Welcome activities
A study of dentists in the Northern Territory of Australia (Hall et al., 2007) found that the main predictor of professionals leaving the area within the first five years, was a lack of social ties. Newcomers often find it difficult to become part of social activities in which they already have an interest, or to find out if they might be interested in new activities. Organising a welcome function which includes an activity you know the new person is interested in, can help establish social ties.
Medium hard to implement: may take some organizational change to implement.
Implementation examples
In Burra, Australia, the community has a focus on welcoming new residents, particularly those relocating to provide professional services. When a newcomer arrives, a local resident, along with a member of the committee, takes the initiative to welcome all new residents. They begin by visiting their home, and offering relevant ‘local’ knowledge, and providing links to further networking opportunities. Twice a year, the committee holds a ‘meet and greet’ afternoon tea at the Burra Town Hall, specifically targeted at these newcomers. An invitation is personally delivered to each new resident, and community members are also encouraged to attend. This assists in welcoming the new residents to the community and gives them a sense of community and belonging. This event envelops a real sense of community and nurturing, with the intent of establishing strong social ties.
Success factors
Welcome activities work best if they fit with the newcomer’s existing interests, however, they should also offer opportunities for the development of new interests. It needs to be clear, that these activities are specifically for the newcomer, or that the newcomer is especially welcome, rather than simply being invitations to things that already happen.
Challenges
In regions with high staff turnover, it may become tiring to be constantly welcoming new staff. A program of activities throughout the year may be easier to manage locally. Be mindful not to ‘over promise’ on activities that are not routinely available in the community. Welcome activities are a great concept; however, these need to be tailored to the individual (to a certain extent). It is important to gain an understanding of what the newcomer is interested in, or may potentially acquire an interest in. It is also important to continue engaging the individual. A one off ‘meet and greet is appropriate, however, to aptly engage with the community, recurrent activities should be made available.
Making a move to a rural or remote community, relocating and building a life there is a major consideration. Prospective employers want to reach recruits with more than just a job advertisement; it must be easy for target recruits to access any information that would influence them in making this major life decision. Professionals may have families including a spouse who needs to find work, and children requiring education and activities.
Engagement of communities in defining their recruitment and retention strategy is essential to the development of partnerships that will make the entire suite of interventions work. Having communities involved in defining the approach that will be used in their community ensures that solutions are feasible in their specific environment, and that community members are more likely to sustain them.
Ensuring that the new employee and their family is made to feel welcome in the community, and supported to become integrated in community recreation and other activities, is a key factor in ensuring a positive start and long stay in the community. This can mean involving community partners in meeting with the new recruits and their families, giving tours of the town, health services, and schools to ensure they are able to register in recreational and other programs.
Another important support that is often thought to be too complex to address is spousal employment. Lack of work opportunities for spouses is known to be a key barrier in the recruitment of professionals to rural locations. Dedicating resources to assisting spouses to learn about work opportunities is a good start to addressing this barrier.
In rural remote communities, professionals often work in isolation, without access to specialist support that they may have enjoyed in previous urban roles or in their training. Rural and remote health leaders who report that they have overcome challenges in recruitment and retention of professionals typically report that they consider supporting team cohesion to be a major part of their role. They involve their team of professionals in decisions on who to recruit to the team, they create opportunities for their team to socialize and learn together, and offer them some control over their work environments (shift scheduling, strategic planning, creation of leadership roles among professionals, such as regional professional development lead).
Hall DJ, Garnett ST, Barnes T, Stevens M. Drivers of professional mobility in the Northern Territory: dental professionals. Rural and Remote Health(Internet) 2007; 7: 655. Available: http://www.rrh.org.au/articles/subviewnew.asp?ArticleID=655
Rohatinsky NK, Jahner S. Supporting nurses’ transition to rural healthcare environments through mentorship. Rural and Remote Health(Internet) 2016; 16: 3637. Available: http://www.rrh.org.au/articles/subviewnew.asp?ArticleID=3637