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Maun-Lemke Speaking and Consulting, LLC • 8031 West Center Rd, Suite 222 • Omaha, NE 68124 800.356.2233 • 402.391.5540 • Fax: 402.391.1025 • www.maunlemke.com

August 31, 2016

Clint Maun, CSP

Proven Techniques for RecruitingTalented Coworkers and

Advancing Superior Staff Retention

Oklahoma Association of Health Care Providers2016 Conference and Trade Show

http://www.maunlemke.com

Proven Techniques for Recruiting Talented Coworkers andAdvancing Superior Staff Retention

Clint Maun, CSP

I. Retention

1. People Don’t Leave a Job, They Leave a RelationshipA. Supervisor

B. Co-worker

C. All Comes Back to Supervisor

2. Pay and Benefit StrategiesA. Constant Checking

B. Continued Strategy(1) Targeted % for Staffing

(2) Flexibility

C. Design for Targeted and At Risk Positions

D. Flexibility with Benefits

E. Pay Grade Shrinkage

3. Creativity with Open PositionsA. Part-time Positions

B. PRN Positions

Maun-Lemke Speaking and Consulting, LLC • 8031 W Center Rd, Suite 222 • Omaha, NE 68124 800.356.2233 • 402.391.5540 • Fax: 402.391.1025 • www.maunlemke.com

© Maun-Lemke Speaking and Consulting, LLC. All Rights Reserved.



4. Career AdvancementA. Ladders vs. Expanded Duties

B. Tuition Reimbursement

C. Horizontal vs. Vertical Career Growth

D. Quit Expecting Life Employment

5. LeadershipA. Coaching Immediately

B. Frequent Feedback Sessions vs. Annual Reviews

C. Involvement on Meaningful Teams

D. Team Based Recognition/Rewards

E. Mentors in a Passionate Orientation

F. Leadership Evaluation for Successful Retention

II. Recruitment

1. Talent GroupA. Selection Criteria

B. Positive Data about Them

C. Meeting with Them - Celebration and THE Question

D. Follow-up Meetings

E. Name the Group

Maun-Lemke Speaking and Consulting, LLC • 8031 W Center Rd, Suite 222 • Omaha, NE 68124 Page � 2800.356.2233 • 402.391.5540 • Fax: 402.391.1025 • www.maunlemke.com© Maun-Lemke Speaking and Consulting, LLC. All Rights Reserved.


2. AdvertisingA. Newspaper

B. Talent Group

C. Flyers

D. Open House

E. Radio - T.V.

3. Responsibilities of Other StaffA. Memo to Them - Why They Work Here?

B. Reports to Them

C. Get in Talent Group

4. Follow - ThroughA. Set Goals with Timeline

B. Action Plan Written - Copies to Appropriate People

C. Incentives for Talent Group, Staff and Facility

D. Future Meetings

E. Keep a Manual

F. Keep It Fun and Informative

G. Use Group for Other Challenges



Behavioral Interviewing: A New Approach Clint Maun, CSP

Interviewing is one of the most critical activities in an organization, yet it is possibly one of the most overlooked. If your healthcare organization maintains an anything goes attitude toward interviewing, perhaps it’s time to re-analyze. After all, the decisions you make based on an interview could prove either invaluable or disastrous for your organization. Plain and simple, utilizing the best interviewing techniques is paramount.

For employers, a traditional interview approach includes questions such as “Tell me about yourself” and “What would you like to be doing five years from now?” While this approach can offer valuable information regarding a candidate, it doesn’t necessarily indicate how an individual will perform at your organization. To better gauge how individuals will do at their organization, some managers are utilizing a new technique called behavioral interviewing. Behavioral interviewing forces candidates to explain how they would react in a specific situation, given the experiences and knowledge they have gained in the workforce. Ultimately, behavioral interviewing provides a more objective set of facts to make employment decisions.

