Employee Selection Protocol to Improve Child Welfare Retention and Practice - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

1 / 37
About This Presentation
Title:

Employee Selection Protocol to Improve Child Welfare Retention and Practice

Description:

Review of literature on realistic job preview videos ... Realistic Job Previews (RJP) ... View job preview videotape. Complete & receive feedback on job-related ... – PowerPoint PPT presentation

Number of Views:92
Avg rating:3.0/5.0
Slides: 38
Provided by: alberta5
Category:

less

Transcript and Presenter's Notes

Title: Employee Selection Protocol to Improve Child Welfare Retention and Practice


1
Employee Selection Protocol to Improve Child
Welfare Retention and Practice
  • Alberta J. Ellett, Ph. D.
  • UGA School of Social Work
  • aellett_at_uga.edu
  • Chad D. Ellett, Ph.D.
  • CDE Research Associates, Inc.
  • cderesearch_at_att.net
  • Betsy Lerner, MS
  • DFCS Education Training Services Section
  • cblerner_at_dhr.state.ga.us
  • Scaling the Summit, Denver
  • August 6, 2008

2
Workshop Overview
  • Need for Employee Selection Protocol
  • Overview of Employee Selection Protocol
  • View Realistic Job Preview Video
  • Take Self-Assessment
  • Pilot Next Steps
  • Importance of recruitment selection Recent GA
    IV-E findings

3
Need for Project
  • National turnover rates are high, 20 (APHSA)
  • Georgia turnover rate in 2000, 44 (DHR)
  • Georgia turnover rate in 2004, 66 (DHR)
  • As high as 100 in some counties
  • Title IV-E Agency/University Partnerships only
    retention program in 2000

4
Problems Created by Turnover
  • Interferes with continuity and quality of
    services to children/families loss of federal
    dollars
  • Lost human and financial investments in
    education, training, and expertise (1/3 of
    employees salary)
  • Weakens professional organizational culture and
    morale

5
Problems Created by Turnover cont.
  • Places additional burden on remaining staff
  • High turnover breeds more turnover
  • 2 year lag time for new employees to dev.
    essential knowledge, skills, abilities (KSAs)
  • Delays in replacing staff send negative messages
    to the clients, courts, public and staff

6
Why Employee Retention Matters
  • Leads to a stable and competent workforce
  • Leads to continuity in planning and quality of
    services
  • Leads to better client outcomes for safety,
    permanence and well-being
  • Lowers caseloads
  • More cost effective
  • for in-service training for experienced staff

7
(No Transcript)
8
General Purpose of the ESP Project
  • The purpose of the project was to develop a
    standardized, research-based employee selection
    process (ESP) to select applicants for employment
    with the requisite knowledge, skills, abilities
    and values for a career in child welfare, rather
    than hire and train large numbers of employees
    who are not suited for this work and leave within
    one year.

9
Research Base
  • The Georgia 2003 Retention/Turnover Study
  • Review of CW literature
  • Review of literature on realistic job preview
    videos
  • Review of core CW knowledge, skills, abilities
    and values

10
Synthesis of GA 2003 Survey Findings
  • The most important predictor of intent to remain
    in CW was professional commitment of the human
    caring measure
  • The second most important predictor of intent to
    remain, was supportive supervision
  • Those with social work degrees and IV-E were more
    inclined to remain employed in CW than those with
    other degrees

11
2003 GA CW Committed Survivors Study
  • Organizational Reminiscence
  • Public image
  • Competitive Salary
  • Job security
  • Lower caseloads
  • Were valued
  • Mentored by supervisor
  • Clinical supervision vs compliance or task
    supervision
  • Caseworker discretion

12
2003 GA CW Committed Survivors Study
  • Societal Reminiscence
  • gtguns, drugs, violence, STDs, single parents,
    etc.
  • gtemployee turnover, far fewer employment to
    retirement
  • More litigious
  • Personal Characteristics
  • Committed to clients and profession
  • Non-judgmental
  • Compassionate with firmness
  • Strong self-efficacy beliefs
  • Problem solving skills
  • Time management organizational skills
  • Life outside of CW
  • Sense of humor

