The skills and support needs of people receiving services vary considerably. One way to enhance the likelihood that a new worker will stay is to match their interests and skills with those of the people they will support. Foster coworker support. New direct support workers need coworker support to acclimate to their jobs. Provide worker-centered orientations.
Agencies often gear orientation and training practices to meeting rules and regulations.
The fact is that workers need to be welcomed to the organization and to get basic information about their job more than they need information about the rules and regulations. Develop mentoring programs. One of the most effective ways to support employee connections to their jobs is to assign mentors to new employees to help them through the first 3 to 12 months on the job. Successful mentoring programs have three components. First, they identify and match mentors carefully by selecting voluntary mentors based on fair, attainable, and known criteria.