Behavioral questions make your candidate provide specific examples of behavior, not general or hypothetical responses. For example, if you asked a traditional question such as, “Are you dependable?” all you’ll most likely get in response is, “Yes.” Some examples of effective behavioral interview questions include:

• Describe a situation in which you were able to use your persuasion skills to successfully convince someone to see things your way.

• Describe an instance when you had to think quickly to get yourself out of a difficult situation.

• By providing examples, convince me that you can adapt to a wide variety of people, situations and environments.

• Describe a time on any job that you held in which you were faced with problems or stresses that tested your coping skills.

• Give an example of a time in which you had to make a quick decision. What factors did you consider when making that decision?

• Give me an example of a goal you have set for yourself in the past, and tell me about your success in reaching it. If you failed to reach it, tell me what got in your way.

• Tell me about a time when you had to go above and beyond the call of duty in order to get a job done.

• Give me an example of a time when you were able to successfully communicate with another person even when that individual may not have personally liked you (or vice versa).

Keep in mind that these are not easy questions. Reassure your candidates of this fact and let them know that it’s perfectly fine to take their time when answering.





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Other Tips to Keep In MindAside from implementing the kinds of behavioral questions described above, you’ll want to execute a few other techniques during the interview:

• Resist filling in every lull in the conversation. Wait to see if the applicant will do so. This could allow him/her to share information they feel is important for you to know.

• Avoid either verbally or physically giving the candidate a clue as to how you regard their answers. Giving indications that you like what you hear could give the candidate false hope about getting the job. On the flip side, giving the impression that you don’t like what’s being said could leave the applicant with a bad impression of your organization. Bottom line: remain neutral.

• Ask the candidates about their level of interest in the position. It seems like a no-brainer but you’d be surprised at how many interviewers forget to ask this. After you’ve discussed all the details of the position, the candidate may feel that the job isn’t right for them anymore. So, explore any doubts or reservations the applicant might have.

• Make sure that all of their questions regarding the organization and the position have been answered. If available, give the applicant a folder that contains information about your company.

After the InterviewOnce the interview has concluded, you’ll want to let the applicant know what’s likely to happen next. Be sure to indicate whether another interview will be needed, and roughly how long it will be before a decision is made.

While you’re not obligated, it’s customary to either make a phone call or send a brief letter informing the candidates you didn’t choose that you have decided to go with someone else. If candidates ask for specific reasons as to why they weren’t offered the job, you can always tell them that you don’t discuss your hiring decisions. Or, you can explain that you interviewed a large number of applicants with much more experience, and had to base your decision on that criterion. Just remember that it can create a very awkward moment if you merely tell an applicant that he or she is unqualified or lacking experience. Be honest, but understand that it’s a sensitive situation.

Knowing Your Boundaries: What you can and cannot askInterviewing can be just as nerve-racking for the interviewer as it is for the interviewee. Aside from the pressure to pick the most suitable candidate, interviewers must constantly be aware of what they are legally allowed to ask.

The list below details what is acceptable to ask, and what questions you must never bring up.

The questions below are acceptable to ask:• Where have you worked before?

• What duties have you performed on past jobs?

• Why are you interested in this organization?

• What education have you completed? (If a certain level is required for the job.)



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• How did you learn about this job?

• Who are the people prepared to write or give references for you?

• What is your social security number?

• What is your address and phone number?

• What special qualifications do you have for this job?

• What are your greatest strengths and greatest weaknesses?

• Why does this job interest you?

• Why did you select this particular career?

• What job skills do you have? (When specific skills are needed)

You should never ask these questions:• Are you married?

• With whom do you live?

• If married, are you expecting to have children soon?

• What does you spouse do?

• Were your parents born in this country?

• How old are you?

• Have you ever filed for bankruptcy?

• Where do you bank?

• If you have children, what kinds of day care arrangements have you made?

• What memberships do you hold in social, religious, and community groups?

• What is you military service status?

• If a veteran, what kind of discharge did you receive?

