e-Interview
In conversation with Newsweek, the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion leaders at BAYADA Home Health Care, answered the following questions:
1. Can you provide an overview of your company's workplace culture and values, and how they contribute to a positive work environment?
I LOVE WHAT I DO – this is the answer to all the questions. We are adding love and care to each project, request, goal and action, every single moment. BAYADA HHC is a place with a vibrant and inclusive culture, where all employees follow The BAYADA Way. Everyone is empowered to excel, collaborate, and innovate fostering a sense of belonging and shared purpose. Our workplace culture is characterized by key values – Compassion, Excellence and Reliability, and several practices: ethical behavior, recognition, and appreciation, learning and development, innovation, work, and Life balance. People are the lifeblood of BAYADA. Every employee drives the force behind the Organization's success, as they contribute their skills, creativity, and dedication to achieving its goals.
The core values of The BAYADA Way—compassion, excellence, and reliability—are ever-present in our daily work. Its tenets are timeless. The BAYADA Way is our shared "true north" that embodies the essence of what we stand for, believe in, and value.
BAYADA Home Health Care has a special purpose—to help people have a safe home life with comfort, independence, and dignity. And just as our clients thrive in their own homes, working here feels like coming home—to a large and supportive family that helps our employees be their best self. From the office team, to our clients and their families, our employees gain the support and inspiration for a meaningful career that doesn't even feel like work.
At BAYADA, we seek, find, train, and champion those people who take pride and joy in healing. We match them one-to-one with the clients who can benefit most from their experience, compassion, and skill. And we support and fortify them at every step with training, technology, and teamwork.
BAYADA was founded on the principle that health care gets better when people get better care at home—the place where they feel best. And from the nurse, therapist, or aide at the bedside to the database managers, reimbursement specialists, and thousands of committed stakeholders who make this company work, delivering that care is our highest priority and our greatest joy. It's what we mean when we say, at the end of every day, we love what we do.
2. How does your company promote diversity and inclusion within the workplace? Are there any specific initiatives or programs in place?
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion is promoted through many ways at BAYADA. From monthly DEI webcasts, to DEI Newsletters, and E-learnings, we aim to reach all employees where they are. With 5 thriving Employee Resource Councils (PRIDE, RED, WILL, SAFE, MILCOM) that actively engage our employees from Vermont to Hawaii, and monthly celebrations supporting key topics focusing on minority and underrepresented groups, our employees have a plethora of opportunities to get involved and have their voices heard. In addition, we have a robust internal DEI resources page for all employees with access to 1000's of articles, books, podcasts, and informational materials to learn new things and best practices in DEI every day.
3. Are there any professional development and growth opportunities available to employees? How does your company support career advancement?
• Nurse Residency is a professional development program for new nursing graduates
• White Shoes is a yearly professional development for all clinical managers and contains continuing education credits
• White Cap is quarterly onboarding and professional development for new clinical managers
• Partnerships with six universities are available for all employees for discounted tuition
• Presidential scholarship
• BAYADA University workshops and webinars
• Executive coaching
• Bravely coaching (Directors and up)
• Development planning/career conversations take place in quarter 1 for employees to discuss with their managers how they would like to grow in their careers
• 360-degree leadership assessments are available for leaders to better understand their strengths and opportunities according to their peers
• Career Center – Talent Tuesdays showcases open positions across the organization
4. What measures does your company take to support employee mental health and well-being?
BAYADA has partnered with Reward Gateway (BAYADA Celebrates) to launch (October 4, 2023) the Well-Being Center as the go-to place for employees to access resources and programs designed to support their health journey. The Well-Being Center offers a comprehensive Wellness program focused on all aspects of wellness (emotional, environmental, financial, intellectual, physical, relational, spiritual, and vocational) with a foundational connection to mental health, providing employees with education, support, and tools to help improve their well-being, promote employee life balance, and achieve wholistic well-being. The program is centered on offerings tied to our core value and 'The BAYADA WAY' for those who 'have compassion, strive for excellence, provide reliable service, and most importantly, show love.'
5. How does your company ensure transparency and open communication between management and employees, fostering a sense of trust and belonging?
• Quarterly employee experience surveys are conducted to open and support a feedback loop between managers and employees. To support psychological safety, a minimum of five responses are required for any given group in order to view aggregate results on our dashboard. Individual responses are kept with our third-party vendor and are never shared with anyone at BAYADA. Once aggregated, the results are transparently shared across the organization. All Directors and above receive access to the results of the entire organization, not just for the people who report to them. This level of transparency ensures all our leaders have access to the employee feedback they need to listen to their employees, learn from their conversations, and act on what was discussed, whether they are promoted into a new role, covering an office in an interim capacity, or have matrix reporting relationship responsibilities.
