Strategic Workforce Interventions

1. Strategic Workforce Interventions Andrew L. Reitz Barbara Schmitt Child Welfare League of America

2. Session Goal What I Won’t Do: • Provide Easy Solutions to Your Workforce Problems What I Will Do: • Describe a Process for Finding Your Own Solutions

3. Why Workforce Interventions Fail • Lack of Commitment • Lack of Focus • Inadequate Under-standing of the Issues • Poor Follow Through

4. The Nine Step Strategic Plan • Establish a Workgroup • Define the Workforce Vision • Identify Gaps Between the Vision and Practice • Generate Hypotheses Re: Causes of the Gaps • Establish Baseline Performance and Goals

5. The Nine Step Strategic Plan • Identify Intervention Strategies • Implement the Interventions • Evaluate Intervention Outcomes • Incorporate Strategies into Organizational Practice

6. Establish Your Workgroup • Membership Broad representation Include “experts Your first intervention • Process How will the group function?

7. Process Issues • How will the group meet? • Who will lead the group? • How will the group be structured? • What are the expectations for members? • What are the timeframes? • What resources are available for the group’s operation?

8. More Process Issues • What is the scope of the group’s responsibility? • What are the budget constraints for recommendations? • How will the group make decisions? • How much decision-making authority does the group have?

9. Defining Your Workforce Vision Two Critical Components: Core Ideology Who you are Discovered Unchanging Envisioned Future Where you are going Built Constantly created

10. Sample Vision Statement Core Ideology The workplace at the Wee Care Pre-School will foster and support competent, caring, and consistent supervision; cohesive teamwork; constant staff learning and professional development; and a family-friendly work environment.

11. Sample Vision Statement Envisioned Future • All agency supervisors will be well trained, will meet at least weekly with each of their workers, and will consistently demonstrate care and concern. • All staff members will be trained in the skills needed to be good team players, will demonstrate those skills on a consistent basis, and all major agency functions will utilize team processes.

12. Sample Vision Statement Envisioned Future • The agency will provide intensive staff training for all employees, will encourage and fund college and other professional develop-ment activities, and 100% of staff will participate. • The agency’s will provide for family leave, flexible hours, family insurance coverage, and additional family friendly benefits.

13. Identify Gaps:Vision vs. Reality • Analyze available data • Identify areas where needed data are unavailable • Collect needed data • Evaluate data and report on critical gaps • Use feedback to finalize gap analysis

14. Analyze Why Gaps Exist Why? • Every gap (or problem) has a number of possible causes • Each cause is likely to require a different intervention How? • Further review of data • Interviews with involved personnel

15. Sample Gap Analysis Questions • Is there enough training? • Do we teach the right skills? • Do we teach effectively? • Are skills being mastered? • Are the trainers skilled? • Do we train at the right times? • Do supervisors follow up?

16. Establish Baseline Levels and Goals • Turnover and Vacancy Baseline Goals • Each Identified Target Area Baseline Goals

17. Selecting Interven-tion Strategies • Obvious by now • Research review • Other agencies • Fine tune the details • Assess cultural fit

18. Implementing the Interventions • Clear description of each intervention • Assess implications in related areas • Step-by-step plan • Review likely barriers • Cheerlead

19. Evaluating Impact of the Interventions Four Levels of Impact • Did it happen? • Did it work? • Did it impact retention/recruitment? • Did it result in better services/outcomes?

20. Actions Based on Your Evaluation • Discard • Revise and try again • Adopt

21. Incorporating Inter-ventions into Practice • Assign responsibility • Ensure adequate resources • Ensure extra short-term support • Review frequently at first • Evaluate to ensure continued effectiveness