Job postings and their impact on the organization

I find it fascinating to read ads announcing an opening for key positions in aging services. It’s sort of in the same vein in which I read obituaries, about which I wrote recently. An obit can tell ‘just the facts’ – birth, death, survivors, services, and which charities are preferred recipients of memorials. Such an obit reflects nothing of who the person was, how s/he influenced and touched those s/he loved, or what made him or her the unique person each of us is. The deceased person remains an unknown entity.

Job postings are much the same in certain respects, I believe. The content of job postings reflects the degree to which the organization is consciously mission-driven, and reflects the priorities of qualities the organization is looking for in candidates.

Here are two examples of postings for the position of Executive Director that I read just today. Each of these organizations is a church-sponsored, not-for-profit organization.

1.
A non-profit community with a strong foundation of faith and person centered care, is seeking a campus Executive Director who is responsible for leading and directing the community in accordance with resident needs, government regulations, and internal policies and procedures.

Successful candidate must possess a passion for serving older adults, Bachelor’s Degree (MS preferred), . . . . The post continues with a listing of educational requirements and nine skills the candidate should have.

2.
Historic CCRC with nearly 500 residents and 300 employees, on 100 acres, provides a modified Life Care program in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley

Applicants must possess skills in CCRC management, performance improvement and program development, finance and planning skills. Senior leadership experience essential. NHA and five years of experience required. MS preferred.

When the right people are not hired for key positions, an organization can and will face many difficulties, only some of which include high turnover, low morale among staff and executives, organizational listlessness, frequent crises that erupt because of the inadequate placement of key persons, and the list goes on and on. All are issues which affect daily life of staff and residents as well as the “bottom line” on the Income/Expense Statement.

On the other side of the coin, consider a good, qualified, value-laden candidate who is seeking a position. If you read each of these job postings through the eyes of such a candidate, which organization do you believe such a candidate would be drawn to?

Persons responsible for writing ads for job openings should consciously reflect on what the organization really needs most and see that those values and priorities are articulated in the job posting in order to attract quality candidates.

They get good care there

The New York Times has a blog entitled “the New Old Age.” Today’s posting, entitled, “A Beep in the Night”, recounts a daughter’s experiences with her mother during her mother’s last months. The column begins with the writer’s mother mimicking the doctors saying, “She’s confused; she’s confused.” That observation followed the mother’s awakening in her hospital bed at 3 a.m. and asking for coffee. “How hard could it be for someone to bring some decaf?” an aide says to the daughter.

The daughter, a physician herself, responds to this incident by taking every effort to assure that she is called at any time that her mother has any problem or is confused.

The column is a touchingly poignant account of a daughter’s solicitude for her mother at a time when her mother was so dependent on others. Reading the article brought to mind a phrase I often hear about nursing homes – spoken often – in a positive way – by people who have friends or family in the particular nursing home spoken of. “They get good care there.”

Of course we wouldn’t want any less for anyone we know, anyone we love, who is in a nursing home. We hope for and expect good nursing practices. What always gives me pause when I hear that phrase is another phrase: “Life is more than ‘care.’” Life is more than attention to the physical body. Life is about relationships,home,choice,respect, dignity,privacy, continuity of exercising preferences in daily life insofar as possible.

It is precisely these latter values that transformational culture change attempts to bring to life for residents in nursing homes. It is what “Culture Change” is all about. It’s putting the person before the task.

For more information on this transformational, humane movement to change the culture of aging and aging services, go to:

Pioneer Network
Culture Change Now
To read Dr. Feld’s post, go to A Beep in the Night