Training has a huge impact on retention, engagement, productivity, resident satisfaction, and—let’s be honest—your budget, all areas you’re managing every day as a community leader.
You’ve done the hard work: combed through applicants, interviewed candidates, and found the best fit for your community. Great! But now the real work begins—setting up logins, onboarding, and orientation. These early steps are crucial to ensuring the person you spent so much time recruiting stays and thrives in their role.
Look at your current process. How consistent is it? Are there missing steps? Is one department nailing it while another is struggling? If there’s no clear plan outlining who sets things up or who communicates with the new hire first (and second, and third), engagement will slip before day one is even over.
Set Clear Expectations from the Start
Clarity is key, yet it’s one of the easiest things to overlook. For example, do you have a clear checklist of policies your new hire needs to review and sign? Missing even one can create confusion down the line—if they don’t know the expectations, you can’t hold them accountable.
And what about scheduling? We usually know when they’re coming in for paperwork and orientation, but do we have a plan for their full first week—or even month?
Nail the “Day One” Experience
Think about your day-one essentials. What do you want every new team member to know on their first day? Don’t skip the small but powerful things like a warm welcome, quick introductions, and a reminder of your mission, vision, and values. These first impressions set the tone for everything that follows. And the first impression is what the employee will remember when they go home at the end of the day and whether or not they come back tomorrow.
Leverage the Power of Mentorship
Mentor systems are highly underrated. Sometimes, it’s intimidating to tell your boss you don’t understand something. Having a peer mentor gives new employees someone possibly safer to ask questions and learn from. And this can also encourage more team bonding through fostering collaboration.
Mentorship also benefits your seasoned staff—it empowers them to take ownership of their expertise and gives them pride in helping others grow. It’s a win-win for engagement and retention.
Embrace Different Learning Styles
Not everyone learns the same way, but our systems don’t always reflect that. If you rely heavily on e-learning, make sure to balance it with hands-on practice and shadowing. The more ways someone can see it, hear it, and do it, the better it sticks.
Partnering with home health or hospice providers for in-services or simulations can also add depth. Real-life scenarios make training meaningful and connect the dots between departments. And hands-on learning is another learning method that can reinforce the concepts introduced during e-learning for those who learn best in real-life scenarios.
Keep It Real: Role-Specific Training
Generic training doesn’t cut it. People need to understand what a real day in the role looks like. A “realistic job preview” helps set clear expectations for both sides—it shows candidates what success looks like and gives them a chance to decide if the role is truly a fit.
Final Thought
Thoughtful onboarding and training lead to better engagement, retention, and performance. Take time to audit your current process and identify small, intentional improvements. Even one change can make a big difference in helping new hires feel confident, connected, and ready to succeed.
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By Jamisyn Endresen, Regional Operations & Talent Specialist Cardinal Bay & 4K Housing Communities, TALA Workforce Development Commitree Member