Every person working in an assisted living community should be allowed to excel in their career. If an employee has their sights set on becoming an Executive Director or General Manager and leading the business, there’s no saying it can’t happen, provided the stage is set correctly.
To climb the ladder and get to this point, employers have to provide a track for professional and personal development. By doing this, employees can envision the opportunities ahead and have the space to take on an ownership mentality that helps to move the business forward.
Of course, these steps foster many benefits for everyone involved. Employees are engaged with high levels of job satisfaction, residents are better cared for, and the business ultimately sees a better bottom line.
To help your workforce adopt the mindset it takes to achieve their career goals, we run over some steps below.
From Employee To Executive Director: Steps To Foster Assisted Living Career Progression
Implement A Forward-Thinking Mindset In The Workplace
To get employees thinking about their career progression and the future, you need it to be a regular part of the work conversation and not simply something that only pops up in annual reviews.
Set up regular chats with individuals and create a space where you can explore ideas together. Each person should be able to see what the catalyst is for them to transition into thinking as though they were a business leader or Executive Director. Provide them with decision-making opportunities and be gracious enough to allow them to make mistakes and learn from them.
Speak about what motivates them, and in doing so, it’ll propagate fresh perspectives around their goals and how attainable they are. The feedback that you gather from these sessions will be valuable, allowing you to identify those who are willing to step up to the plate.
As people find their purpose and begin ticking off both professional and personal boxes, it creates a ripple effect for others. They see progress and, in turn, adjust their mindset to carry the vision forward.
Make Everyone Aware Of The Bigger Picture
By looping in employees about any developing shifts in business strategy and getting their input into implementing the changes, you provide an opportunity for recalibration in thought patterns.
Instead of fearing change and feeling shut out of what is happening within the business and community, people can be part of the decision-making process. Because they know they aren’t being left behind, they will be more invested in seeing changes happen smoothly. Important decisions can be made as a team, with everyone moving forward towards a common goal.
Provide Support and Systems To See Goals Through
Often, people know that they want to progress and become an Executive Director or business leader. However, they don’t know how to get there in terms of training, education, and experience. This becomes a mental block that can hinder their development.
Your job as the employer is to bring this vision to life through actionable career guidance and real-life training to get them there. If employees can see a way to carry out their career plans, their thinking changes. They become willing to take an active part in their own development as they know it’s not a stumbling block, and instead, to their benefit.
Recognition And Incentives Should Be High On The Priority List
Where there is an opportunity to do so, applaud the people who go above and beyond at their job. Recognition is key to engagement. Without it, employees can feel undervalued and overlooked. In terms of motivation for fostering an ownership mentality that propels the community forward, underappreciation is death.
Cultivate A Community Of Accountability
Regularly measure the progress of employees towards their career goals. If it turns out that they aren’t hitting the benchmark, speak about why this is. They may be missing support from the staff, or the tools to excel, in which case, you need to know about it. It means that you can take action to adjust the approach and remedy the situation to empower the person.
Final Thoughts
The people who work for your business are your biggest competitive advantage against other assisted living communities. Ultimately, encouraging your employees to progress through the ranks and be involved in important business milestones will empower them to take it to new heights.