12 steps for creating a culture of retention: a workbook for home and community-based long-term care providers

All long-term care agencies struggle to find and keep sufficient, reliable, and skilled staff capable of meeting client needs and providing great quality care. This workbook offers 12 concrete steps to guide agencies in developing excellent recruitment, selection and retention practices - the three key elements necessary to manage long-term care organisations successfully. The 12 steps that frame this workbook are based on the principle of “quality care through quality jobs”: Direct-care workers must have quality jobs to provide the highest quality care for consumers.

The workbook includes case studies, and advocates the following steps:

Section one looks at recruitment and selection:

• prepare your agency for effective recruitment and selection of new employees
  
• conduct a staffing needs assessment
  
• design and implement effective recruitment strategies
  
• design and implement a successful selection process
  

• build a strong management system to support retention
  
• orient and support employees in their first few weeks on the job
  
• provide employee supports to address life challenges
  
• establish a peer mentor programme
  
• ensure constructive and effective coaching supervision
• offer robust learning through training, on-the-job learning, career development and advancement
  
• establish an Infrastructure that fosters worker participation
  
• create a worker-management leadership team to provide oversight and inspiration to the plan and ensure ongoing evaluation and improvement