13
2003 GA CW Committed Survivors StudyCore Themes
  • Personal
  • Movement w/i and beyond CW agency
  • Goodness of fit with work assignment w/i work
    unit
  • Organizational
  • Supportive administration (knowledgeable and
    leadership)
  • Quality supervision (teaches practice knowledge,
    professional development, caring)
  • Need to mentor new CW employees
  • Societal
  • Administrators buffer bet. staff, state office,
    community

14
Increases in the number of worker changes
correlated with decreasing achievement of
permanency
Data reported represents 679 children who entered
care in calendar year 2003 through September 2004
and exited within the same time period. Data
reported to review staff by the Bureau of
Milwaukee Child Welfare. (Flower, McDonald,
Sumski, 2005)
15
Research Realistic Job Previews (RJP)
  • Employees feeling misled by recruiting strategies
    do not feel committed to accept a job and are
    more likely to leave
  • RJPs may influence satisfaction and employees
    abilities to cope because they have information
    before employment

16
Organizational/HR Research Realistic Job
Previews (RJP)
  • Applicants decisions to become employees are
    based upon the degree to which the job meets
    their needs
  • RJPs are most effective in situations that have
    the highest employee turnover and the lowest pay

17
Organizational/HR Research, continued
  • The energy expended to apply for a job increases
    commitment
  • RJP lowers turnover rates
  • Increases selecting out by job candidates
    ill-suited for CW
  • Increases job satisfaction (expectations aligned
    with actual job demands)

18
ESP targets early turnover to decrease the number
of new-hires leaving during the training period
before certification
GA DFCS Metro Centralized Hiring data as of
10/31/06, reflects first year of project Total
Hired between 03/16/05 through 3/31/06 524
19
Job-Related Validity, Frequency and Criticality
Study
  • Developed 33 core KSAV items
  • Maintain a commitment to protect children
    preserve families
  • Demonstrate evidence of CW knowledge /or
    experience
  • 98 supervisors administrators rated criticality
    to client safety (do no harm) and frequency
  • All deemed critical and frequently used in CW
    work
  • Used these 33 KSAVs to frame the ESP
  • Established job-related validity of the ESP

20
Employee Selection Protocol Step 1
  • Applicant On-line orientation self-selection
  • Read overview of agency child welfare work
  • View job preview videotape
  • Complete receive feedback on job-related self
    assessment
  • Verify completion of all tasks

21
Overview of Agency Child Welfare Work Task 1
  • DFCS and the roles of child welfare professionals
  • CW employee qualifications pre-service training
  • Challenges personal rewards of child welfare
    work
  • A typical day as a social services case
  • Frequently asked job benefits questions
  • Characteristics of successful CW employees
  • Organizational Supports
  • Piloted with IV-E applicants, SW students, new
    hires

22
Realistic Job Preview Task 2
  • Solicited respected/competent workers and
    supervisors
  • Interviewed over phone
  • Selected based on demeanor, proportionality,
    stories
  • Video-taped 10 workers 2 supervisors
  • Edited for personal rewards and challenges of
    work
  • Piloted with IV-E applicants, SW students, new
    hires
  • Identified background for interest
  • Prepared captions of sections and credits

23
Self-Assessment Task 3
  • Items from IRE, Professional Commitment work
    realities piloted with IV-E applicants new
    hires
  • I cant imagine enjoying any profession as much
    as public CW
  • I intend to remain in child welfare as my
    long-term professional career.
  • Even though many DFCS clients live in
    disadvantaged and/or dangerous neighborhoods, I
    am willing to make home visits using my own
    automobile.
  • I am willing to be on call for work during
    evenings and on weekends if necessary, even
    though overtime pay is generally not allowed.

24
Employee Selection Protocol Step 2Employee
Application
  • Submits application letter with
  • motivation and career goals re public child
    welfare
  • personal characteristics and/or experiences that
    particularly merit selection (writing sample)
  • Submits resume with education and work experience
    pertinent to CW 3 professional references
  • Submits Georgia Merit Application
  • Makes transcript request

25
Employee Selection Protocol Step 3Agency
Decision to Interview
  • Screen application
  • Phone interview
  • Web-based activities completed?
  • Collect additional information re communication
    skills
  • Answer questions about position, give
    county-specific information
  • Applicant wants to move forward with on-site
    interview?

