Management practices to promote home visitor retention: what does a national study of the home visiting workforce tell us?
- Collection:
- Health Policy and Services Research
- Series Title(s):
- OPRE report
- Author(s):
- Lou, Cary, author Sandstrom, Heather, author Benatar, Sarah, author
- Contributor(s):
- United States. Administration for Children and Families. Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation. Urban Institute, issuing body.
- Publication:
- Washington, DC : Urban Institute, September 2021
- Language(s):
- English
- Format:
- Text
- Subject(s):
- Community Health Workers -- supply & distribution Health Workforce -- statistics & numerical data Maternal-Child Health Services -- statistics & numerical data Staff Development -- statistics & numerical data United States
- Genre(s):
- Technical Report
- Abstract:
- Home visiting aids new and expectant parents by providing information, support, and connections to community resources. Home visiting programs in agencies funded by the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) Program use various management practices to onboard, train, and evaluate their staff. But how do these practices relate to home visitors’ retention? Preventing staff turnover is a key goal to help maintain a qualified and well-trained workforce (ACF 2015; Franko et al. 2019; Office of Head Start 2015). This brief summarizes findings on program management practices from the Home Visiting Career Trajectories project—a national descriptive study of home visiting staff experiences and perceptions of the field from 2018 (box 1). Key findings include the following: (1) Nearly all program managers reported using some practices that aim to support staff development, including providing informal opportunities for feedback and practicing reflective supervision, regardless of program setting. Additionally, more than 90 percent reported scheduling formal sessions to provide feedback on performance reviews, supporting staff to set and track professional development goals throughout the year, and using performance reviews as a professional development tool. (2) Between a half and two-thirds of programs reported assigning peer mentors, providing training on how to evaluate employee performance, and using annual performance reviews for salary and promotion decisions. Compared with other programs, programs in community nonprofits less frequently reported assigning peer mentors to new home visitors and training supervisors on assessing employee performance. (3) Around 70 percent of program managers reported employee input is influential in setting policies on staff safety, the physical work environment, and service improvement, but less than FAMILIES Management Practices to Promote Home Visitor Retention What Does a National Study of the Home Visiting Workforce Tell Us? OPRE Report #2021-193 2 MANAGEMENT PRACTICES TO PROMOTE HOME VISITOR RETENTION half reported staff input is influential in hiring decisions (43 percent) and implementing technical changes affecting the agency (e.g., relocation; restructuring programs) or staff layoffs (23 percent). (4) Several program management practices reported by managers are related to home visitors’ intentions to stay in their job or the field. These practices include assigning peer mentors (56 percent of programs), using performance reviews for salary and promotion decisions (64 percent of programs), and continuous employee goal-setting and goal-tracking (90 percent of programs). (5) Overall, 54 percent of home visitors reported they were very likely to remain in their current position in the next two years and 28 percent reported they were very or somewhat likely to find a job not in home visiting. In programs where managers reported greater employee influence on the physical work environment, staff hiring, and service improvements for families, home visitors were more likely to have said they intend to stay in their jobs or in the home visiting field for the next two years.
- Copyright:
- Reproduced with permission of the copyright holder. Further use of the material is subject to CC BY-NC-DC license. (More information)
- Extent:
- 1 online resource (1 PDF file (8 pages))
- Illustrations:
- Illustrations
- NLM Unique ID:
- 9918299588106676 (See catalog record)
- Permanent Link:
- http://resource.nlm.nih.gov/9918299588106676