By Dan Matas, Founder of OutcomesBase, Inc.
Although the majority of my experience is in business operations and compliance, I have always worked alongside HR and have also overseen HR for a very fast-growing ABA company. Through these experiences, there have been a lot of learnings. In working in the HR space, it became abundantly clear that adhering to all HR requirements imposed by both payors and regulators, while also keeping staff enthusiastic, is a huge undertaking. Some of the main challenges I have seen for managing HR in ABA falls into the following categories:
Recruitment is about the Right Candidates and Good Preparation
Although the job market is improving, recruiting in ABA is still incredibly challenging due to the level of competition in the marketplace, the onboarding requirements (e.g., TB tests, immunizations, extensive training, etc.) and the job itself. As we know, it takes a unique and dedicated person to put up with all of the curveballs thrown at them through ABA service-delivery, and yet, the fact remains that we need great staff in order to serve our clients!
Where I’ve seen recruitment be highly effective starts with ensuring your job ads are getting to the right candidates. Resume scraping is a great tool to search resumes for key words and qualifications in order to reach a more ideal pool of candidates. From there, it comes down to clear and exciting communication that will seal the deal. So many candidates fall out from the date of offer accepted to the time training is finished, and a lot of the reason is because they feel like they didn’t quite understand the role they would be filling, or what the company has to offer them. It also helps to put things in the simplest terms available so as to avoid confusion, latency in the process, and a smoother staff onboarding.
Retention starts with Staff Satisfaction
Let’s face it, retention in the field of ABA is something everyone struggles with. If you want to make positive gains with keeping attrition levels as low as possible, you need to listen to your staff. Your staff aren’t all leaving for different industries or for school, a lot of them are just jumping to the next ABA company that promises them greener grass. To keep your employees longer, you need to make it clear to them that you care about them, that they are an internal part of your organization, and that their voice matters.
A good way to start this work, is by taking a pulse survey from your staff and potentially even making it anonymous so you can solicit better (and more honest) feedback. There is also a huge onus when it comes to happy employees on the Trainers and Supervisors you have.
These roles have an incredible amount of influence in making staff feel supported, cared for, and prepared for the work that they are doing. To help those roles do great work, you also need to take care of them and their needs. The more everyone feels valued, the better results you will see.
Compliance, Compliance, Compliance
There are so many moving pieces when it comes to keeping up with the various requirements associated with hiring and retaining staff. Depending on the state(s) you work in and the funding sources you work with, the cost of admission changes and it can be hard to keep up with.
My recommendation to help you stay on top of the various requirements is to:
1) Get an HR portal with a vendor who will do a lot of the regulatory work for you and has easy ways for you to track and maintain the required items and also has easy tools for your staff to use to complete what you need from them.
2) Sign up for a service that tracks and monitors the changes in state and federal regulations, like Mineral. They will send you emails of any updates in regulations and can do it based on State or Federal changes to ensure nothing gets missed.
Staff Injuries are the Worst!
Unfortunately employee injuries can be pervasive in ABA. In my past experience I have seen everything from minor bites and scratches, to major head injuries. Ensuring the safety of staff and clients is a high priority for all companies, but it seems that safety can sometimes slip through the cracks. Each claim, even the small ones, add to the company’s scorecard with their insurance carrier and can be very painful and costly when it comes time to renew insurance coverage.
A major shortfall I have seen related to worker’s comp claims is complacency in the workforce and poor training. Ensuring staff know how to safely get themselves out of a potentially dangerous situation is worth the investment. Companies like QBS Safety-Care have done the work to package this training for you. However, one-time training fails to cover it. It is highly important to provide consistent and constant reminders to staff regarding safety and how to prevent injuries (e.g., “Remember not to pick up your clients and swing them around”). Even if it’s annoying, it can prevent injuries! Additionally, re-training quarterly or even twice a year can be highly effective and doesn’t have to be extensive. Just a review of company policies and procedures related to safety in the workplace. The work in preventing injuries is never-ending and should be treated as such.
Effective Training is King
I’ve mentioned this a few times already because it’s important, but effective staff training is paramount in running a great ABA company. Ensuring that staff understand the job they are doing, the requirements associated with their job, and the policies of the company, is crucial to helping them be a great employee at your company. Although training isn’t reimbursable in most situations, it is worth investing in. Your staff deserve it and so do your clients!
One-time training is not sufficient for the majority of your staff. They need reminders and alerts and updated trainings throughout their employment. It’s also important to think about the ways in which your staff (the majority likely being Gen Zers) receive and retain information. You want to gear your trainings to their learning style. Quick videos with music, text messages, and flashy, easy to consume flyers, are all examples of some of the ways to get the message to your staff, and to also help them hold onto it.
Disciplinary Action doesn’t Need to be Negative
Discipline is a cornerstone to any company and job. There must be consequences for actions or bad decision-making, and staff need to be held accountable. For this reason, it is imperative to have a clear policy on how disciplinary action will be handled, who will deliver the feedback, how it will be documented, and also how to help the employee make positive changes going forward. So often I have seen disciplinary meetings be very disparaging and hurtful to the one on the receiving end, and it doesn’t need to be that way. Spending time training your leaders how to deliver effective feedback and hold their direct reports accountable by also teaching, training, and helping them, is a much better approach to disciplinary action.
As of more recent, I have also seen a lot of young people come to HR complaining that their Supervisor gave them feedback or a write-up even when they agree that they did something against company policy. Egos are fragile and we are living a macro environment of poor mental health. We can all avoid some headaches if we learn to deliver disciplinary action in both a corrective and encouraging way in order to be most effective.
Although the requirements are constantly changing, and there are a lot of other focuses pulling focus in ABA, having an effective leader overseeing your HR operations is pivotal to run a great company and ensure your staff feel supported.
If you need any assistance reviewing your HR operations, training your leaders, or addressing challenging issues, OutcomesBase is a solution! You can schedule a free consultation with us at our website, here: https://outcomesbase.com/contact-us
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