Health Chaos

About 3 months ago I applied for a position with a 3 month asthma research project. I stayed in touch, looking forward to an interview. They wanted to interview me yesterday. Only yesterday. Well too bad, I had plans that I could not cancel or change. So, how nice. They would interview me today at 10, by phone. Guess what? No call. No call of apology. They offered the position to someone else at the end of the day yesterday. Would you really want to work for that place? This is how they treat their applicants? That was as bad as the realtors who need me and my dog to get out of my house, then they never show up. Doesn’t make you feel good about people. Stay positive. Can’t live without it!

 This entry is about orientation of new staff, etc.   The moral of this story: it is really important to ask all the questions, have a contract, and don’t do a thing, don’t commit to anything until you meet with Human Resources, which should happen on your first morning, if not before you start.  And, if you are a manager or supervisor, please spend your first week telling your staff (or providing them with) your history, their rights, their challenges, commonly used acronyms, an organization chart, a list of necessary phone numbers and email addresses, how to use the phone and the computer, the politics, not to mention introducing them to other staff, providing them with a CLEAN equipped working environment, and a vase of fresh flowers.

 I have had a week from hell. First week in my new position. The incompetence and the accusatory style of communication amazes me. The worst I have experienced in my 39 year career. I still don’t know what my salary is, don’t know benefits, don’t know about my 1 yr contract. Will find out at 3 on Halloween. Bad omen? Good omen? I SHOULD NEVER HAVE STARTED without knowing salary. Why can’t anyone tell me? Well, if it is not livable, I will just have to decide not to sign the contract and walk out the door. 

And on the way to work on Tuesday, I could not avoid some metal debris on the freeway (typical highway shlocky maintenance where I live) and blew out 2 tires and bent a rim. For almost $1000. Didn’t report to insurance cuz my deductible in 1k. So I hear “you were late!”. Yah; well I am alive! Went out to my car for 5 minutes one day to change my contact lens and was told “you never came back”. What!?  And the week before I even started I was asked by my “mentor” how I planned to allocate my time between my job sites.  What? I didn’t even know what sites I would have assigned to me. Most staff have 1 or 2 sites. And I already get the picture. They “drive” between their sites, presenting the fiction they are working when indeed they are not. I was given 17 sites! I will spend 2 days a week at an ethnic academy. Was told they are hard to work with. Nice intro, huh? But I find them VERY pleasant. Cuz I am not naive. I have been around the block a few times. I think THAT site will work out fine, if I ever get paid.

Are you expected to use your personal cell phone and not be reimbursed for mileage? I will just keep my cell phone off. Why should I pay for this service for them?

Take care of you, because often your employer will not….

I believe, from my years of experience, that health professionals, more specifically supervisors, educators, mentors, and managers have a very hard time admitting mistakes.

In how they handled a difficult client/patient. In how they handled strife in staff relationships. In how they handled their supervisory role when they should have been more inquisitive, supportive, rather that critical and demeaning.

In how they handled staff meetings. Staff meetings to me, are for sharing new information, but more importantly for team building. The more the staff talks and shares, the better. You will learn a lot! I have found that frequent staff meetings are extremely important. And the longer the agenda, the shorter the meeting. And the shorter the agenda, the longer the meeting. Staff is often very pleased to have a forum to be heard and respected.

A good manager, supervisor, mentor always gives the benefit of the doubt, and then shares similar experiences in order to help the staff persons grow, rather than become angry and disillusioned.

This concept leads somewhat to evaluations of staff. Why not allow “self evaluations” on which you can comment. Do not make these events a crisis and frightening. Make them a growth experience for both of you. Don’t make them long and tedious. See if you can prepare a somewhat brief, and to the point, evaluation. Just as your initial interviews should be. Let the staff talk. You will learn a lot more that way. Generally forget exit interviews. When that time comes, egos might be so bruised that you don’t hear the truth. I have occasionally left before the exit interview. I knew I would not be heard anyway. And I once had a lengthy interview, trying to be honest about the management style, and after I left several staff were laid off and/or fired and/or left because they couldn’t stand the place.

So what kind of manager/supervisor/mentor do you want to be?  One who is rigorously honest and willing to listen, grow, be even more supportive of your staff? Do you want your former staff to not fear asking you for references? Do you want to be respected and respectful?

One of the most difficult tasks that I have had as a manager is hiring and firing staff. I would like to share a few tips.

 Hiring: trust your instincts at the interview. Have a second interview. Try to avoid phone interviews. We all make such different presentations in person.  Don’t ask all the questions. Keep the forum open and encourage questions and comments. It is not even worth your time to contact references, but if you do, the only question worth asking is “would you hire this person again?” Be wary of letters of inquiry that say “I am the perfect person for your position”. Nobody knows this but you! Walk them through the work area;  introduce them to the current staff; show an applicant  the potential work area.

