We’re so proud of our team, especially for a number of recent awards and acknowledgments. Last week, EasyLiving was named Clearwater’s Medium Sized Business of the Year. This award means a lot to our team as we are highly dedicated to the local Clearwater community and proud of the supportive business community here. One of our biggest accomplishments as a team is being able to employ so many local residents and help them succeed and improve in their careers. That’s why we were especially happy again this year to be chosen as one of the Best of Home Care Employers of Choice. We continue to seek out new ways we can better support our team to succeed.
Because of these efforts, EasyLiving was also recently featured in an Inc. Magazine article about how focusing on your employees can lead to success. This article gives some insight in to the day-to-day process of creating that success.
We think the secret to providing quality home care (or any service, for that matter) is simple…it’s all in the team! Hiring the best, training the best, and doing all the little things that help the team succeed on a daily basis. When we make a mistake, we see it as a great learning experience. What can we do better next time? What process or tool was missing that caused a glitch? What do we need to add to training so those types of mistakes don’t happen?
Of course, when we say the secret is simple, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t take hard work and commitment. We always have to go back to our mission to ensure what we are doing centers around setting our team up for success. It’s easy for any business to stray from their mission. And, what may seem like a brilliant idea to help or reward your team may not turn out to really work for them. Or, it may take time to develop. A great example is our iCaRewards™ program, in which employees earn points for many positive behaviors (such as attending trainings/events, taking an extra shift, getting kudos from a client, or referring a friend) which they redeem for gift cards/prizes. Our employees always thought this was a great idea, but it took a little while for the enthusiasm to catch on and the excitement to build. This initiative goes hand-in-hand with our other employee initiatives, and the complete package shows our employees how much they are really valued.
There will also be people who just don’t fit with your team. In a business like home health care, it is tempting to hire/keep anyone who is qualified, because the need for service often outpaces the available workforce. We know this is a big mistake. EasyLiving’s policy requires our home health aides to score above 90% on their test to be considered for employment, so we know they’re all “A students”. But, our process goes beyond this as we use a profile that helps ensure potential team members also share the work ethic and ideals we know are keys to this work. The next step after hiring is a specially-designed orientation process, which is the first in a line of many training and development opportunities for our employees. When we first entered our industry, we were surprised to learn that many companies expected employees to attend training on their own time. We decided from the start that we’d offer a comprehensive program and pay our employees to attend (and now get reward points too).
As time has gone on, we continue to find ways we need to improve. Within the last year, we added a Client Care Supervisor position because we realized how vital it is that we get out in the field with our caregivers consistently. This position focuses on safety training and mentoring. Our initial intake process and this ongoing field supervision also help us create (and update) our clients’ care plans in a very personalized way. How can we expect our caregivers to give the best service to clients if they don’t know the specifics of what a client wants (and his/her background, needs, etc.)? We know the little things matter to clients, so we get the information to enable our caregivers to succeed. Does Mrs. Brown prefer a late breakfast which always consists of oatmeal and black coffee? Does Mr. Jones prefer his bed be made up immediately upon waking? And, what does Mr. Smith like to do and enjoy talking about? Our care plans are about a lot more than “Give a bath.” They’re about all the little things that will help our caregivers provide what the client really wants.
Do you have a story to share about quality home care? What do you think makes a good employer or is key to a company succeeding in service? Feel free to share your comments on our Facebook page or contact us.
Does EasyLiving sound like a place you’d like to work? Check out our Home Care Careers page.
Contact us at 727-448-0900 for help with high quality home care services in Pinellas and Pasco counties. We can help with everything from senior transportation to hospital after-care and daily assistance at home…all with the best service tailored to meet your needs.