Tackling staff turnover: a novel approach; This innovative program helps entry-level employees surmount life's roadblocks to stay on the job

Nursing Homes, March, 2004 by Linda Zinn

Although not all workers at the program facilities are included in the study, all of a participating facility's employees are eligible to receive Achieve's services. The only difference is that data for those employees who met the study's inclusion criteria will be collected for the study's data analysis, while information on the employees not participating in the study will not. Data are being tracked and analyzed by MDRC (Manpower Demonstration Research Corporation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan social policy research organization). Achieve staff track all participants' level of involvement and progress for overall program monitoring purposes.

Achieve's midterm report, released in July 2003, indicates that the program has been successful:

  At six months, MDRC, as part of the ERA study, took stock of Achieve's
  progress to date. MDRC reviewed program participation data and
  conducted dozens of interviews with administrators, supervisors, and
  employees at 6 out of the 11 program sites, adding qualitative
  feedback to the midterm assessment. Based on their assessment, MDRC
  recommended to the federal government that Achieve continue in the ERA
  study and be included in future research activities. The qualitative
  feedback suggested that Achieve services are appreciated by
  administrators and are well received by those who are actively
  participating.

"MDRC will continue to follow study employers for a year after the active study period and will follow individual employees for two years, even if they move to another job," Rizika says.

Wave I of the ERA study was initially scheduled to last 12 months but was extended to 15 months to end in December 2003 and February 2004, depending on participating facilities' starting dates. According to the midterm report, the study was extended to allow for some needed adjustments, geared toward "[encouraging] more intensive contact with those already participating, as well as to broaden participation; increase the involvement of staff who directly oversee entry-level employees (frontline supervisors); and actively coordinate Achieve activities with the employer's own strategy for retention, staff development, and staff recognition."

Another industry that hires large numbers of low-wage, entry-level workers was targeted for the yearlong Wave II, slated to begin in the first quarter of 2004.

The analysis of the HHS data for Wave I of the ERA study has not yet been completed, nor have the data been publicized. Rizika says, however, that the data Achieve has gathered internally show retention rates for program participants that average 96% after 30 days of employment, 87% after 60 days, and 82% after 90 days. As a point of comparison, Towards Employment contracts with city and county programs that serve similar populations and set performance targets at 70% retention after 30 days and 50% retention after 90 days.

As of September 2003, more than 400 employees had received more than 2,600 program services, including 320 Lunch & Learn sessions and 27 supervisory training and follow-up training sessions.