26
Employee Selection Protocol Step 4On-Site
Assessment
  • Applicant complete in-basket task to assess
    analytical, organizational time management skills
  • Respond to written question
  • Panel preparation (2 demonstration interviews)
  • Review application packet
  • Assess response to written question
  • Assess in-basket assignment follow-up questions?
  • Trained team of 3 experienced DHR/DFCS
    professionals conduct semi-structured interview
  • Include behaviorally anchored questions
  • Consider KSAV assessment framework

27
Employee Selection Protocol Step 5Employment
Decision
  • Weigh all information gathered in Steps 1 through
    4
  • professional judgment and decision-making
  • holistic assessment
  • objectivity
  • weighing evidence
  • independent assessments

28
Employee Selection Protocol Step 5Employment
Decision
  • Collective assessments
  • juried process
  • fatal flaws
  • reaching consensus
  • personal (or collective) subjectivity and/or bias
  • employment decisions and consequences
  • Check references
  • Panel consensus and decision (goal is 100
    agreement, but 67 OK with rationale)

29
ESP Flow Chart
  • STEP 1. Attract/Recruit
  • IV-E stipends
  • Job fairs, employee referrals, posted ads,
    newspaper ads
  • Direct applicants to www.dhrjobs.com
  • STEP 2. Inform for self-selection
  • Applicant reviews Web Text, Overview of Social
    Services Child Welfare Positions
  • Applicant views Realistic Job Preview Video
  • Applicant takes Self-Assessment

Yes
Applicant decision Is this the right job for me?
30
ESP Flow Chart, cont.
  • STEP 3. Submit electronic application
  • Professional resume
  • educational background
  • work experiences
  • personal contact information
  • three professional references
  • Cover letter of application
  • motivation and career goals re public child
    welfare
  • personal characteristics and/or experiences that
    particularly merits selection
  • Georgia Merit Application
  • Transcript request

31
ESP Flow Chart, cont.
  • STEP 4. Screen application packet
  • STEP 5. Phone interview
  • Web-based activities completed?
  • Collect additional information re communication
    skills
  • Answer questions about position, give
    county-specific information
  • Applicant wants to move forward with on-site
    interview?

Hiring Authority decision Appropriate education
and experience?
Yes
32
ESP Flow Chart, cont.
  • STEP 6. On-site interview, Phase I
  • Applicant
  • Respond to written question
  • Complete in-basket assignment

33
ESP Flow Chart, cont.
  • STEP 6. On-site interview, Phase I
  • Panel preparation
  • Review application packet
  • Assess response to written question
  • Assess in-basket assignment follow-up questions?
  • Assign selected questions
  • Include behaviorally anchored
  • Consider KSAV assessment framework

34
ESP Flow Chart, cont.
  • STEP 6. On-site interview, Phase II
  • Semi-structured interview
  • Establishing and communicating procedures
  • Interview questioning and demeanor
  • Terminating the interview
  • Legal guidelines

35
ESP Flow Chart, cont.
  • STEP 7. Employment Decision
  • Weigh all information gathered in Steps 4 through
    6
  • professional judgment and decision-making
  • holistic scoring
  • objectivity
  • weighing evidence
  • independent assessments
  • Collective assessments
  • juried process
  • fatal flaws
  • reaching consensus
  • personal (or collective) subjectivity and/or bias
  • employment decisions and consequences
  • Check references
  • Panel consensus and decision

Hiring Authority decision Good match for SSCM?
36
Pilot Next Steps
  • Statewide advisory group from beginning
  • Piloted with supervisors, county directors and
    regional administrators in 3 regions
  • Pilot evaluation most positive
  • Used to screen and select all IV-E applicants
  • ESP not mandatory practice
  • Some elements used in pilot areas
  • Self-selection elements available on line
  • Estimate that 40 applicants view RJP video

37
IV-E Turnover Stats
  • ESP now used to screen and select all IV-E
    applicants
  • IV-E Graduates YTD Turnover
  • Class of 2005 1st year 2.2 and 2nd year 8.0
  • Class of 2006 1st year 1.2 and 2nd year 16
  • (year after commitment fulfilled)
  • Class of 2005 12.5
  • Class of 2006 10.3
  • Overall SSCM YTD Turnover 33
Write a Comment
User Comments (0)
About PowerShow.com