Whether you are the care homeowner, the care home manager or team manager your employees are your biggest asset. Your employees are the key to keeping your residents cared for and happy, which in return ensure the residents’ families are also happy and your reputation is intact. In this blog we are going to talk about how to keep those staff motivated.
Whilst there are many benefits to keeping any staff motivated, such as helping others, working with others, flexible hours, meeting new people, working for a company who cares, an independent working environment, more so than ever with the impact of Covid19 it can also come with its stresses, and it is vital to ensure that you keep your staff motivated on a regular basis.
Why is it important to keep your care staff motivated?
It is tough working in the care environment and being on the floor with residents all the time. With the current climate of disrespect, high-stress, and incivility among carers, it’s no surprise that there is a staff shortage. Keeping staff motivated helps eliminate risk of them leaving, which helps your home, and helps takes care of the constant recruitment issues.
Having a Human Resources point of contact (HR Support Services | Professional HR Services for Business (wurkplace.co.uk) is extremely beneficial.
We can help you to ensure you have the effective systems in place to ensure your vital team are, not exhausted, drained, overworked, stressed, physically injured, underpaid, and are fully trained and communicated with.
Without this you will have an increased turnover, an inflated staff costing budget, high absence levels, injury, tribunal claims, mistakes, reputational damage, and most of all:
Unhappy residents
Often health care workers who work long hours, in rural areas with fewer resources can have a huge impact on them and their motivation, and they can often feel isolated.
Whilst a company or manager can implement methods and support to motivate staff, of which we will go into, motivation can also be defined as “Individual willingness”.
What does a motivated care worker look like?
Having motivated staff members is linked to job satisfaction, and this will retain your employees, reduce staff costs as mentioned above.
As many care homes and health care centres across the world have been experiencing through the pandemic, there is a shortage in care workers and other qualified personnel.
And the loss of any care worker can have serious ramifications, now more than ever.
Motivation in the care sector is influenced by multiple complex social, professional, and economic factors.
The main reasons care workers remain in their jobs is through:
Job satisfaction
If the care workers feel they are effective at their jobs and performing well, they are motivated and will remain an asset to your home.
7 ways to keep your care staff motivated;
1. Working Conditions & Environment;
More than ever having a sterilised and clean working environment is important. Employees will be happier working in a safe and hygienic place of work.
Your employees cannot function in a messy and unclean environment. Ensuring the correct and available PPE to conduct their duties in a safe environment is imperative.
Another important thing consider in the working environment, is to ensuring the number of staff you have is enough to cover the work required, and to have a contingency plan to cover absence.
Having too few staff will have a huge impact on your current staff. This will cause absences through stress and exhaustion, and even resignations.
It is also important that your employees have their statutory entitlements for absence and holiday available, to enable them space and time to recover and recuperate.
Its also important to encourage people to take breaks, weather it is their holiday entitlement or their lunch/coffee break to ensure they can relax and unwind.
This shows the employee you care about them.
2. Care Development
Employees that work for you will have career goals, just as your business will have goals to achieve. Inversely aligning both employee goals and business goals is a win-win scenario.
Whether the employees are looking to climb the ladder or to remain up to date on their role training, it is another major priority for care workers to keep them motivated.
It is not only legally important to ensure that your care workers have adequate training, but it will reduce risk, as well as reducing employee frustrations.
Career development is generally promoted through the ranks based on qualifications, this can also create demotivation if there are a lack of roles or opportunities in the home.
So, keeping your staff motivated will more than often come down to, re/upskilling staff to maintain them, as well as upskilling them for potential opportunities that arise.
3. Team Motivators
Many care homes create a Team Motivator position to help embed and create a team and a team feeling.
Brainstorming and creating strategies to motivate staff will enable you to design solutions and deliver on them.
You will then get the clear understanding of what is working and what is not to and how any problems can be resolved.
4. Recognise Achievements
When an employee demonstrates going above or beyond or they receive positive feedback, it is important to show them they are valued and recognise their achievements.
Carers can often feel unappreciated, so it is important to show them you value and respect the work they do.
5. Communication
This is the best way to really know how your staff are feeling, as well as understand their needs.
It will also give you an understanding of what they want out of an employer.
And there are many ways to find this out without putting yourself in a direct firing line.
That could be through your Team Motivators, an Employee Opinion Survey, a suggestions box, or a focus group.
1-2-1’s or appraisals is another way to both communicate and give recognition, they will also allow you the opportunity to outline your goals and expectations of the employees and the business.
6. Treat Everyone As An Individual
Not every employee will have the same career goals or motivating factors, so it is important that you show your respect and get to know them.
This way they can sense you are there for them, and gauge how you can be flexible to their personal skills.
Again, 1-2-1’s or appraisals is another way to do this – Fine-tuning them to the individual.
7. Offer Benefits
Benefits do not need to break the bank, sometimes something small can go a long way.
Whilst some companies may be able to afford to send their staff on lavish holidays, you could be just as rewarding with a 10–15-minute boost break, a tea or coffee made for them, fruit or treats delivery, team activity, a BBQ or picnic.
Where possible invite employee-partners and child, to create a close relationship.
Having a key and close relationship with your employees creates loyalty and motivates staff to support the business in return.
This could manifest itself by staying late when needed or covering shifts if required.
Showing a sympathetic approach will in return earn the business the same and retain their employment.
In summary…
It is important to drive motivation with motivation, and a positive team of care workers is a reflection of the care and reputation.
This is a basic method of best practice in any working environment and industry.
Whilst we know and understand this is time-consuming, and can be difficult to engage and encourage staff to be inclusive, it needs to be a high priority for Care Home Managers.
A priority in your daily duties to achieve a high level of employee productivity and encourage a positive work environment.
It is vital that your care workers feel their work and efforts are respected and seen as an important contributing factor to the home and residents, at all times.
Incorporating an open-door policy will encourage this and drive the contribution to the success of the home and its reputation.
For more information and our clients feedback see Outsourced HR and Health & Safety Testimonials | Wurkplace.
Does your business need support with motivating your employees, building their values and or objective? Or simply reviewing your turnover?
Wurkplace is here to help! We provide bespoke HR and Health & Safety solutions to businesses all around the UK.
Contact us by calling 0330 400 5490 or emailing info@wurkplace.co.uk for more information.
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