Working in the social services industry can be incredibly rewarding, but it can also be extremely challenging. Folks in this field often struggle to maintain strong mental and emotional resilience while also providing caring support to those who need it most.

Burnout is a real issue, so it is especially important for leaders in our industry to take steps to ensure their teams stay passionate, keep a positive outlook, and ultimately find satisfaction and joy in their work.

Here are eight strategies I use to improve workplace morale and help ensure that my teams remain motivated, productive, and engaged.

1. Training

At one time or another, most supervisors have seen their staff get overwhelmed. Sometimes this happens because a staff member is unsure what to do or how to respond when things go wrong. Untrained or undertrained employees get overwhelmed more easily. And that can really drive morale down.

Conversely, dynamic, entertaining and interactive job training allows the employee time to absorb the information more deeply so it becomes intuitive. When employees are trained thoroughly, they are eager to enter the workplace, ready to take on new challenges.  There is a rhythm to good training: present the fact or policy, tell a story to drive the need for the policy or fact home (good to pair with something that triggers an emotional response), add a bit of humor, then enlist the attendees in a reframe or practice skill.

Well-trained, confident workers have what they need to immediately contribute, quickly integrate into the workforce, and be effective. Ensuring new employees are helpful and knowledgeable is one of the best ways to support positive workplace morale. Colleagues welcome well-trained additions to the team because they know they can start contributing immediately.

On the other hand, agencies with poor training programs throw new hires into high-stress situations right away. Seasoned staff know that newcomers are set up to fail. And when co-workers expect the new person to fail, it increases the likelihood of mistakes. That’s why insufficient training lowers morale. Experienced employees must work harder to fix the newcomers’ errors, making the new person feel incompetent and a burden to the existing staff.

2. Lead by Example

Leaders are the most influential voices in any organization. Their actions can have a powerful impact on the attitudes and behaviors of every employee. That’s why leaders must embody the actions and attitudes they expect from their staff.

Like it or not, your employees watch your examples to learn the corporate culture, find acceptable ways to deal with conflicts, treat co-workers, interact with clients, handle failure, and determine job satisfaction.

Your actions and words will be echoed by your employees. If you spot destructive or demoralizing behavior, check yourself to make sure it does not reflect your own management style.  Be sure not to give a pass to demoralizing behavior you see – if you don’t make an effort to address it, you send a message to your team about your values.  You must be the model of good behavior, and your staff will follow.   

3. Don’t Hide Your Mistakes

Mistakes are the worse. We think they make us look weak. But the truth is that no one is perfect, and every single person makes mistakes. In some companies, leaders do everything they can to cover up mistakes, blame it on someone else, or pretend it never happened. And I never want to work at those places.

If leadership acts human, it gives the staff permission to be human. Morale is much higher in places that don’t demand perfection at any cost. In our workplace, we know that mistakes happen and work hard to correct them.  No matter the number of employees you have, you are running a business with humans.  Humans have lives outside of work and that life impacts work performance.  A personal health issue one is facing, the dissolution of a marriage, sick child, death of a parent, on and on – we don’t know what challenges our employees face outside of work, but we can be sure the influence is present.  

As the leader openly admitting missteps, you are telling your team that accidents aren’t the end of the world.  Sharing executive fumbles also helps squash the “gotcha” culture prevalent in any industry. Admitting blunders and fixing them shows your team what to do when mistakes happen. They’ll know they are expected to own errors and fix them. And morale is always higher when employees understand that one slip-up will not brand them for life.  In my perspective, any mistake is an opportunity to teach others how not to replicate that same error.  I chalk it up to more good stories to add to a training session. 

4. Smile Early and Often

Smiles are contagious in the best way. I take my job very, very seriously, but that doesn’t mean I don’t try to have fun at my job. I laugh every day. And so does my co-founder and all of my leadership team.

We smile a lot at CIS. Our DSPs smile, and we want to see our clients smile. In fact, smiles are a core part of our corporate culture. However, happiness and joy don’t just happen, so we start by creating confidence and trust.

I know there are absolutely days when smiling and happiness are impossible, but those are exceptions, not the rule. Shoot for 90% happiness, and your workplace morale will skyrocket.

If you happen to work in the healthcare field you are likely still wearing a mask most of the day.  Even though your actual smile cannot be seen, your smile emanates from your eyes and the energy of a smile through the rest of your body.  So, keep smiling – even if your pearly whites cannot be seen.

5. Embrace Transparency

Transparency in staff performance, expectations, and business performance builds trust, helps people feel safe, and improves morale. Whether you tell them or not, many employees will know that regulations have changed, economies have shifted, and businesses must evolve.

