The Highland dedication to human resources and career development can be defined in the areas of:

• Recruitment & selection
• On boarding
• Training & development
• Staffing
• Communication
• Culture
• Rewards & Recognition
• Retention

 

RECRUITMENT & SELECTION

Following a systematized approach to attracting talent and determining if they are a good fit has significantly improved the quality of hire along with the overall retention of staff.  Additionally, the renewed and expanded market awareness through various marketing, branding and recruiting efforts has increased the applicant pool.

 

ON-BOARDING

Another significant system in the HR program is the process of on-boarding new hires.  Through this ongoing effort, new hires are introduced and acclimated to the organizational culture and philosophies as well as their job responsibilities.  With a careful and attentive supervisory staff, any potential issues are dealt with early on in the employment relationship.

 

TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT

Creation of the Career Pathways program has provided a detailed outline of the career opportunities for the entire team.  Staff have the opportunity to continuously learn and grow through the numerous training and development courses and programs offered.  Instead of feeling lost and uncertain of their future, staff are working toward achieving various stages of their career goals through this defined program.  

 

STAFFING

Monitoring the needs of the residents, the staffing levels are set to serve their specific needs.  Although resident-to-care giver ratios are important, they may not be the ultimate rationale for the staffing levels of a particular shift.  This attention to the needs of the residents is part of how the team creates the unique environment that improves the quality of life for those with memory loss.  Additionally, the matching of different personality and work styles with certain residents assists in serving to provide the optimum environment.

 

COMMUNICATION

Good, regular and consistent communication among the team, supervision and management is key to maintaining and continuously improving the resident experience.  Staff are encouraged to utilize various communication tools for achieving this.  There are numerous scheduled group, shift, supervisory and all-staff meetings, as well as outlets for employee feedback through focus groups and opinion surveys for maintaining good communication.

 

CULTURE

There is a special culture of caring that runs deep and is embraced and shared through the HR programs.  It is the organizational culture, which is the makeup of all of the HR initiatives that create the special environment that people remark on as proven by the feedback from families and staff.  The importance of the culture, which is emphasized in the HR initiatives, creates the unique environment that generates ongoing referrals and satisfied families.

 

REWARDS & RECOGNITION

Successful employees are rewarded and recognized through a variety of systems that reinforce the culture and expected behaviors of the team.  The investment of resources, of both time and money, are well returned in the efforts of continuous improvement and sustaining greatness of the organization.  In addition, a well defined compensation plan in tandem with the Career Pathways program is in place.

 

RETENTION

Employee retention is vital for consistency and quality of care for the residents.  All of the aforementioned HR initiatives are designed around retaining the quality talent to ultimately deliver the exceptional experiences for the residents.  The implementation of these HR initiatives has proven to directly impact the improved retention of team members.

 

As new opportunities are sourced under the North Star expansion model, these vital Human Resource Initiatives will be the basis for building additional outlets of remarkable residences dedicated to serving the needs of those with memory loss and Alzheimer’s disease.