HR Industry Brief

More than ever, employees want and need psychological safety, the confidence that honesty, transparency, and vulnerability are welcome without judgment in the workplace. This can be challenging to create and sustain, but here are four keys:

• Emphasize performance and the ability to achieve results and goals with teamwork, innovation, and creative problem-solving.
• Train both individuals and team. Encourage people to express themselves and focus on their own individual skills and strengths, but also enable them to work and collaborate with others. This means participating in conversations where multiple perspectives are sought and welcomed.
• Incorporate visualization. Encourage people to visualize recent situations where they were successful and felt engaged and connected.
• Normalize vulnerability related to work. Let people know it’s okay to be a little anxious, unsure, or nervous, particularly regarding new projects, challenges, or crises. … [Read more...] about (FEATURED BRIEF) 4 Steps to Boost Psychological Safety at Your Workplace

With workforce issues an urgent priority for post-acute and long-term care providers, industry leaders have targeted immigration as a potential solution:

• In its new Blueprint for a Better Aging Infrastructure, LeadingAge includes support for immigration policies that benefit providers and provide a path to citizenship for workers.
• The Essential Workers Immigration Coalition (EWIC), whose members include the National Center for Assisted Living, LeadingAge, and the American Seniors Housing Association, encourages legislation that provides citizenship for essential workers. The organization also has advocated for reintroducing of legislation that would implement a new pilot visa program for essential workers.
• LeadingAge launched its International Migration of Aging and Geriatric Workers in Response to the Needs of Elders) Initiative in 2019. This includes a temporary guest worker program, changes to the J-1 cultural exchange visa, and new ways to … [Read more...] about (6/22) Industry Continues to Look at Immigration Reform to Help Address Workforce Shortages

Here are six habits that successful leaders share:

1. Communicate ‘why.’ Don’t just share details but make sure you communicate a ‘why’ that will resonate with and inspire workers.
2. Be open to the team’s ideas. Ask for opinions and ideas. While it’s okay to explain why some ideas aren’t feasible, it’s also important to implement and utilize those with promise.
3. Admit and accept mistakes. Don’t be a know-it-all. Create and promote a culture where mistakes aren’t unfairly punished and where everyone is encouraged to admit to mistakes and learn from them.
4. Uncover motivation needs. This isn’t one-size-fits-all. Motivation differs from employee to employee. Find out what inspires and engages people.
5. Recognize and celebrate the team. This doesn’t have to put a dent in your budget. Public recognition, such as a ‘shout-out’ at a meeting, is appreciated.
6. Foster success in and out of work. Encourage work-life balance and the … [Read more...] about (6/21) What Makes Good Managers Great

Disengaged employees are more motivated than you think, according to a new survey:

• 26% of employees are motivated but unhappy. These people dislike the company but are still motivated to give 100% effort at work.
• Engaged employees feel that “actually practicing this organization’s values is critical to my success here.” Motivated but unhappy people don’t see the same connection between practicing the organization’s values and achieving success there.
• Highly motivated employees, even if they’re unhappy, are more likely to have high expectations both for themselves and for everyone else in the organization.
• If someone is motivated to give 100% at work, it’s likely that they want see errors fixed – even when they don’t like the company or their job.

If you’re having trouble getting employees to come back to the workplace or are unable to attract new talent, consider benefits that appeal to working parents. Why? According to one survey conducted between March 8 and April 20:

• 69% of working women said they planned to remain home as a full-time caregivers for the time being.
• Only 31% said they planned to go back to work within the next year.
• 30% said they lost their job due to the pandemic.
• 70% said they stopped working to accommodate their children.

According to new research, your employees may not be here to stay. Since the pandemic began:

• 20% of workers have changed jobs.
• 32% plan to look for a new job, mostly to get a salary boost or advancement opportunities.
• 26% have moved from a permanent position to full-time contracting, and 39% want to pursue contracting as a career.

  In late April of this year, there were over 9 million open jobs in the U.S. Yet recent reports show that employers are struggling to attract workers to fill open positions. Consider these elements in your recruiting strategy:

• Make it easier for employees who commute. Think about providing ride services, allowances for gas or public transportation, and relocation incentives.
• Break with marketing norms. Think outside the box and come up with hiring practices and incentives that are specific to your organization and the people you are trying to attract. Would they like free meals? Child and/or pet care assistance? Tuition assistance?
• Invest in COVID safety. Workers still have some fears and concerns, and they want to know they’ll be protected on the job now and in the event of a future outbreak of COVID or other infection.

According to a new national survey, employees still have mental health issues and concerns as business return to ‘normal’ post-pandemic:

• While 53% of workers say they don’t feel the need for mental health support, 35% have taken steps to improve their emotional and mental wellbeing.
• 12% say they haven’t taken any steps but would like to. About a quarter of these (28%) say the cost of care is the greatest barrier to them doing anything to improve their mental health. Another quarter (27%) say they don’t have time to seek care, 21% say they have no energy, and 21% are unsure about the specific care they need.

A new study confirms what we already knew: nursing homes suffered more than any other healthcare sector during the pandemic:

• Nursing home residents and staff account for 34% of all COVID-19 deaths, even though they make up less than 1% of the population.
• Partially because of the pandemic, the number of older adults living in nursing homes has dropped by more than 10%.
• Overall, the total number of staff working in nursing homes fell. However, staffing level increased in some regions of the country hardest hit by COVID-19.
• Staff workloads increased during the pandemic, and an hour of work before the pandemic didn’t go as far as an hour during the pandemic.
• Staff stress increased, driven in part by PPE shortages, fears of infection, and concerns about spreading the infection to other residents or to their own families.

In this competitive job market, you need to be able to recruit and keep the best of Gen Z employees, those individuals who are young, passionate, and tech-savvy. Know these tips for recruiting and retaining these workers:

• A cookie cutter approach won’t sell with these individuals. Instead, authenticity and person-centered recruitment is more likely to attract Gen Z talent.
• Young workers expect the recruiting process to be conducted predominantly online. Make sure your practices are cutting edge and efficient.
• Speak the language of Gen Z. Follow and engage with them on social media, obtain as much data about their likes and dislikes from their online presence, and craft a recruiting pitch around information you gain from their online personality.
• Be prepared to demonstrate how your organization’s value align with theirs. Provide peer coaching programs to ease these workers into your company’s culture.