Instead of keeping them guessing, share your business goals, challenges, and successes. Transparency not only reduces gossip and guessing but also flatters employees by letting them know you trust them with the whole picture.

6. Praise Generously

What is one of the first things we are taught as children?  How to say, “Please and Thank you.” Some leaders are worried that if they praise too easily, employees will start to expect it. But those leaders are missing the point.  Employees thrive in work environments where they feel appreciated and valued and receive praise for big and small wins, just like big and small mistakes are noted. When people do what’s expected of them, thank them. When they exceed expectations, praise them with a big wo-hoo! When they make a mistake and fix it, acknowledge their efforts, thank them, and give a congratulations.

People feel better about themselves and their jobs when they feel respected. So don’t hold back.  

7. Be Vocal About Your Social Mission

I’m in social work for a reason, and I’ll bet you are too. I do this to make the earth better than when I got here, and I try to surround myself with people who want to do the same. That’s why I never hesitate to remind employees that we are doing soul-building work that requires much and gives much back. I want everyone in our company to embrace that!

Talking about the value of your social mission is one of the best ways to keep your staff motivated. Remind them of the good they do and the importance of their work.

8. Respect Time Out of the Office

We’ve all got smartphones that enable us to reach employees at any time of the day or night. But that doesn’t mean we should do it. Overworked employees soon become overwhelmed and burned out. That cycle can accelerate in social work because staff must put so much emotional energy into their work.

To keep morale high, create clear boundaries and don’t cross them. Encourage employees to unplug when they leave work. Avoid sending after-hour emails. Allow your team to get into a downtime routine and avoid changing schedules or disrupting that routine. Be as generous as you can with time off, and for goodness’ sake, don’t contact employees during their vacation.   And if by accident, you do – apologize!

Good Morale is Good Business

Keeping morale high feels like a nice thing to do, but it’s also good for business. Agencies with good morale are more productive and more cooperative. They’re able to deal with crises more effectively. As a result, employee retention is higher, and turnover is lower. So, think about how you can increase morale in your workplace. It isn’t always easy, but it’s always rewarding.

I’m not suggesting you ask others to smile, and I don’t want you to constantly mask your feelings. Instead, I’m encouraging business leaders to put their best selves forward. Don’t hide smiles. Try being kind and fostering happiness. Choose to show your humanity and warmth in the workplace. If leaders can smile more at work, it may just help your business.

The Science Behind Smiles

When people smile, it triggers the production of stress-reducing endorphins. Endorphins are hormones that reduce anxiety, boost self-image, and can even relieve pain.Smiles also reduce stress-producing hormones like adrenaline. That means smiling elevates mood and reduces erratic behavior. Sounds good, right?

So, when you smile, you can actually improve your mental health a little bit. But did you know that facial expressions are contagious? When you smile, it also impacts the frame of mind of the people around you. That’s why I make an effort to enter my building each morning with a smile. I know that my staff is going to take cues from me. If I’m smiling and enthusiastic, they tend to follow my example.

In fact, anyone who enters a room with a smile and optimistic energy can lift the spirits of the people around them. So in the workspace, this means employees can be more relaxed, less stressed, and set in a positive – thus productive, mindset.

The Power of Friendliness

Is it weird that I’m telling people to be friendly? I mean, kindness is what we teach our kids at home and school, so it seems like it should be built into us. It’s a fundamental part of being a good human. But sadly, many workplaces discourage friendliness. They think it gets in the way of productivity. How many of you have heard managers say things like “Less chit-chat” or “Talk on your own time.” Maybe they’ve said, “You’re not here to make friends.”

These managers think they’re boosting productivity, but in my experience, friendliness (and making friends at work) is a productivity booster. The office runs better when coworkers are kind to each other, greet one another with a “good morning” or “hello,” and exchange pleasantries. People relax. Fewer mistakes happen. Cooperation skyrockets.

So here it comes: friendliness starts at the top. Friendly supervisors have friendly employees. Their staff gets along with each other. Morale is higher. Turnover is lower. Workers are more likely to be loyal and engage from a place of compassion. And that’s all good for business.

Stay Positive

We all have bad days, but that doesn’t mean we have to have negative outlooks. In fact, one of the interview questions we ask manager candidates is designed to determine how we can best support them if they are having a bad day (again, because we all have them). We know that if someone feels alone in their funk, they have a tendency to stay in that feeling longer. Our goal isn’t to force someone to feel better but to instead give the individual the type of support they need so they don’t feel unseen, unsupported, or alone.  From this springboard, the individual’s spirits begin to lift simply by the support they experience from their supervisors. 