 Seriously consider the employee’s orientation. Make it thorough. Meaning, introduce a new employee, or an applicant,  to staff. Give them a packet that you created with the agency’s (of whomever) history, needs, current situation, mission, goals, funding sources. Include a list of staff with phone numbers and email addresses. Include a detailed, long list of acronyms. Tell them where to park, where to get lunch. Tell them the good and bad (yes; the bad things too) that they should be aware of. Make it clear that you have an open door…any time…

 And as I have said before, have the workspace CLEAN AND PREPARED. Have flowers. Be welcoming. Have the keys ready.

 Firing is much more complicated. One may have to go through all the union rules, and civil service rules first. One must document and document and document, while mentoring and trying very hard to save the employee. And it is best, when the day comes, to make it as pleasant and supportive as possible. I would suggest forgetting an exit interview, unless you really plan to listen intently and be willing to make changes in how you hire, supervise, manage. I would also suggest that you offer to be supportive, provide a reference that you feel that you can comfortably provide, and make suggestions that  will be helpful, not critical. I have had employees, upon firing, who cried and thanked me. Be prepared for this possible scenario too.

 Good luck

In my years of experience as a nursing supervisor, coordinator, manager, I have learned a few things (self taught,  by experience; not in the books, not in classes) that have been very valuable and that I like to share with my colleagues.

Keep in mind that the role is to be supportive of the professional growth of the staff. That means encouraging them to move on, to grow, not stay with you forever.

Keep in mind that a micro manager is not good; sometimes the more freedom that you give staff, the more they will knock their socks off to help you.

Keep in mind that regularly scheduled staff meetings are very important for team building and loyalty. Weekly. And generally my experience has been that the longer the agenda, the shorter the meeting. The shorter the agenda, the longer the meeting goes on. It is the time to give staff the liberty and respect to share ideas and experiences. I have never felt that staff meetings should be just a forum for announcements and dictates, but rather for their agenda and participation as well.

Keep in mind that you need to get to know each staff person well. Have individual meetings to understand their goals, needs so that you can make adjustments. Don’t just meet with them to dictate schedules and do the annual reviews. And speaking of annual reviews, do let the staff do a self review, then compare your notes at the face to face discussion.

 Keep in mind to not be rigid about time schedules and dress codes. Make reasonable adjustments.  The staff have a life outside “work” and they will reward you with dedication and going beyond the call of duty when needed.

Keep in mind to treat your staff to nice thank you gifts. No paper stars or certificates or plastic roses. How about making sure that they have an equipped and welcoming desk on their first day. And include a vase of flowers, for the men too!! And introduce them to all the other staff. I once accepted a position that did not last more than a month. I was told that there would be a welcoming breakfast for me. Well, it never happened. No one introduced me to the other staff.

Keep in mind  that a thorough, considerate welcoming and orientation is essential. Don’t start throwing acronyms. Provide a packet that includes the mission and history of the agency, a staff list with names, phone numbers, emails, positions. Provide a list of acronyms that explain whom the staff will interface with. Provide a list of relevant agencies. How about a rolodex full of essential numbers, along with paper, pens, phone, computer, and whatever else is immediately needed.

Keep in mind to try to personalize the interview, and not ask the same boring 5 or 10 questions that do not really help you get to know the candidate.

Keep in mind that the exit interview might not be worth anyone’s time. Unless you are genuinely willing to listen and respond and make changes.

The ridiculosity of recruiting for positions when it is clear the employer wants an internal candidate…

I have experienced several situations in which I have applied for positions in which the job description stated that an internal candidate was preferred who “knew” their system. This generally involved positions that required familiarity with the institution’s research protocols. And I have had the misfortune of applying for positions where this was not stated.

Sometimes during the interview I was told that they would prefer to hire someone who already knew the internal operations of their organization. Why are they wasting my time and theirs?

And at other times, after interviewing well, I was called, only to be told that they “really liked” me but that they had to hire an internal candidate. This has been true for civil service positions, or those that required union membership, or “frozen” positions, usually in public health.

Isn’t this all a bit unfair, unscrupulous, and abuse of my time and integrity? Their time too, though I don’t need to care about that…

Today I had a great interview, for an hour and a half with a manager who was developing laryngitis. I felt bad and should have offered to get her a bottle of water, since I brought one for me. But we were both too busy talking to drink water, which was good. I am being invited back for a second interview with two other persons. And this time I have to have the courage to say “I realize that interviewing and selecting a candidate is difficult. Just as you are interviewing me, I am interviewing you as well. We want this to work for all of us. I don’t want you to waste your time; neither do I want to look for another position from the first day that I am employed by you, which is an experience that I had”.

It is so important to welcome, introduce a new employee. And I spent a year, out of financial necessity, with an insurance company who did not do that. From my first day I knew that my decision to work with them was a disaster, and I began searching for another position.

Speaking of “positions”: think about what you are looking for. Do you want a job, which implies, I believe, unskilled labor, or do you, as a professional, want a “position” which implies bringing education, experience, integrity to your work? And watch your language: do you want to work “for” them, or “with” them?

[tags]ridiculosity,internal candidate,civil service positions,public health,interview,interviewing,insurance company[/tags]