By Steve Moran

There has been a lot written about Netflix’s “keeper test.” In case you don’t know what it says …

From time to time managers are supposed evaluate each of their team members using these two criteria:

  1. Would you rehire the person?
  2. If there are layoffs, are they someone you would fight to keep?

If the answer to either question is no, then the managers are supposed to give them a severance pay and let them go.

My first impression was, “What a cool idea,” but now I am not so sure. There are two huge problems with Netflix’s big idea:

  1. “Good enough” positions: In truth there are some jobs that simply don’t require “A-players.” These jobs require a level of competence, not excellence. In the office it might include positions in accounts payable and receivable, inventory control. It would also include many jobs in housekeeping and dining. I can pretty much guarantee that even Netflix has hundreds of these positions within the organization.
  2. Blame who? This idea suggests that when a team member is not worth hiring again or fighting for, it is 100% their fault. In truth, too many times, people who you want to be A-players underperform because of how they are led. It may very well be that if a leader has a bunch of underperformers it is primarily the fault of the leader.

Better Training and Mentoring

In senior living, and perhaps in every business, we do not have enough really good leaders. The hard question is why? Many/most people think good leaders are born rather than made. I disagree. Not everyone is capable of being a good leader, because of personality, skills, desire, or temperament. I think there are many middle-of-the-road leaders that could be trained and nurtured into being really good if not great leaders.

If there were plenty of good/great leaders to hire, it might make sense to not bother with extensive/strong leadership development, but in truth, there are few if any senior living organizations that have only good and great leaders where they need them.

This is a problem that hurts the organization, hurts the leaders, hurts residents, hurts the bottom line, and hurts people.

At Foresight we are beginning to think about how we can help make this problem go away.