Building in intentional optimism, in how we interact with one another as a team and how we interact with our clients and customers, is how we consciously tell ourselves to focus on hope. That’s a valuable business asset. After all, what’s the use of having a business if you don’t believe that you are doing good work and that it will eventually produce positive results? While optimism motivates, pessimism chips away at confidence and generally destroys morale.  So, I vote for optimism and positivity! How about you? 

Depersonalize Outside Negativity

As a person who works in social services, I know that when an offer of help is met with resistance, it isn’t personal. It’s not about me or what I did. In social work, we recognize that clients come to us with complicated histories that can trigger irrational responses. So, when a client lashes out, I remind myself that I just happen to be the person standing in front of them at that moment. Maybe they got word that their parent won’t be able to visit them tomorrow, or they just got laid off from work, or maybe they just don’t feel well. The “what” isn’t necessarily the thing one needs to focus on. Instead, it’s important to focus on our ability to deflect the resistance which is directed at us in that moment.  

That same ability can extend beyond my field.  There have certainly been many businesspeople that have gone into a meeting happy and optimistic and come out demoralized, unsure of what went wrong. Usually, disproportionate responses in a business setting mean you’re getting the fallout from other arguments or unrelated struggles. They are “taking it out on you.”

It’s easy to let that kind of behavior demoralize you (you don’t deserve it!) But if you experience unexpected or undeserved rudeness, I challenge you to remember that everyone is fighting a hard battle. Instead of feeling hurt or angry, remember that you just happened to be the person standing in front of them at that moment. Instead of taking it personally, think for a moment about what could be making your client, coworker, or customer act in a hurtful way.  Then remind yourself that it is not about you. Get re-centered and smile. You know you.

Do Your Own Experiment

Okay, science tells us that smiles boost moods and that positivity is contagious. So, if you’re still a doubter, do your own experiment. Next time you walk into a room that feels filled with nervous or negative energy, stop. Take a moment and refocus your mindset to be cheerful and pleasant. Greet everyone with a smile on your face.

Did their energy change? Did they sit up straighter, lean forward, or smile back? I bet most of them did. And if there were negative holdouts, you’ll get them next time. After all, when you repeat positive behaviors, more and more people model it each time.

So, focus on the good you do – remind yourself of the good around you, start smiling, and smile often. Not only does it help people around you feel better, but it can also increase productivity and decrease turnover in the long run. And who doesn’t want to smile about that?

Undergraduates Can Create Career Pathways

A career pathway is a preparatory approach to starting a career. For example, a university is often a prerequisite for a variety of professions. You must have a nursing degree to be a nurse. Lawyers have law degrees. Teachers usually have education degrees.

But career pathways are also a collection of experiences, job history, memberships, and activities. Volunteerism, professional affiliations, networking, and professional experience can become part of a rich and varied pathway.  

For instance, a student who graduates with an education degree is ready to start applying for teaching positions. But, because every other teacher also has a degree, that qualification alone doesn’t make a candidate stand out.

But if that student with an education degree has also volunteered with Special Olympics, held a part-time job helping adults with developmental disabilities, and been a member of the Association of Professional Humane Educators (APHE), their career pathway becomes much more focused. They’ve demonstrated commitment and gathered practical experience during their college years, setting them apart from other first-time job applicants.

Part-Time Jobs Can Build Resumes

Many students want or need to get part-time jobs while in college. However, well-paying jobs usually demand regular hours or full-time status. Because university class schedules and availability changes from semester to semester, students often take flexible positions as waiters, bartenders, or cashiers. But it doesn’t have to be this way.

With some footwork, many students can find better-paying part-time jobs that inform their chosen field, expose them to broader perspectives, and look good on resumes.

For example, at CIS, we offer part-time jobs in Spokane and South King County that start at $20 per hour. Students who work at CIS will learn about adults with disabilities and behavioral issues. Working as a Direct Support Professional (DSP), students will learn about the role of community care and some aspects of social programs in Washington State. As DSPs, our employees will gain knowledge and perspective from colleagues with expertise in education, psychology, psychiatry, government, criminal justice, healthcare, social work, administration, and human resources.

Students who work at places like CIS gain a better understanding of their chosen profession.

After all, this kind of first-hand knowledge and real-world experience fortifies career pathways and provides relevant context for many types of higher-ed coursework.

