Research on employee engagement has pinpointed a set of work conditions that tend to produce employees who are committed to the success of their organization.  In senior living, creating an engaging work environment is particularly important because of the close and constant connection community staff members have with residents and the impact employee choices, behaviors, and turnover can have on resident well-being.

The theoretical chain of events that takes place when community leadership creates an engaging work environment looks something like this:

 Engagement Chain

 

What are these mysterious and magical work conditions that promise to earn your community rock star status?  Here are some of the top things community directors and their leadership teams can do to produce engaged employees:

  • Create an inspiring company mission and make sure all employees know how they personally are important to fulfilling that mission.  Brenda Bacon, CEO of Brandywine Senior Living, does this personally with every new employee with great affect.  Click this link.  http://www.alfa.org/News/3391/Orientation-Program-Reduces-Caregiver-Turnover
  • As leaders, make sure your behavior is always aligned with your company’s core values.
  • Show a sincere interest in the well-being of your employees.
  • Trust employees to make decisions about how their work is done.
  • Have an open door policy that encourages and values employee input.
  • Reward and recognize for a job well done.
  • Provide a healthy balance between work and personal life for your employees.
  • Give employees opportunities for growth and advancement

Now for the less talked about but equally important factor.  HIRING THE RIGHT EMPLOYEES.  Each person the community management team hires should bring with them values that align with the company mission.  If this is not the case, then the wrong person was hired.  For senior living, the key to hiring the right people is an interview process that helps hiring managers identify applicants with a passion for helping others.  The goal is to pick out candidates with true passion from a pool of candidates who are simply showing enthusiasm for landing the job.  Finding someone who cares about helping others, in this case seniors, sets the foundation for a satisfying and successful work experience.

Here are some interview questions that can help you identify job applicants with passion to serve.  They are more or less in the order I would ask them.

  • Why did you apply for this position?
  • Which past position satisfied you the most and why?
  • Which past position satisfied you the least and why?
  • How would your mother describe you?
  • If you could do anything, what would be your ideal job?
  • Give me an example of how you helped someone in the past month.
  • A resident is saying you are taking too long to provide a service.  What do you do?

Here are some more tips on hiring for passion within a memory care setting from Kelly McCarthy, Corporate Director of Memory Care Services at Senior Lifestyle Corporation (click link below and go to bottom of article).

http://www.alfa.org/News/3615/Memory-Care-Providers-Go-Big-for-Innovation

Now it’s your turn.  What hiring practices have worked well for you?  What interview questions would you add?