HR Industry Brief

According to a new survey, 71% of healthcare workers experienced moderate to severe burnout during the pandemic, and many continue to feel stressed and pressured. Burnout, researchers said, have led to staffing shortages that have caused:

• Longer waits for healthcare services, even in life-threatening emergencies with potentially fatal outcomes.
• Patients being turned away from clinics and ERs.
• Adverse outcomes including medication errors, patient falls, increased infections, and increased mortality.

• Compulsory leave days to prevent burnout.
• Sufficient staffing with ‘workload flexible hours' to prevent burnout.
• Prioritizing leaving on time/taking leave.

As of January 2022, about 76.00 Afghan refugees have come to the U.S., and the Biden Administration has committed to taking several thousand Ukrainians as well. This may be good news for organizations struggling to find workers. However, it is important to prepare for ways to support and train these hires to ensure their success and contributions to your company:

• Identify ways to overcome language barriers. Of course, a big part of this will be English as a Second Language (ESL) classes and tutors. At the same time, consider starting workers with no or poor English-speaking skills in positions where they will have little or no interaction with residents. Connect them with any co-workers who speak their native language to help them navigate their new world. When possible, provide visual – not written – communications and instructions.
• Realize they may be helping or supporting family in their native country. Lower housing, food, and other costs will be appealing … [Read more...] about (5/5) How Employers Can Set Up Immigrant and Refugee Hires for Success

Upskilling that gives workers new and better ways to work, as well as advance and expand their careers, is a worthy goal. But when your workers area already exhausted by the pandemic and workforce shortages, it’s important not to add to their stress. Consider these five ways to upskill your teams without causing burnout:

• Create a personal development plan for each employee. Provide milestones and goals to create a sense of direction and purpose.
• Set realistic expectations and timelines. It is important not to set people up for failure by establishing unrealistic goals and deadlines.
• Leverage remote training programs. Connect workers with online programs, webinars, courses, and other efforts that they can pursue on their own schedule and in their homes or on the road.
• Establish a wellness culture in the workplace. Encourage workers to be mentally and physically healthy by taking regular breaks, do breathing and/or stretching exercises, … [Read more...] about (5/4) 5 Ways to Upskill Your Employees Without Causing Burnout

As the pandemic eases and senior care moves into the “new normal,” the industry is facing challenges ranging from workforce shortages and residents’ mental health issue to high property insurance rates. This is according to a new LeadingAge survey. Among other findings:

• 71% of provider respondents say that staffing levels remain their top concern . This is up from 20% in December.
• Providers report an increasing number of confirmed COVID-19 cases among staff. They also are seeing low morale and personal circumstances affecting productivity.
• More than 30% of respondents say it takes longer than five months to fill a service coordinator position. HUD-approved budgets and low salaries are the top barriers to filling these positions.
• 84% of respondents say they have vacancy rates below 4%, up from 75% in December. They report an average waitlist of 1-5 years or more.
• 41% say they currently have no known cases of COVID among their … [Read more...] about (5/3) Workforce Issues Remain Top Challenge for Affordable Senior Housing Organizations: Survey

If you really want to keep your employees, it’s important to listen to them. One way to do this is to conduct ‘stay’ interviews. According to recent Gallup report, 51% of employees say that neither their manager nor any other leader spoke with them before they left a position. In fact, stay interviews can enable you to identify and address any concerns before you lose good people. Consider these steps for an effective stay interview:

• Make sure you know the employee, what their job responsibilities are, and what their history is with the organization. Read data from employee surveys or other sources of feedback from staff.
• Make the interviewee comfortable. Make it clear that this is an opportunity for you to improve worker retention and engagement and that they can be open and honest. Don’t judge or react defensively or negatively if they offer opinions or thoughts you disagree with. Conduct the interview in a quiet space with no distractions.
• Ask … [Read more...] about (FEATURED BRIEF) 3 Steps for Conducting Effective ‘Stay Interviews’

Even if you’re fully staffed (or close to it), you may not be out of woods on hiring. According to a new survey, 59% of workers who’ve been in their current position for 3-6 months say they are actively looking for a new position already. Among other findings:

• 52% of respondents say they have only worked in their current job for three months or less.
• 74% report they are willing to consider a new opportunity in the next six months to a year. This number has nearly doubled since last year.
• 60% of Gen Zers and 59% of younger Millennials are looking for new jobs, compared to only 23% of Boomers and 33% of Gen Xers.
• Older workers are 25% more likely to say that compensation is extremely important, while younger Millennials prioritize mentorship programs.

In a new study involving a diverse group of nurses, these professionals unanimously report experiencing “moral distress” throughout the pandemic. They also say they lacked support to provide quality care. Among other findings:

• Study participants cited frustration with healthcare leadership who were out of touch with frontline teams.
• They say they felt powerless to protect themselves and others from contracting COVID-19.
• They say that being put in difficult patient care situations caused them to experience feelings of guilt.

A new Gallup Workforce Survey reveals what employees value in their jobs:

• The top consideration for women deciding whether to accept a job offer is the opportunity for greater work-life balance and personal wellbeing. This ranked second for men.
• Men are most concerned about the income and/or benefit package that come with a job offer. This was number two for most women.
• Third in importance for both women and men is whether the job will allow them to do what they do best. This was ranked very important by 62% of women and 53% of men.
• Ranked forth for both men and women is if a position provides stability and job security. Over half of women (54%) and men (52%) say this is very important.

The pandemic has taken its toll on everyone, and HR professionals are no exception. According to a new survey, 98% of these individuals have experienced burnout in the past six months, and 79% are considering leaving their jobs:

• 86% say they’ve “dreaded work” in the past six months, and 97% report feeling “emotionally fatigued.”
• 71% say they don’t feel valued in their organizations.
• 73% say they don’t have the tools and resources necessary to do their jobs well.
• The most common reasons HR professionals cite for leaving their jobs include more stress, more resignations, and harder recruiting.

You can’t have an inclusive workplace without accessibility. And with workforce shortages at an all-time high, an accessible workplace can help attract more qualified workers. Try these steps to increase your organization’s accessibility:

• Educate management and staff alike about diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility issues. Find out what accessibility issues employees have, how they’ve been addressed, and what gaps remain.
• Get buy-in from leadership. Get everyone on the same page. Work to ensure they understand the importance of accessibility. Provide resources to promote organization-wide change.
• Collect actionable data. Gain insights and information from employee surveys and other sources of information. Add options for self-disclosure of disabilities and accessibility needs on applications.
• Create accountable education programs. Develop specific strategies and initiatives that address the accessibility issues workers are … [Read more...] about (4/25) 5 Steps To Create a More Accessible Workplace