How About Respect for Front Line Employees!

by Larry Wenger 

There is a weird thing in a lot of human service organizations.  The farther down you go on the org chart, the closer you get to the real reason the organization exists.  But that is just where the weirdness begins.   The people at the bottom of the totem, on the front lines, are the ones who have the most to do with whether or not the organization meets its mission.   How did it end up that  normally they are the lowest paid employees?   Low pay is only where their problems begin.  They rarely are given input into the organization’s future even on matters which effect them directly.  Oh, they might be asked for their thoughts via a Suggestion Box but who really pays any attention to what’s in those boxes.  They’re a joke.   Training is rarely available for them since it’s difficult for them to be released to attend a class unless it’s for a licensing-mandated topic. 

But we’re not done.   Their work is extremely difficult…even dangerous.    They sometimes provide an intimate level of care that some of us would see as disgusting.  The front line is where the turnover is.  So there are always vacancies that sometimes require overtime to cover.  Overtime pay is nice but after a week or two of double shifts, you stop caring about the money…you just want to go home and sleep or be with family.  Their job involves working with vulnerable and disturbed populations where it’s easy to make mistakes;   negative events that you can get the blame for even when your training to handle these situations may have not occurred or may have been ineffective. 

One more problem.   They receive no supervision or a very poor level of supervision.  Their supervisors used to be front line workers and were rewarded for their hard work with a promotion.  That’s great.  But suddenly, they find themselves supervising former colleagues; sometimes friends, relatives and neighbors.  And most organizations do very little to help them with the adjustment.    Supervisors are not any different than anyone else…they don’t want to feel incompetent.   But no one has ever really made their job responsibility clear to them.   So in order to restore an air of competence to their psyche they gradually revert to a role they understand…direct care.   At that point,  supervision is something they used to do. 

So, what to do?   There’s no end of problems to be dealt with here.  Where do you start as a concerned human services executive?     Well before  you write your action plan,  begin by taking the time to really listen to front line employees.   Don’t assume that the problems I have identified here reflect the experience of your employees.  These will not be easy, simple conversations.   Some employees may be reluctant to talk with you.  In the past they may have been asked, “what can we do to improve your job” by other leaders.  But those leaders were going thru the motions…they didn’t really want to listen; they just wanted the appearance of being  a listening leader.  They had no intention of any follow through. 

Your attempts to listen must be buttressed by your vision… to bring front line employees into the mainstream of the organization.  You will meet resistance and a seeming lack of interest.  But keep going back to talk and listen.   When you can, take a front line employee out of their work environment.  Invite them to your office for lunch.  Take them out for a cup of coffee.  Demonstrate your determination to be a good listener.   Visit them on the overnight shift.  And above all,  follow-through.  Get back to people and let them know what you are doing about their suggestions.   Let them know you heard what they had to say.  If some suggestions are “over the top”, be honest and let people know that you will not be pursuing that and why.  They’ll want to know “why”.    Finally, reinforce your own effort at listening to front line employees by insisting that all other managers and supervisors do the same thing.  Transform your personal vision into a leadership team priority.    Hold each other accountable to demonstrate  respect for front line employees by listening.  Expect that you or another member of your leadership team will “listen” no less than daily.  After six months of this, your action plan should flow easily.