Part-Time Job Checklist for College Students

How can students find part-time jobs that build career pathways? Here are a few job-hunting tips to follow:

• Build relationships with professors. They are often asked to recommend students for good jobs. Make it clear that you’re looking for immediate part-time work related to your major.
• Talk to your college advisor. Let them know you want to build your resume with part-time work. They can often provide suggestions for employers that welcome students.
• Don’t ignore job listings for full-time work in your field. In this job market, some employers are willing to be flexible. If you let them know you’re studying the field and want to get paid experience, they may accommodate you by creating a part-time position or referring you to another opening within the company
• Try to move past the desire to work at “fun” or “cool” workplaces. Theme park or bartending position can be enjoyable, but the experience gained probably won’t impress future employers.
• Look for jobs that offer paid training. Many positions require job-specific training or certification. The employer may pay employees for the training and all fees for obtaining such credentials.
• If all else fails, request an exploratory interview, and position it as a part of your studies. During this interview, you’ll ask an executive or someone from human resources questions about what’s required to work there, what kind of people they hire, and where they advertise for new employees. Once you’ve established rapport, you can ask if they’d ever hire someone like you for part-time work. Even if they refuse, you have gathered valuable intel to help you better position yourself for the next interview. 

Apply for Part-Time Work at CIS

If you or a college student you know in the Spokane or South King County area is looking for well-paying part-time work that will fortify their college resume, encourage them to apply for a position as a DSP at Community Integrated Services. We start employees at $20 an hour, and with a bit of notice, we’re usually able to work around college class schedules.

Work at CIS will enhance resumes for students getting a degree in education, healthcare, law, criminal justice, law enforcement, social work, government, social policy, sociology, nonprofit management, community development, organizational leadership, and more. Apply today!

CIS is an agency committed to offering compassion, providing support, documenting incremental progress, and creating hope for a better future. If you’re not in human services, that last sentence probably sounded cliché. But it rings true for the people who spend their days working on some of society’s biggest challenges.

Helping new employees see the value in this kind of work isn’t always easy, but what they do matters. And we want to help them succeed. So when things get tough, we often recommend one of these powerful strategies.

1.   Stop Looking for a “One-Size-Fits-All” Answer

We deal with people. Our clients come to us with a combination of developmental disabilities, a history of abuse, health issues, and behavioral problems. Each client is very different.

That means there is rarely one right way to approach any given task. There might be the best way for now or the best course given your time and resources, but no one-size-fits-all answer. That’s why we sometimes pursue exceptions to our policies, treatments, or approaches. When you’re a DSP, the best strategy is to treat each client as a genuine individual and stay flexible.

2.   Meet People Where They Are

Social workers love this phrase, and it’s kind of my own professional mantra. Meeting people where they are is all about acceptance without judgment.

All of our clients come to us with challenging personal histories. Many have been abused or neglected and have a history of unstable housing opportunities.  They can struggle with serious health issues. Often, a client doesn’t yet have a clear understanding of boundaries or expectations.

Meeting people where they are requires us to let go of personal histories and expectations. Instead, we focus on the client’s reality, ability, and needs right now. This philosophy requires me to accept that life made them as they are. I try to let go of labels like “good” or “bad.” Instead, we focus on creating plans to help and support each client to grow into their next stage.

3.   Generalizations Can Be Counter Productive

Even when employees have accepted that there is no “one-size-fits-all” answer, they are still tempted to generalize. The danger in generalizations is that DSPs may want to categorize based on past client history instead of taking the time to do careful evaluations. The employee may think, “They are the same as the client who came in a few months ago. We’ll apply the same treatment plan.”

But the combination of disabilities, disorders, and traumas constantly changes, which means that people are rarely “the same.” So instead of generalizing, our DSPs must spend time observing, analyzing, and understanding each client before we can create a plan to help them thrive.

4.   It Takes Time to Trust

CIS clients often come to us with their guards up. And while we provide compassionate, predictable environments, it’s rarely enough to generate client trust. Instead, each client needs months, even years, to feel safe.

Our DSPs can become impatient during this process. But we remind them that our clients are moving as fast as they are able. They have built up emotional armor over the years, and a failure to trust is not intentional or even controllable.

5.   There is no Trust Without Consistency

One way our DSPs can build trust is to be reliable. That means they make extra efforts to show up consistently. They don’t make promises they can’t keep and tell a reasonably polite version of the truth. Once the client sees that the DSP is reliable, trust begins, and everything else becomes more manageable.

6.   Don’t Underestimate the Power of Small Victories

When it comes to clients with developmental disabilities, accomplishments happen in inches, not yards. Each small change or minor shift should be considered a cause to celebrate

7.   Never Give up. Progress Can Take Years.

The hard truth is that some of our clients may never truly recover. Perhaps we’ve tried ten different approaches, and the client hasn’t responded to any. Unfortunately, in social services (and in life), progress is not guaranteed.

But that doesn’t mean we give up. Maybe we can’t help everyone, but we can never stop trying. At CIS, our teams understand that even if a person seems beyond our help, we don’t stop searching for a more effective approach.

