You may have heard the expression, “A rising tide raises all ships.” This is certainly true when it comes to satisfaction rates in service industries. Essentially, when employees feel content with their jobs, they perform better and pass on this same sentiment to the clients in their care.
It is safe to assume that the goal of basically every senior care facility is to have happy residents. Not only will this improve the reputation of the company, but it will likely lead to more referrals and renewed contracts. Beyond that, happiness levels have also been shown to have positive effects on individuals’ health and wellbeing, improving residents’ quality of life.
So, if you want to focus on increasing the happiness of your residents, you should really be seeking to raise the happiness of your staff. There are a few good ways to do this:
Advancement Opportunities
No one ever wants to feel like they are in a dead-end job. By offering ongoing training and skills development, you can demonstrate to employees that you are invested in their advancement. This also helps keep them mentally engaged. At the very least, it is important that employees see a path of opportunity within the company.
When employees feel supported by their employer, they will feel like their work has meaning and that they are working toward something tangible. As a result, research has shown that they will be more likely to go out of their way to provide better service to clients.
Recognition and Appreciation
Working in the senior care industry can be very emotionally draining. It can be hard at times to find the energy to keep going. A great way to help employees keep their momentum is to publicly recognize the effort they are making or the accomplishments they are achieving.
Make a point to have regular company shout outs. Just letting someone know that you see and appreciate their work can make a huge difference. It encourages employees to do their best and strengthens office camaraderie.
Open Communication
At the end of the day, we all want to feel heard. Employees should be able to talk to management about any potential issues that they face and offer suggestions for improvements that could be made to increase workplace satisfaction.
But just making the point to listen is not enough. You also need to demonstrate that you heard what was said by your subsequent actions. It may not always be possible to make changes; in which case you should articulate this to the employee and attempt to come up with an alternative.
Final Word
Focusing on your employees’ happiness is like planting the initial seed. Over time, it can have far-reaching benefits: improving retention rates, decreasing turnover, and increasing the happiness of the residents in your care.