• Are you physically handicapped?

This list is not all-inclusive. If you ever have a doubt, seek legal counsel, or err on the safe side, and just don’t ask the question.



Pre-Employment Testing:The Missing Link in Your Hiring Process

Clint Maun, CSP

Scrutinizing résumés, conducting interviews, and checking references are all legitimate and time-honored ways to select job candidates. However, adding more objectivity to your screening and hiring efforts never hurts. And pre-employment testing is one way to more tightly control such a highly subjective process.

Pre-employment testing can make the hiring process more productive by preventing costly mistakes. These diagnostic tools will give you the information you need to identify the individuals who will make a good fit at your healthcare organization. Pre-employment testing can also help you:

• Make sure job applicants have the skills and personality necessary to do the job.• Uncover red flags that should be further probed in an interview.• Match new hires with compatible managers.• Establish benchmarks against which to gauge future progress.

Of course, testing will not predict who will succeed or fail in a position 100 percent of the time, and it should only be used in combination with other recruitment tools.

What Kinds of Tests Are Out There?There are dozens of pre-employment tests on the market today. Some tests measure personal attributes, such as honesty and aggressiveness. While others assess specific skill sets. Major types of tests include:

Intelligence/mental ability tests: These tests measure a job candidate’s aptitude or ability to quickly acquire job knowledge and perform job-related tasks. Personality and motivation tests:Measure an individual’s pattern of thinking, feeling, and behaving. These tests are often used to assess a candidate’s level of drive and motivation.Pre-employment integrity tests:These tests identify job applicants who are likely to steal, lie, or use illegal substances.Management tests:Predict a person’s potential for success as a supervisor, middle manager, or senior executive.

Fast FactsThe rising importance of testing is evident in the following statistics from the American Management Association:





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• Seven out of 10 companies engage in some sort of job skill testing.• Forty-six percent of companies use some form of psychological testing.• Forty-one percent of companies test job applicants in basic literacy and/or math skills. More than

one-third of job applicants tested lacked sufficient skills for the positions they sought.

While employment tests are used for virtually every type of job, they are most frequently used for entry-level workers. This is due to the fact that many candidates for these positions do not have enough work experience for you to properly evaluate the potential for success. So, before you select a test, identify what exact positions will require testing, as well as the items you would like the test to measure (i.e, math, reading, people skills etc.).

Do Your Homework Whether you develop your own tests, or seek an outside vendor, there are some key items to keep in mind:

• Make sure it’s legal. Tests must comply with Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) regulations. In general, a test will comply if it meets two criteria: it is job-related and it does not adversely impact a specific group of people.

• Make sure that you have a thorough job analysis of the position you’re testing. This should include examining your company’s job descriptions, observing workers, and interviewing them.

• Procedures must be in place for storing tests and answers so that only people with a legitimate right to know or use the information have access to it.

• Make sure you can understand the results. Have a means to tabulate the scores and make sure that the results can be easily interpreted so you can ask interview questions for further probing.

Other Tips to Keep in Mind:• Testing should be documented and reviewed with your Human Resources department.• Pre-determine what "weight" the testing results will have in the selection process.• Give applicants advanced notice of the testing.• Provide sufficient time, tools, and a reasonable environment in which to take the test.• You may prefer to use the word "survey" as opposed to "test" to ease applicants’ anxieties.

Remember that legal and confidentiality issues can arise from testing. You should always seek legal counsel if you have any questions or concerns.



Overcoming Marginal Performers

Clint Maun, CSP

Reflecting on the marginal performer in your operation, you are perplexed. You’ve tried to be fair, patient and understanding. You’ve counseled and attempted to motivate him. You’ve stressed quality, read books and attended seminars. Yet the marginal performer is still, well, marginal.

Forget those techniques. It is time for you to take charge.

Eighty-five percent of the time when I’m called in as a management consultant by a firm, it’s because the person who is in charge is not really in charge. The firm’s managers are not dealing properly with the most critical issue facing them - marginal performance by their employees.

