There is a huge problem throughout the Department of Child
Services. The organization has a high employee turnover rate. According to
exiting employees, one of the main reasons they are leaving DCS is due to not
feeling supported by their supervisors. This is shocking because the first
thing people think of when they think of DCS is that employees have too high caseloads
and have to deal with some awful situations. However, these are not the main
reasons why people leave DCS.
It is true that when you start working for DCS you are
quickly thrown into the whirlwind of never ending work. However, when speaking
to other DCS employees, they love their jobs. They love helping and interacting
with children every day. Those that are leaving due to not feeling supported by
their supervisors have unfortunately been placed in a unit where communication
is not good. Communication is key for any successful organization. Without
great communication it is hard for any organization to thrive.
Jamie,
ReplyDeleteThank you for shedding light on an issue which many are completely unaware; I also thought DCS employees left the department due to an overwhelming caseload. Communication is absolutely vital to the success and growth of an organization. Communication is a two-way street and I can only guess that the listening aspect may be lost within these larger scale organizations....Hopefully DCS will recognize high turnover rate is an indication of a work culture which is need of change.
Good luck with the rest of your internship!
-Avanti
You are correct in saying that communication is so important; especially in your line of work that is so stressful and often under appreciated by the public. My personality is the same; I can be in a job where the pay is low and the intrinsic reward is few and far between, but as long as I have supportive supervisors and staff to lean on it makes the job worth it. I'm not sure if anyone has said it yet, but I thank you for your public service in an area that is very under-served. I'm sure you are doing an amazing job!!
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