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Employee Engagement Yields Strong Customer Satisfaction

Vi, a luxury senior-living community established in 1987 as Classic Residence by Hyatt, is dedicated to helping older adults live more active and fulfilling lives. Central to this is an engaged and talented workforce that enables the high-touch programs, services, and amenities that make Vi one of the premier providers in this growing market. The company’s Management Development Program (MDP) is aimed at ensuring employees deliver on Vi’s brand promise. High employee engagement and low voluntary attrition are interwoven with high resident satisfaction.

Building Employee LoyaltyNow entering its fifth year, more than 450 employees have participated in Vi’s yearlong Management Development Program. This signature experience for frontline employees and emerging managers draws upon a variety of learning opportunities including classes, online learning plans, webinars, projects, reading assignments, mentoring, and job rotations. Action learning assignments, or “teach backs,” reinforce learning. Twenty-five percent of Vi’s MDP participants move into a higher-level position within one year of completion. Vi’s attrition rate is substantially lower than its competitors—21 percent in 2012 compared to an industry average of 33 percent and as high as 65 to 70 percent.

C L I E N T S U C C E S S S T O R Y

“The correlation between high employee engagement and high customer satisfaction scores at Vi is no accident. Our attention to giving employees best-in-class training leads to a dedicated workforce that keeps our residents happy.” Judy Whitcomb, Vice President of Human Resources, Learning & Organizational Development

BUSINESS CHALLENGE> Attract, retain, and develop the best

talent in the senior-living industry

AUDIENCE> More than 450 employees

OFFERINGS AND SERVICES USED> Harvard ManageMentor® v11

> Communications simulations

> HMM Cafés

> Harvard Business Review Press books

> Harvard Business Review articles

IMPACT> Highest resident satisfaction rates in

20 years

> Zero attrition among vital Nurse Leadership group

> 93% of employees know how their work contributes to the business

A T A G L A N C E

VI

UNITED STATES | EUROPE | INDIA | SINGAPORE

> For more information, visit: www.harvardbusiness.org

DRAMATIC RESULTS

Vi’s Management Development Program and overall focus on employee development has yielded dramatic results.

Performance Management:

■■ 95% say “I know what’s expected of me in the job”

■■ 93% say “I know how my role

contributes to the business”

Resident Satisfaction:

■■ 94.7% would recommend Vi to another (up from 82.6% in 2010)

■■ 93.6% are satisfied with their experience with Vi (up from 86.5% in 2010)

Organizational Performance:

■■ Employee Effectiveness: 20% higher than the average for high-performing companies

■■ Employee Satisfaction with Employee Recognition: 11% higher than the industry average and 5% higher than high-performing companies

■■Work Contributes to Business Goals: More than 93% of employees responded favorably—13% higher than industry norms and 7% higher than high-performing companies

UNITED STATES | EUROPE | INDIA | SINGAPORE

> For more information, visit: www.harvardbusiness.org

Learning in Different StylesVaried methods of delivery accommodate different learning styles. Vi’s emotional intelligence training, for example, is offered in a variety of modalities to ensure this essential skill receives the attention it deserves in this industry. Assessment tools test emotional intelligence; classroom training teaches techniques to develop the skill; and the Communications simulation, “Leading Teams with Emotional Intelligence,” augments and complements the learning.

Premium Content for Individual Development PlansVi’s thoughtful program design includes individual development plans for each participant. Employees meet with their supervisor to determine which skills and topics they need to focus on, and then select relevant materials from Harvard Business Publishing content. Harvard

ManageMentor® is used throughout the program. Harvard Business Review

articles and Harvard Business Review Press books provide keen insights and the latest in management thinking. Communication simulations cultivate real-world job skills. And live HMM Cafés and other learning sessions focus on business skills or competencies, and help participants apply their new knowledge to the job.

Showcasing ResultsVi makes an effort to market the results of MDP. Examples of individuals who have moved through the ranks, applied new thinking, or found that their job is easier because of the training are widely promoted to keep employees interested and engaged.

Grooming Vi’s Nurse LeadersVi modified this approach to address high attrition rates among nurse leaders, who are critical to providing the quality care expected in a senior-living community. The Leadership Institute is a comprehensive leadership development program specifically for nurse leaders and high-potential nurses. Each participant receives tools, resources, and executive coaching to develop and execute an action plan for integrating program concepts into a personal development plan. The results have been dramatic. Within 18 months, voluntary attrition rates dropped to 0 percent.

C L I E N T S U C C E S S S T O R YV I

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© 2013 Harvard Business School Publishing. Harvard Business Publishing is an affiliate of Harvard Business School.

“ I value the resources that Vi affords employees to be more engaged and satisfied.  I have personally witnessed a culture of ownership take root and develop.”   James Edwartoski, Executive Director, Vi at Aventura