Medium Not-For-Profit Category
Koinonia Homes
Together They Make It Happen
Ohio — As a social service organization that provides residential and vocational services to individuals with developmental disabilities, Koinonia Homes helps its clients build healthy, fulfilling and enriched lives. In a demanding work environment, Koinonia takes extra care to provide the resources necessary for its dedicated, caring and reliable staff to bring the organization’s mission to life.
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Employee Involvement
Koinonia employees can offer suggestions by dropping them into a box at the corporate office, or sharing them during All Staff Meetings, where topics are broached and employees are given the opportunity to “Stand Up and Be Heard” by writing their suggestions on posters placed around the room. Once a month, direct support workers and front-line supervisors are invited to share ideas and concerns during “Lunchroom Chats with the CEO.” Koinonia also uses self-directed work teams, employee satisfaction surveys, focus groups and ad hoc committees to engage employees and foster a collaborative spirit.
Health and Safety
Regardless of whether an employee is working in an office, a residential facility or in the community, creating a safe work environment is a priority for Koinonia. Staff members receive extensive training on safety procedures that range from establishing and maintaining a safe physical work environment, to safely providing clients with physical assistance and behavioral interventions. A committee comprised of supervisory, maintenance, HR and direct support staff convenes quarterly to identify and address safety concerns and regular two-way communication ensures that employees have the tools necessary to perform their jobs safely. For employees injured on the job, Koinonia’s “Transitional Work Program” provides assistance and facilitates their return to work. Koinonia also promotes a healthy lifestyle through educational seminars, a wellness program and an annual health fair, where employees who participate can earn a reduction in their health insurance premiums.
Employee Growth and Development
Every new employee receives a comprehensive 80 hours of training related to both basic and advanced skills, as well as on-site training tailored to fit his or her individual learning style. This rigorous initial training reflects the importance Koinonia places on personal and professional growth and sets the tone for a culture of ongoing development. HR specialists maintain regular contact with new hires for the first three months of employment to ensure that employees feel supported and that they are developing the necessary competencies. Plentiful opportunities for continued education and training include seminars, skill building workshops, specialized skill certificates and collaborative efforts with local community colleges. Highlighting its commitment to lifelong learning, Koinonia was the first agency in Ohio to gain approval as a Professional Advancement through Training and Education in Human Services (PATHS) apprenticeship site. PATHS is a statewide voluntary credentialing program for direct support professionals that provides an alternative to a college degree and helps employees who are not college bound further their careers.
Work-Life Balance
Demands on employees are unique in the 24/7 environment of residential services. Koinonia helps employees balance work and life issues with policies that include generous paid time off (PTO), a floating holiday, unpaid leaves of absence and time off for voting. Flexible arrangements, including the availability of a compressed schedule in the summertime, allow employees to pursue additional education, spend more time with family and devote energy to other life demands without having to exhaust their PTO. Koinonia also recently empowered managers to create a revised on-call schedule that results in less frequent on-call duty for each manager, while ensuring the availability of high-quality support for direct service staff.
Employee Recognition
Koinonia created “Pins of Pride” to encourage and reward employees for taking the initiative to develop professional skills and/or enhance the quality of services the organization provides. A variety of pins are developed annually, each with a unique set of criteria based on agency priorities. Individual and team pins are presented during the annual Staff Appreciation Luncheon, where certificates, plaques and monetary awards add to the fun, food and fellowship. In addition, Koinonia provides resources that enable individual supervisors to recognize their teams, and offers performance-based bonuses when the annual budget allows. To encourage spontaneous public recognition, Koinonia encourages employees to post thank-you notes to their peers and colleagues on a bulletin board in the corporate office.
The Bottom Line
Koinonia’s efforts to foster healthy, supportive relationships extend to clients and staff alike. Employees report that they feel like partners in management decisions. They were even involved in revising the agency’s dental and vision plans to better meet employee needs. PATHS participants have not only learned new skills and received corresponding pay increases; they also report increased job satisfaction, morale and pride in their professional identity.
Survey results indicate that Koinonia’s employees understand their roles in advancing the agency’s mission, and retaining a high-quality workforce helps the organization maintain a standard of service excellence. Longevity sits at an astoundingly high average of almost five years for direct support staff and many applicants are referred to the agency by current and former employees. In a sector with notoriously high turnover, Koinonia touts a turnover rate 20-40 percent below industry average — proof that Koinonia is one organization that knows how to build effective partnerships.