" DSP Ever .. 101 Activity 2C-4 Finding Staff 102 Finding Staff Strengths Worksheet .. 103 Unit 2D: Session 3 Summary and Assignment Review .. 104 Activity 2D Assignment Review and Final Session Questions .. 104 v Module 3: FLS Roles in Orientation, Training, and Mentoring Module 3 Session 4.

6 105 Session 4 Introduction and Participant Competencies .. 106 Session 4 Check-In and Warm-Up .. 108 Unit 3A Welcoming and Supporting New 109 Unit 3A Introduction .. 109 Activity Name 3A-1 "In the Know" .. 110 Unit 3B: DSP Competencies and the Link Between Expectations, Training, Performance . 113 Unit 3B Introduction .. 113 Activity 3B-1 Organizational Practices: A Quick Check-up .. 114 Activity 3B-2 DSP Skill Sets and the Development Cycle .. 115 Competency Measure 117 Employee Development Evaluation .. 118 Unit 3C: Designing and Delivering Training .. 124 Unit 3C Introduction .. 124 Activity 3C-1 Effective Training Practices .. 125 Activity 3C-2 Adult Learning Principles and Your Training 127 Trainer Type Inventory (TTI) .. 129 Trainer Type Inventory Scoring Sheet .. 130 Trainer Type Inventory Interpretation Sheet .. 131 Activity 3C-3 Intentional Learning .. 133 Intentional Learning Worksheet.

7 134 Intentional Learning Worksheet Samples #1 and # 135 Activity 3C-4 Alternative and Emerging Learning Strategies .. 137 Activity 3C-5 First Things First, But Don't Forget Me .. 138 Unit 3D: Understanding and Using Mentoring Programs .. 139 Unit 3D Introduction .. 139 Activity 3D-1 Using Mentoring .. 140 Unit 3E: Session 4 Summary and Assignment Review .. 143 Activity 3E-1 Assignment Review and Final Session 144 Module 4 Recognition and Motivation of Employees; and Selecting and Implementing Intervention Strategies Module 4 Session 5 .. 146 Session 5 Introduction and Participant Competencies .. 146 Session 5 Check-In and Warm-Up .. 147 Unit 4A: Employee Recognition and 148 Unit 4A Introduction .. 148 Activity 4A-1 Identifying Characteristics of Employee Recognition .. 150 Characteristics of an Effective Recognition Event, Activity, or Process .. 151 Activity 4A-2 Understanding Employee Recognition and Motivation.

8 152 Recognition Inventory 154 Unit 4 B: Discussing and Sharing R&R Site Plans and Self-Development Plans .. 155 Unit 4 B Introduction .. 155 Activity 4B-1 Sharing Current Site Plans .. 156 vi recruitment and retention Strategies for Change .. 157 Activity 4B-2 Sharing Self-Development 158 Unit 4C: Session/Course 159 Unit 4C-1 Final Session Summary, Course Questions, and Discussion .. 159 Appendix A: Competency Sets Appendix B: RJP Overview Consideration Sheet Appendix C: MNFLSCPI Values and Visions for Minnesotans with Disabilities Appendix D: Supporting Materials and Resources List Appendix E: References vii Introduction to Removing the Revolving Door As human service agencies struggle with the perennial problem of retaining qualified support staff, the new economy with its low unemployment and relatively higher wages has made recruitment of new employees much harder.

9 The pool of qualified potential employees continues to shrink and yet the demand for workers continues to increase. Furthermore, current demographics do not suggest a reversal of this trend very soon. Human service agencies not only are competing with each other for new employees, they are also competing with the many existing and emerging service industries of the new millennium, ( , travel, financial investment, hospitality, customer service). Many of these new service industries have more leeway to increase wages and benefits in ways that human service agencies cannot. While there are fewer people applying for vacant jobs, the work itself is changing in ways that will require even more skill, commitment, creativity and knowledge of the people who do enter the field. Individualized, person-centered, consumer-directed models of support are redefining the roles of those involved in human services, so that we can no longer accept situations where direct support professionals are disempowered and limited in their opportunities to engage in decision-making and problem-solving with the consumers they support.

10 As these changes are pushing the support service industry as a whole away from heavy regulation and paper compliance to the actual achievement of outcomes for people, top-heavy agency bureaucracy and supervision have to give way to streamlined, outcome-focused, and participatory methods of management. For many agencies it will take a major adjustment of agency leadership, policy and practices in order to move toward these managerial changes. To do so, they must embrace a new paradigm for their company culture. In this new paradigm, many things will be different, including the following: Frontline supervisors (FLS) and direct support professionals (DSPs) will have to be empowered to make spontaneous decisions that are in the best interests of the people they support. Authoritarian supervision Strategies must be replaced with progressive training and development opportunities so that FLS and DSPs have the skills, knowledge and attitudes to make appropriate decisions and to deal effectively with the variety of situations they face.