Though they compete for the same workers, these agencies collaborated, with support from the Massachusetts Department of Mental Retardation, to attract new employees in a unified fashion. The initial phase was to develop a distinctive campaign. A survey tool was created to collect information that would be used to identify needs and assets. This information guided the direction of the campaign. Focus groups were conducted with direct support workers, revealing that they derive strong feelings of personal fulfillment and satisfaction from their work.
Some people are lucky enough to love their work became the campaign slogan.
The initial survey confirmed that the overwhelming majority of agencies offer excellent full-time employee benefits including health, dental, life and disability insurance, paid vacations and sick time, schedule flexibility, tuition reimbursement and retirement savings plans. Although wages in human services may seem low in comparison to some other fields, direct support employees say they are richly rewarded by their work. Building the foundation This innovative campaign was multi-pronged. A public relations campaign was established to reach potential recruits. A toll-free telephone was established to provide information about job opportunities.