• Year End Performance Reviews are conducted to support managers and employees having dedicated time to discuss performance strengths and opportunities
• Development planning/career conversations take place in quarter 1 for employees to discuss with their managers how they would like to grow in their careers
• Guidelines and resources for effective 1:1 conversations and how to give and receive feedback are available
6. How does your company celebrate and recognize employee achievements and milestones?
Since our founding in 1975, we've proven that culturally aligned and engaged employees are the force that drives our success. The reason is simple: when employees feel connected, heard, and appreciated for the work they do, they are more invested in providing the highest standards of care with compassion, excellence, and reliability. We believe our employees are our greatest asset, which is why we celebrate and recognize their achievements and milestones through the following recognition programs:
• BAYADA Celebrates: A comprehensive, online platform used to nominate employees for recognition and to use e-cards to send messages of thanks, encouragement, and to celebrate personal and professional milestones.
• Years of Service Recognition: Employees are celebrated for years of service milestones with gifts, parties, and award ceremonies.
• The Hero Program: This program honors BAYADA caregivers and clinicians who meet or exceed the company's core values of compassion, excellence, and reliability. Heroes are recognized quarterly at the office, division, and national level, and BAYADA celebrates our four Heroes of the Year during its annual Awards Weekend, attended by more than 4,000 employees.
• Presidential Scholarship Program: BAYADA awards thousands of dollars in scholarships each year to deserving caregivers and clinicians who want to choose their own career path, increase their earning potential, and build their self-confidence through education.
• BAYADA Bucks: Employees can receive BAYADA Bucks for going above and beyond or to recognize a personal or professional achievement or milestone. BAYADA Bucks can be redeemed for a wide variety of dining, retail, and travel gift cards from dozens of participating businesses.
• Talent Scout Employee Referral Program: Employees receive a financial bonus for referring a friend who is ultimately hired by BAYADA.
• The Ann Baiada Award For Excellence in Nursing Leadership: This award honors a clinical leader who exemplifies retired director Ann Baiada's legacy to empower, inspire, and support those whose lives they touch through their work at BAYADA. The award is presented each year at BAYADA's annual Awards Weekend.
• The Linda Siessel Award for Excellence in Client Services Leadership: This award honors a client services manager who is committed to client services leadership and excellence. The award is presented each year at BAYADA's annual Awards Weekend.
• The Mary Hockstein Award for Excellence in Enterprise Support Leadership: This award honors a director level or below employee who is committed to nurturing relationships and promoting teamwork through ongoing respect and recognition of others. The award is presented each year at BAYADA's annual Awards Weekend.
• BAYADA Contest for Clinicians: This annual 10-week contest honors and recognizes caregivers and clinicians, who are entered into a drawing to win BAYADA Bucks.
7. How do you recognize employees and ensure they are compensated fairly as they grow with your company?
Bayada provides pay that is market competitive, performance-based, and equitable across all levels in the organization. We provide employees with development opportunities to not only move up the organization but also across to further develop them in their careers. These moves are supported with competitive compensation adjustments and where eligible, short-term incentives. In addition, all office support employees are eligible for an annual Merit increase based on their performance to support our performance-based philosophy.
8. How does your company encourage and support employee engagement and empowerment?
• Quarterly employee experience surveys support and encourage two way communication between employees and management to discuss what is going well, and solutions for opportunities to improve.
• Rewards and Recognition programs
• Annual Awards Weekend hosted by the CEO in person
• BAYADA Regatta
9. What types of employee benefits and perks does your company offer? How do these contribute to overall job satisfaction?
BAYADA offers comprehensive benefits plan designed to meet the needs of our employees, inclusive of:
• Health insurance, dental, and vision plans
• Paid Time Off (vacation, sick time, holidays)
• Retirement benefits
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Short-term and long-term disability
• Life Insurance
• Spending Accounts (FSA/HSA)
• Voluntary Benefits (accidental life, critical illness, hospital indemnity, disability)
• Well-Being Center (EAP/Financial Wellness)
• Identity Theft Protection
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness Partner
• Commuter Benefits
10. How does your company handle feedback and suggestions from employees? Is there a system in place for employees to voice their concerns or ideas?
• Quarterly employee experience surveys support and encourage two-way communication between employees and management to discuss what is going well, and solutions for opportunities to improve.
• Compliance hotline
• 1:1 conversation with managers
• DEI mailbox
• DEI Experience Survey
• HR Care Center
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