By Bill Krugler
President, JobsWork MKE
“We’re hiring.”
You see the signs everywhere. With unemployment so low, companies are struggling to fill positions.
But it’s not just about finding workers. It’s about keeping them.
Turnover is a big problem. That’s why we at JobsWork MKE are helping employers not just hire workers, but retain them.
Example: Froedtert Health.
As part of Froedtert Health's broad employee retention efforts, the organization has been partnering with JobsWork’s to provide a Career Readiness Workshop for new hires in a few key areas. Here, we address barriers that prevent people from keeping their jobs. We help them understand and deal with trauma they may have experienced, and how to overcome other issues such as finances, transportation, and day care.
Froedtert Health says thus far the partnership has been well-received.
“I’ve definitely seen our people light up,” says Devona Williamson, talent business partner at Froedtert Health. “They’re saying, ‘Oh, they can help with day care? Great.’ ‘Finances? Yes, I need help with finances.’
“They’re walking into the program and they see, ‘There are options for me. There are people who can help me be successful,’” says Williamson. “They’re walking out of the program and are asking, ‘Can I come back?’”
Williamson says it started with a question. "‘How do we build the success of our staff? How do we help them achieve their goals? Not just at Froedtert Health, but in life."
Based on her knowledge of what JobsWork offers, Williamson arranged a meeting between the organizations. The vice president of clinical and support services at Froedtert Hospital attended, and appreciated our focus on issues such as trauma, mental health, financial, and day care.
“We felt if we could get our staff trained or exposed to the resources and support that JobsWork offers, we could really help them achieve their goals inside and outside of Froedtert Health," Williams says. "To the vice president, those are not disparate things. If you’re successful on the job, it helps you be successful at home. And if you have that positivity or those resources at home, it helps you on the job.”
A key to making it work, she says, is intangible.
“It’s the passion they have at JobsWorks. The passion to help their members. They want their members to succeed. To me, that’s what has stood out the most.
“You can see the passion in the action they’re willing to take. They’re not just talking. They’re doing.”
In post-workshop satisfaction surveys, on a scale of 1-5 with 5 the highest, employees have consistently given scores of 4.5 or higher.
For Froedtert Health and JobsWork, it's about caring for the whole person, not just the employee while on the job.
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To learn more about how JobsWorks can help employee retention, contact Clinton Wray: clinton@jobsworkmke.org