Q & A with Grace Lutheran Foundation’s Director of Human Resources
Posted 5/6/2016
Human Resources Director Bryan Bessa shares the ins and outs of working in the healthcare field and with Grace Lutheran Foundation.
What kind of background do you look for in an applicant?
Previous healthcare experience is always a plus! Unless it’s a licensed position, no prior training is required for many of the positions we have. Remember, having no experience is better than having poor previous work history! We offer a training program for our communities.
That’s convenient! How long is the program and what are the details on that?
Community Based Residential Facility (CBRF) training is
We also offer to reimburse those whom we hire after graduating from the training program 100 percent.
When an individual comes in for an interview, what skill set and personality do you look for?
When I look for employees, there are basically three components that they are made up of: head, heart and hands. The head: do they have the ability to think critically or think on their feet? Do they get it and do they have the ability to learn? The hands: Do they have the technical ability? That’s the physical ability, to perform the task. And the final part is the heart. That is the one piece we can’t teach. If someone doesn’t know how to do something and there’s a knowledge gap, we can teach him or her. If they don’t have the drive, the want, the motivation or their heart isn’t in the right place…I can’t teach that. You either have it or you don’t.
It’s not always about what we want in an applicant; it’s about whether we are a good fit for each other. Being qualified and whether we like you is only half the equation; if it’s not a mutual likeness it won’t work in the end.
How should an applicant dress for an interview?
I don’t get too bogged down with how people look in an interview. Suits and ties aren’t the way people present themselves in this industry. It isn’t as much about as what you’re wearing as it is about the perception I’m getting. If someone says, “I just came from work” and they are wearing scrubs, I can live with that. If someone came from home and they are wearing jeans with holes, I get the perception that they don’t care about the interview and that forces me to assume they don’t care about themselves, much less about the job, their teammates or the customers we serve. Our customers and clients deserve our best everyday and it is our job to find the ones that we feel are committed.
In general, what can someone expect working in the healthcare field?
It’s hard work. It’s hard work at all levels, regardless of your role. It can be physically, emotionally and mentally draining work. It is a fast-paced environment and each day is different. The trade off though is that it can be the most rewarding work. You can have a great interaction with a resident/client or family on a less-than-desirable day and it makes it all worth it.
What can someone expect working in one of Grace Lutheran Foundation’s communities?
The big thing is that we are a non-profit and we’re locally owned and operated. Those who work in our organization are caring for people who are from this community, perhaps people they know. The foundation genuinely cares about who you are as a person, not solely what you do for the company. We provide great care for our residents and their families, but we also provide the best care we can to our employees and their families. That’s equally important, because if we’re not taking care of the people who do the work in the organization, we can’t expect them to continue to do good work. And because we are non-profit, it’s not about making the shareholders rich; we are the shareholders! It’s about reinvesting money back into the company (through improving technology, programming, etc.) and our staff through competitive wages, benefits and an atmosphere they can thrive in .
Employment at Grace Lutheran Foundation can mean so many other things besides working as a CNA. What other roles are there in the organization?
There are various opportunities within our communities!
- Dietary related: dietary assistant, cook-
prepares meals, sets tables, etc. - Activity related: activities coordinator – plans activities like games, Bingo, town excursions, exercise etc.
- Housekeeping and laundry:
cleans rooms, infection control, cleans commercial and personal laundry, etc. These people are very important because as people get older, typically, immune systems are compromised. - Maintenance: maintains buildings, repairs breakdowns, etc.
We have tons of opportunities where employees can work – not only in direct
We also try to pull some of those growth barriers out of the way. For those who are aspiring nurses, we offer tuition payments of up to $1,000 each semester for up to three semesters.
What have you loved about working with Grace Lutheran Foundation?
Money is never the first question; it is “what do we need to do for this resident in
Anything else you’d like to add?
Even if someone goes into the healthcare field and decides it’s not for them, it’s still great experience to have. It creates a greater understanding and appreciation for what these people do and benefits the community overall. Our employees are some of the most compassionate, selfless individuals on this planet. If Winston Churchill was correct when he said, “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” I would say that our caregivers have some of the best lives ever lived!
Interview conducted by Stokes+HERZOG Marketing, P.R. and Advertising
Grace Lutheran Communities has been helping our friends and neighbors in communities all over the Chippewa Valley since 1960. The non-profit organization specializes in rehabilitation, assisted living, skilled nursing, memory care, child care, independent living, and adult day services.