Recruiting, Selecting, and Retaining Direct Service Workers to Provide Self-Directed HCBS
Conduct Fair Evaluations
1. Listen
2. Read
Think about what you will tell your DSW. Are you thinking about their performance in a way that is fair and honest? Do you talk about things they do well and areas to do better? It’s important to be fair when you are conducting formal evaluations. These are some common ways employers may show bias in their evaluations.
Being overly critical or being unrealistic about performance standards may lead DSWs to think they will never meet expectations and will stop trying.
Being overly easygoing may also lead to DSWs that don’t try to perform their best. If everything is acceptable, why try harder?
Everyone performs differently at work. DSWs have different strengths. Reviews should reflect the DSW's actual performance. Don’t rate everything in the middle range.
Don’t review DSWs on just their most recent performance. Consider their performance over the entire review period (for example, the past year). Keeping documentation about regular feedback can help.