Adviser Vol. 1 | Page 21

ANNUAL CONFERENCE RECAP | 2018 Are You Hiring? Why You Can’t Afford the Turnover Costs In the conference keynote address and title of her new book, Staying Power: Why Your Employees Leave & How to Keep Them Longer, Cara Silletto asked the entire room “Who in here is currently hiring?” In a resounding show of participation, most of the hands in the room went up. Some people put up both hands. She shared her knowledge about workforce Cara Silletto retention and expectations of employment longevity that changed somewhere in late 2013 to early 2014. With a turnover cost of $5-$10 thousand for frontline staff and upwards of $25 thousand for office/management staff, you can’t afford to continue to turn over employees. Diagnosing and not assuming you know why people leave is the first step. How do you keep your good employees longer and what are the steps to recalibrating the “tenure meter” in your facility? Cara described each step in detail and audience members received actionable tools to take back to their organizations. Questions like “Is day one welcoming?” or “When do you check in with new employees?” led to discussions and ideas that could be implemented immediately and at no cost. Later, Cara hosted a book signing in the Exposition Hall where she gave away 50 copies of her new book to a long line of members that wrapped around the exposition area. In the book, are the tools and ideas she shared with attendees in her various presentations at the conference, designed to foster a workplace where employees have work/life balance, feel valued and ultimately provide the best care for residents. leadingageny.org 20