Marginal performers fall into one of six categories. They are people who:1. Do just enough to get by. You or the organization may be letting them do it.2. Have capability beyond what they are performing. At one time, they may have performed up to

their abilities, but have since slipped.3. Are coasting toward retirement. They have paid their dues and now think, “This place owes me.”4. Perform at high peaks in some areas to compensate for valleys of performance in other areas.5. Accept marginal performance as the norm, because they’ve been allowed to get away with it.

They deliberately slip one more notch to see how you will react.6. Are going through a temporary hassle in their personal lives - money, drugs, and family. Or they

are stressed by learning a new job.

Coach, Don’t CounselDismiss the idea right now that your job is to counsel the people who report to you. Your job is to get them help, not be the one to help.

Basketball coaches don’t go around saying, “How do you feel about your dribble? Have I done anything to hurt your dribble?” Instead, he or she tells the player what needs to be done to help the team win. Be a coach, not a counselor.

We’ve spent decades trying to become amateur psychologists. It doesn’t hurt if you understand something about the people reporting to you. But that is not a prerequisite for management. Just be sure you understand all the head games they play.

Here’s a fictitious example: Always absent from work on Fridays, Carol annoys other employees who do show up. Finally, you confront her. You try to establish rapport by asking about problems at home, and you hear more than you really want to know. Then you say, “We have a problem.” Yet we don’t have a problem. Carol has the problem. You ask why she’s been absent. Bad question. She’ll give you an excuse just because you asked.





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Instead, tell her about the problems caused by her absence. If you don’t believe her excuse, tell her so. Tell her what you expect in the future. Ask, ““s it a problem for you if we have to keep having this conversation or if it affects your raise or promotion?”

A smart person will respond “yes”. A “Yes, but” answer means she still doesn’t own the problem. Until a person owns a problem, they will not fix it. This concept is also utilized in counseling programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous.

You cannot win head games. They violate three rules of American leadership:

1. Honesty2. Consistency3. Specificity

Rules of American LeadershipPeople ask, “Isn’t being fair one of the rules of American leadership?” Fair is a word choking American management. People should have a level playing field. They should know what the rules are and where the goal post is. But they don’t get to play quarterback just because they’ve always wanted to be a football star.

When you are honest, consistent and specific, you are fair. On a scale of 1-10, you should strive to be:

• Honest 8

• Consistent 10

• Specific 12

You are being too honest if you tell a person with a body odor problem, “You could knock a buzzard off his roost.” On the other hand, “Smell something in this room?” is not honest enough. Leaders who are too specific micromanage their staff to death. It’s important to manage the results, not the process. You don’t care how they hit the ball as long as they get a hit.

But managers not specific enough who say, “I don’t like your attitude,” could elicit a huh? from the employee. Instead point out specific instances and solutions to the problem. “This is what you said. I don’t want those words said to a customer again.”

Conformance to ExpectationsQuality products. Quality circles. Business is high on quality. But what exactly is quality? Quality is defined as conformance to expectations. If your product or service meets the expectations of customers, it is a quality service.

Let’s say your friend bought a $100,000 Rolls Royce. It meets her expectations as a quality automobile. Another friend buys a $6,600 Yugo. It meets his expectations and so is defined as a quality purchase.

You do not compare car to car. You compare the car to the expectations of customers. If it conforms, it is a quality purchase. It is the same for the people who report to you.



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Take the fictional Susan. She helps people, has a positive attitude, the respect of her co-workers and a 100% quality score. Then there is the fictional Mark in the same department. He performs his work when he feels like it, expects help but doesn’t offer it, says, “That’s not fair” a lot, and nobody wants to work with him.

Which one is meeting expectations set for the job? Is it fair and consistent to tell Susan what you like about her performance and to instruct Mark to improve his performance? The bottom line is you compare the person with the expectations of the job, not with each other. Expectations can be set with two words that have been the most misused in the last 30 years, If and Then.