Do You Know Someone Who Would Make a Great DSP?

If you know someone interested in starting a social services career and looking for a company that trains new employees and pays for certification, visit our career page and check out our current listings in South King County and Spokane, Washington.

Social services careers also offer an exceptional degree of flexibility. Unlike many other fields, experience in social work is often a valuable stepping stone to a wide range of careers. Because social services focus on human interaction and social problem solving, they provide practical experience for future jobs in other fields.

Even people without prior experience may find that entry-level positions offer them the opportunity to build a rewarding career. But that doesn’t mean social services are simple. Social work requires an open mind and a caring attitude at every level. Here are a few of the strategies our employees use to help our clients live their best lives.

Don’t Generalize

Generalizations are a way for humans to navigate through the world efficiently. For example, we may learn that we work well with one type of person. Or we may find that we have much in common with people from a particular culture or background. These types of generalizations are usually based on personal experience and help the average person navigate through life without having to start fresh with each situation.

However, most of these generalizations are not helpful in social work. When we work with our clients, we must meet each person without prejudices. Each individual is different. Even if they seem to be similar to other clients, we never assume that they will interact or react in the same ways.

Letting go of generalizations is difficult. It requires each of us to work harder, observe more closely, and take more time to really learn how each client is unique.  But this approach helps us serve them more effectively and prevents us from employing the wrong treatment.

Don’t Cling to One Version of a Fulfilling Life

Most of us have some parts of our lives that we consider essential to our happiness. Home, families, pets, experiences, and jobs are often part of one’s definition of a fulfilling life. But each client at Community Integrated Service comes to us with limitations. Sometimes these limitations are minor, but often they are significant. For some people, these limitations would seem to preclude a fulfilling life.

That’s why our team keeps an open mind when developing each client’s version of a fulfilling life. For some of them, it’s as simple as having a friend and being around kind people. Others want or need more. Everyone has their own definition and expectations.

Every CIS team member must come to the situation with an open mind. We must all continually re-evaluate the meaning of a happy life. By focusing on each client’s needs and setting aside our own definitions or expectations, we are much better equipped to help them grow and thrive.

Be Reliable. Trust Isn’t Possible Without It.

Anyone in social services must build trust. First, they must build trust with their employer, but they must also build trust with co-workers and especially with clients. But it isn’t possible without reliability and consistency.

Reliability is at the foundation of every meaningful relationship. Our team must create routines, schedules, and plans. Inconsistent, unreliable, erratic, or unpredictable behavior is unacceptable. Each employee must be committed to following through.

While unreliable employees are inconvenient to an employer, they can be psychologically damaging to a client. Our clients with developmental disabilities are often unable to rationalize or understand inconsistency. It makes them feel unsettled and even unsafe. That’s why every one of our employees must be dependable and reliable.

Be Patient. It Takes Time to Trust.

Many social workers and direct support professionals are surprised to discover that it can take weeks, even months, for their clients to trust them. Even when the employee is patient, kind, consistent, and caring, some clients will continue to push them away.

As a social services professional, this is one of the most complex parts of the job. We reach out to help again and again but are ignored, rebuffed, or even pushed away.

Working with developmentally disabled people is demanding. Combined with a history of behavioral and medical issues, it becomes even more challenging. That’s why it’s so important to keep working with your team, adjusting care plans, and staying optimistic. Kindness, consistency, and caring will eventually help the client to trust the employee.

Don’t Give Up

Sometimes, even when it seems that we’re doing everything right, we don’t see progress with a client. Perhaps they have suffered extraordinary challenges or are emerging from exceptionally painful situations. In some cases, we begin to wonder if progress is even possible.

The hard truth is that progress isn’t guaranteed. But that’s no reason to give up. As social service providers and caregivers, we must keep trying. When we are charged with helping clients, we must continue to observe and record behavior. Over time, these observations will help us adjust our care plans to provide the best life possible. We don’t stop trying.

Ways to Get Started in Social Work

Some people go to college to get a social work degree. Others come to the field from psychology or medicine. But many people begin as direct support professionals or DSPs. Training as a DSP provides a relatively fast way to begin gaining experience in caregiving. At CIS, DSPs can be hired without experience in the field. We spend weeks in training and ensure that each new hire meets agency and state requirements. Some client needs require additional training and certification, which CIS will support and pay for if required.

This means that people of all ages can start a career in social services without investing in years of education. Instead, CIS offers paid training. We also promote from within, which is another way we help our employees grow in their careers.

If you’re interested in starting a social services career, visit our career page and see if any of our listings are right for you.