Turnover and Retention 13 th Annual Tile IV-E Federal Region VI Conference May 28, 2009 Jane Burstain, PhD, Senior Policy Analyst Unless otherwise noted, all data in presentation was provided by Department of Family and Protective Services in response to special data request

How To Measure Turnover Turnover Rate vs. Vacancy Rate –Related but different Different Types of Turnover –Unnecessary Voluntary Transfer to another unit because it is perceived as better –Necessary Involuntary Promotion Transfer to another unit if keeps good workers who would otherwise leave –Unavoidable Change of life circumstances (retirement, death, marriage) Turnover in Different Divisions

Different Trends Depending On Type Of Turnover

Different Trends In Different Divisions

Economy Affects Turnover

Barriers To Leaving vs. Retention Barriers = Caseworkers cannot leave –Usually based on a lack of alternatives Bad economy Lack of better jobs in area –Only a short-term solution but can be useful for temporarily breaking turnover cycle Retention = Caseworkers want to stay –Only real long-term solution

How To Make Caseworkers Want To Stay Social support –Build a strong relationship between caseworker and supervisor Important to have supervisor involved in hiring decision –Build a strong relationship among peers Engage caseworkers at outset –Mentor program –Good training Build professional and organizational commitment –Make sure personalities and skills fit job Recognize that different divisions may require different skills and personalities –Provide continuing education opportunities –Create expedited promotions for individuals with social work education and experience –Create internal career paths so that if caseworkers get burned out, they can stay with the agency but serve in a different role or a different division –Leaders should raise public awareness about positive outcomes –Keep caseloads manageable Hire ahead of vacancies

The Money Effect No clear consensus in literature as to whether dissatisfaction with pay causes caseworkers to leave –Survey of child welfare workers who left found that only 5% would have stayed if offered more money and only 9% went on to a higher paying job (Cornerstone for Kids, 2006) –Satisfaction with salary and benefits not related to intention to leave among rural, urban or suburban child welfare workers (Strolin-Goltzman, et al, 2008) –Child welfare workers in California with a lower salary had a higher intention to leave (Kim and Stoner, 2008) –Child welfare workers in New York in low turnover areas had higher salaries (Lawson and Claiborne, 2005) Pay may be more directly related to turnover as part of how organization values caseworkers or strength of supervisor Disparate pay among functional units may contribute to turnover –Can cause caseworkers to self-select into a job that they are not suited for

The Effect Of Salary In Texas Those who stay are just as unhappy with their salaries as compared to those who leave (Scanapieco and Connell- Carrick, 2008) Investigators receive $5,000 stipend not available to other caseworkers but still have highest rate of voluntary turnover

Disparate Pay For Investigators In Texas May cause caseworkers to self-select into investigations when not suited for the work –Investigations is not traditional social work and can be very stressful Work after hours and on weekend Work with families is often combative and adversarial because of removal decision Short-term assessment of risk rather than long-term relationship building

Involuntary Turnover For Investigators In Texas Is Higher

Disparate Pay For Investigators In Texas May cause caseworkers to leave agency rather than transfer into another unit

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