The way it should work is, “If you show up for work, then we will give you a paycheck.” Don’t switch them or you end up with “If we give you a paycheck, then will you show up for work?”

A Motivation QuizWhy do some people exceed expectations and others do not? They are often more motivated. You cannot motivate another person. Each human being can only motivate himself or herself. However, you can coach them to be motivated. How do you know if you have a motivated person working for you? Ask them:

1. How are you doing on your job?2. How do you know that’s how you’re doing?3. When was the last time you messed up on the job?4. How do you know that’s how you messed up?

Motivated and unmotivated people will give similar answers to questions 1 and 3. Both questions are setup to the questions that follow. When asked, “How do you know that’s how you’re doing?” motivated people will have specific answers and a grasp of where they stand. An unmotivated person feels all is okay if they hear nothing. The only way they know they’re doing wrong is when somebody else tells them.

To the question, “How do you know that’s how you messed up,” motivated people will answer something specific. Motivated people know exactly when what they’re doing is right or wrong. The unmotivated do not seem to understand unless someone tells them. Unmotivated people have no self-control system, and that is the basis of motivation. Define expectations for them, because a human being can’t be motivated if they don’t know what is expected. Then give your workers a way to measure their success.

Behavioral TypesThere are three types of people who make mistakes:

1. The Accidental Violator who says she is sorry and fixes the problem.2. Limit Testers. When you stop them from one violation, they try another. Accidental Violators will

turn into Limit Testers if you do not do anything about the mistake when it first happens. But you can’t solve the problem until you get them to own the problem. Talk to them when they make a mistake. Then thank them when it is solved. Be sure to check that it is solved. You have to close



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the loop. Timing and follow-up are important. If an employee is absent Thursday, talk to him Friday. Don’t wait until the violation happens again.

3. The Outlaw. Their activities are illegal - forging documents, lying, stealing, and verbally or physically abusing customers, sabotaging machinery. Do not spend time and money to rehabilitate these people. If you don’t get rid of them, they’ll bring in friends to work there. In one operation where we were called in, 50% of the employees were Outlaws, because nobody did anything about it when there were only one or two. Do one of two things: make is so tough legally they will leave or allow them to self-destruct. Of course, you should assist people with mental, drug or alcohol problems in getting help.

In ConclusionIt’s time to get tough, take charge, and deal with marginal performers. Coach, don’t counsel. Set expectations. Learn how to deal with the Accidental Violators, the Limit Testers and the Outlaws. And above all, learn the three important numbers in business management: 8 (honesty), 10 (consistency) and 12 (specificity).



Retention and Selection of Health Care Staff:(Team-based Turnover Reduction)

Clint Maun, CSP

In today’s healthcare organizations nothing is more critical than providing consistent service delivery on a daily basis. This can be accomplished through the work of dedicated individuals on a continuing basis. The relationship of staff turnover to consistent service delivery is well documented and consistent with research by our firm.

To retain an entry-level healthcare worker it costs a minimum of $2,250. This cost merely includes the basics of certification, orientation, advertising, unemployment compensation, administrative costs and other direct costs found on a financial statement. Costs actually run much higher when morale issues, marketing concerns, survey compliance and overall accomplishments of the organization are included.

Healthcare organizations must develop a specific and dedicated breakthrough strategy for retention. It is not enough to place this responsibility in the hands of a few people, such as the administrator, director of nursing or human resource professional. There must be a targeted team effort to make training and retention a top facility priority. For many organizations the ability to provide consistent service delivery on a daily basis sets them apart in the marketplace.

Super Team:The organization must develop a targeted team effort with a super team of 10-12 individuals chaired by the administrator or executive of the organization. The administrator or executive must also have on board a human resource professional and director of nursing services. These three will recruit the remaining team members to include several nursing assistants, along with specific nursing leadership (unit managers, shift supervisors, etc.) and other department management/staff. The team should be cross functional, not just a management team but extend deep into the organization with individuals dedicated to fixing this problem.

