HR Industry Brief

There are several key strategies for an equitable hybrid environment:

• Extend in-person perks to virtual employees. If you have remote workers or other team members who aren’t always onsite, consider ways to include them in perks and other benefits. For instance, if you have free lunch for onsite workers, offer others food vouchers or gift cards.
• Implement ongoing communication channels. Think of innovative ways to communicate, including things like town halls. Have programs with special guest speakers. Ask team members to plan meetings or get togethers to address issues of interest and concern to them.
• Stay on top of compliance and communicate changes to employees on an ongoing basis.
• Launch knowledge sharing initiatives. Put processes, procedures, and playbooks into place.
• Incorporate psychology safety training and create a culture of belonging.

There are some insightful, even startling numbers out there. Use these to keep your finger on the pulse of what’s happening with your employees and where changes and/or new policies might be needed:

• Onsite employees are 66% more likely to feel mistakes are held against them than remote workers and 57% more likely to say they feel rejected for being different.
• Most of HR leaders report that spending on and utilization of technology is growing in their organization. In fact, 73% of companies increased their tech investments in the past year. Those who keep putting off investments in this area are likely to be left behind.
• A whopping 91% of businesses lack awareness of how common neurodiversity is, even though one in five people are neurodivergent. Only 28% of HR professionals say they are ‘very confident’ about being able to identify conditions considered to be neurodivergent.

Concerns about COVID are being replaced by other issues, according to a new study by the American Organization for Nursing Leadership. Two years ago, access to PPE was a top concern, but nurses are now more worried about financial resources and maintaining standards of care. At the same time, they say that communicate has improved, as has implementing changing policies. Turnover continues to be an issue. Survey respondents who have changed positions in the past 6 month cite their major reasons as seeking a better work-life balance, desire for new opportunities, burnout/exhaustion, challenges with leaders or colleagues, organizational issues and concerns, a need to reset and take a break, and violence/bullying/incivility. Read the full article.     … [Read more...] about (10/21) Worry Over Nursing Standards Increases, But Hope Emerges in New Survey

A coalition of senior living advocacy groups sent letters to Congress and the House 21st Century Long-Term Care Caucus offering proposed solutions to address the workforce shortage in this care sector. These included suggestions regarding immigration, federal workforce development programs, and tax incentives for employers and workers. Specifically, the group asked Congress to:

• Create additional federal incentives to allow providers to attract and keep good staff.
• Increase existing federal workforce funding allocations to states.
• Fund career pathway opportunities in senior living and geriatrics in academic settings.
• Expand/incentivize registered apprenticeship programs to create career pathways.
• Enact commonsense immigration programs to create a strong pipeline of trained caregivers.

Simply put, don’t be the boss that makes people want to quit or at least stop working hard and with passion. Instead, be the boss everyone wants to work for:

• Keep expectations aligned. Make sure you and your employees are on the same page and have the same vision, goals, and expectations. If people aren’t performing or seem to be struggling, don’t assume it’s because they are 'quiet quitting'. Talk to them and find out what would help, such as more training or mentoring, a more flexible schedule, mental health support, etc.
• Train managers to engage. It is important for them to talk with their teams, communicate goals and other information, and find out what they want and need and what challenges they are facing. Understand that engaging and micromanaging are two very different things.
• Hold more stay interviews. Schedule time to talk one-on-one with workers at regular intervals. Find out what motivates people to stay, what they like and don’t like … [Read more...] about (10/19) Stop the Quiet Firing Trend

The pandemic may be easing, but the storm isn’t over for nursing homes. Financial pressures, staffing challenges, and other issues continue to plague providers and threaten the future for some. Among the comments and predictions from some industry leaders at the LeadingAge annual conference in Denver this week:

• Nursing homes may become ‘loss leaders’ given the inadequate Medicaid support in a number of states. This already has caused some providers to get out of the group home business.
• Many providers say that the challenges of what they’re dealing with now in terms of staffing, reimbursement, and other issues rival COVID in terms of the difficulty in responding.
• Occupancy is down because there aren’t enough staff to take care of residents; this is causing a greater financial strain on providers who hare forced to use staffing agencies.
• Addressing the staffing shortage continues to be the topic challenge for providers, and they see … [Read more...] about (10/18) Nursing Homes Becoming ‘Loss Leaders’ as They Struggle with Funds, Staffing, Sector Leaders Say

If you have many Gen Z workers, buckle up. According to a new study, about 40% of them say they’d like to leave their current job. Part of the reason they cite for this is that they are dissatisfied with the capabilities of their current company’s IT. If you want to keep your Gen Zers, make sure your technology is providing the greatest level of efficiency possible. Specifically: ·      G Zers expect consumer-grade technology that mirrors the ease of use they experience in their personal lives. ·      67% of employees – Gen Zers and others – say that their digital experience at work falls far short of what they have in their everyday life. ·      Younger workers in particular want high speed technology, and they expect technology and the digital world to be intertwined and function seamlessly together. ·      Experts suggest that employers focus on the digital employee experience, that is, personalized interactions, processes, and content resource that contribute to … [Read more...] about (10/17) Having Trouble Retaining Gen Zers? Consumerization of IT May Be The Answer

You’ve heard about quiet quitting, but are you or your managers quiet firing? This is actually a common practice where organizations fail to give staff constructive feedback and/or ignore or dismiss their input and concerns. If you want to attract and keep good workers, avoid quiet firing by:

• Not setting goals and expectations that are unrealistic or impossible to reach.
• Failing to give workers the tools, training, and resources to do their jobs well.
• Only giving feedback with there is a problem or a concerns and/or not having regular performance evaluations.
• Not dismissing people’s suggestions about issues in the workplace or better ways to do things.
• Conducting employee surveys but not doing anything with the results.
• Not seeking employees’ insights on what’s working and what’s not.

When your plate is full or overflowing, it’s easy to feel exhausted, overwhelmed, and eventually frozen. It’s all too much, and you just can’t move forward. Here are a few steps you can take to go from stuck to mobile:

• Don’t let fear manipulate you. Look into the future and consider how you can overcome or prepare for the potentially scary thing down the pike. Weigh the pros and cons of bold moves, but don’t let the worse-case scenario what-ifs hold you back.
• Look as objectively as possible at fears and facts. The facts of a situation can help offset or overcome the fears.
• While it is tempting to focus on relationships with people you work closely with, look behind your tight circle to others who can offer ideas, insights, and feedback. A fresh viewpoint can help you move when you’re stuck.
• Instead of frantically working hard and faster to try to get unfrozen, step back. Block out 15 minutes on your calendar to shut down messages and … [Read more...] about (10/13) How to Move Forward When You Feel Frozen

Grief is a very personal thing; but when someone loses someone they care about – whether it’s a resident, family member, friend, or even a pet – it can be very painful for them. But you can help:

• If you and your colleague are acquaintances, keep your condolences simple. Send them an email or put a card on their desk. Let them know you’re there for them; but keep a respectful distance.
• If you’re close to your colleague, be there without making it about you. Be present and listen. Express your desire to help without making them feel like they are obligated to reply.
• If you’re a manager, let the person who is grieving know how the company can/will support them, what resources are available, and what time off (if any) they are entitled to.
• If someone is grieving the loss of a pet, resist the urge to say something like “It’s only a dog.” Realize that loss means different things to different people.
• Help if you can. If a grieving … [Read more...] about (10/12) How To Effectively and Appropriately Support a Colleague Navigating the Death of a Loved One