Preliminary findings from our Salary Survey are in, and there are some important takeaways for employers.
If you’ve got a retention issue in your organisation, read on to find out what workers in the social care sector really want.
1. Staff in the social care industry want more clinical supervision
Almost half the respondents to Be. Recruitment’s Salary Survey listed external clinical supervision as a benefit they’d like to receive that isn’t currently offered by their employer.
Clinical supervision is extremely valuable, providing the opportunity for staff to reflect on their practice – whether that’s receiving external affirmation that they’re taking the right approaches, or brushing up on current best practices.
Having the space to debrief in an external environment is especially important for frontline staff dealing with emotionally draining content, who are more susceptible to burnout.
And this extra supervision doesn’t have to be one-on-one. Regular supervision and training in a group environment with peers exposes staff to more situations they can learn from as they discuss and reflect together.
Plus, many staff enjoy group supervision as it provides a sense of solidarity and camaraderie with other peers – not to mention a networking opportunity!
2. Support your non-clinical workers, too
As with any staff member, it’s important to check in regularly with your non-clinical staff about how they’re going as people, not just workers.
Teams working in backup roles supporting your clinical staff can become disengaged from the important work your organisation is doing, so consider offering regular ‘cross-exposure’ training for them.
It’s important for administrative workers to see frontline staff regularly to show them how their work plays an important role in the organisation’s overall mission.
This cross-team exposure can help retain your talent by keeping staff interested and purposeful in the service you’re offering.
3. Consider a four-day workweek
A third of survey respondents indicated they’d like the option to work five days over four days each week.
Reducing work hours has been shown to reduce staff burnout in social workers, by improving rates of emotional exhaustion and lessening staff’s reactivity in stressful situations.
As we explained in a previous blog post, this could help explain why studies have found that cutting the fifth day altogether (as opposed to working its hours in overtime on the remaining four days) while maintaining pay has actually improved productivity for many organisations.
So in light of this, could a four day workweek benefit your staff?
Read more from the Be. Recruitment blog about improving staff retention.