The Plan:The team will develop a written 12-week plan to be signed off by them, making them responsible to report weekly progress to a higher level individual for accountability purposes. That individual could be the administrator’s supervisor or board director. The written 12-week plan must encompass critical issues that affect the ability to train and retain. The 12-week team will focus on three major areas: how to recruit, select and retain quality employees.

Passionate Orientation:The organization should address the particulars of implementing a passionate orientation. Facilities spend time recruiting but rarely take time to train new employees appropriately. Passionate orientation must include a customized checklist for each job, sequenced to provide information as needed. New employees should be required to demonstrate learning from the checklist so you have an assurance they received the information in an appropriate manner and can demonstrate utilization of the information. As a third component of the passionate orientation, a mentor is designated with a parallel





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schedule to the new employee. The mentor should be rewarded or recognized for helping that new employee complete the orientation process and acclimation to the organization.

By developing a passionate orientation process and assuring it is meaningful and enjoyable for the new worker, you will re-engineer the methodology that is a significant component of whether an individual is going to stay. People make retention judgments in the first 3-4 days they’re working in a location. It is the facility’s job to ensure this orientation and acclimation process is passionate.

Retention:The team should focus on what it takes to deal with the current workforce in the new millennium. This must include how to make the workplace enjoyable and meaningful at the same time. It is not enough anymore to say you’ve got a good job and can enjoy your life later. Today’s workers want to be involved in a process that allows them to experience meaning and enjoyment at work, at the same time.

The team should work on issues associated with scheduling - including how to involve units in team-based scheduling rather than using a centralized scheduling process. Workers joining the profession are now younger, and they want to be involved in determining their time off. If your centralized schedule model isn’t working and you’re spending most of your time trying to beg, borrow or steal help, it would be worthwhile to consider alternatives with employee involvement in the process.

Prepare a data assessment of why retention is a problem. This would include the development of specific exit interviewing processes upon the transfer or loss of an employee. There should also be an Employee Opinion Survey initiative for an objective view of what’s occurring. You should have Customer Satisfaction Surveys in place to help retain workers by providing them specific feedback about service delivery. It is a positive motivator for staff to be involved in direct feedback from customers. In addition, it would be helpful for periodic salary and benefit studies to determine competitiveness in the marketplace.

It is not enough to say we have a certain percentage of turnovers in the organization. We must look at the specific units, departments and shifts where turnover is occurring at a higher pace.

Selection:Upon the development of retention efforts, focus on the selection process. Teams should be involved in the process; i.e.staff should assist in making hiring recommendations. When the staff helps pick their co-workers they develop a sense of ownership toward the decision. The organization should develop behavioral interviewing processes where the questions asked allows the applicant to tell a story about how they have conducted themselves in the past which often determines how they will react in the future. By setting up questions in advance, we move away from a gut feeling approach to interviewing.

Recruitment:Do not put ads in the paper that say, “wanted”, “hundreds”, “we’re desperate”, “we need many”. Instead place targeted ads that focus upon the talent in the building with stories about great individuals that have performed acts of courage and extra effort. We’re looking for people like this type of individual. Matching talent to talent puts us in a position of using team-based recruitment. Employees should be responsible for coordinating the ad campaign, flyer distribution and word of mouth referral sources, to help set up a recruitment campaign that is targeted, focused and talent based. Select people who find it an honor to work with us and we’ll show them it is an honor to have them.



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Summary:The 12-week team selects topic areas to work on with specific goals and targets for weekly accomplishment. They assign action and accountability to team individuals with sub-teams on specific areas. There should be a weekly meeting of the super team with sub-team meetings as necessary. This should take priority in the organization. It should be broad-based, targeted and team-oriented if we are to move ourselves to a consistent service delivery position that our customers, clients and residents deserve.



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