Business
What we do at SwanCare is so important. But how we do it is even more critical. This is always front of mind for us as we consistently work to improve our services for our residents and employees. And it’s what inspired us to refresh our employee value proposition (EVP).
An EVP is there to showcase why someone should work with us. It should motivate the right people to join SwanCare and inspire our existing team members to deliver meaningful work every day.
After reflecting on SwanCare’s journey and where we are now, we’re proud to announce that our new EVP is “Enriching lives for a living”.
Accompanied by our refreshed vision and purpose statements:
Vision: To enrich the lives of everyone in our community.
Purpose: To provide a caring community where every person feels safe and has the freedom and choice to live the life they desire.
Nancy Kingston, SwanCare’s Brand & Marketing Manager, explained the significance of this new messaging.
“The word ‘enrich’ lends itself to highlighting that what we do is not just about improvement, especially in tangible areas, but more so around providing a sense of purpose, connection and enhancing the quality of life of those around us. This is evident across everything that we do as an organisation and it starts with those we recruit.”
We spoke with CEO Graham Francis to discuss how our new EVP will be brought to life throughout the organisation.
The articulation of SwanCare’s EVP has recently evolved from “improving lives for a living'' to “enriching lives for a living”. What inspired this transformation?
It’s more of an evolution than a change. We’ve always tried to focus on not only enriching our residents' lives but also our staff's lives. The word “enrich” feels stronger and more meaningful, suggesting a deeper connection where someone can get more holistic value out of the time they spend at work.
Can you describe the significance “enriching” has for you personally?
Enriching means different things for different people. It can be as simple as feeling good about coming to work or doing something good for a resident. Making a difference in their lives provides that personal enrichment and feeling of accomplishment.
How will this be embedded across the SwanCare community for residents and employees?
It starts with listening. First and foremost, we’re committed to listening to our staff and engaging them so their thoughts, desires, goals, pain points and challenges are taken on board. It’s about making them understand that they’re an important part of what we’re trying to achieve, and we couldn’t do what we’re trying to do without their input.
How do you plan to implement this in the recruitment and onboarding process for new staff members?
Our vision and purpose are essential to the employee induction process from day one. We want every person working here to feel safe and comfortable in our work environment, and our actions ensure staff also get enrichment out of the time they’re here. That has been more difficult in this previous year because of the challenges and uncertainty we faced throughout COVID-19, but that is also why it’s so important for us to understand what our staff have been going through and be strong in our support of them.
What does this mean for the work SwanCare does every day?
One ongoing initiative is our monthly staff ‘Thank You’ lunches. This gives our Managers a chance to come together with all staff to extend our gratitude for the work everyone puts in and provide them with a catered meal. There was also a really great example several months ago during the height of COVID-19 outbreaks when our staff were feeling a lot of pressure at a time when our residents' family members could not visit in person. The Chairperson of our Board personally wrote a letter to every staff member, thanking them for the work they were doing and letting them know they had the Board’s support. It was a very easy thing for her to do, but the authenticity of the message shone through, and it was very well received. It is very much a priority for us to listen and communicate to our staff with an open heart.
How do you plan to bring this ethos into your role as CEO?
I spend a lot of time walking around our facilities, observing and interacting with our staff at the coal face. I make every effort to be approachable, empathetic and understanding as I really want our staff to know how important they are. What they do not only means a great deal to us as a business but also to our residents. They really do make a huge difference and enrich lives daily.
After reflecting on SwanCare’s journey and where we are now, we’re proud to announce that our new EVP is “Enriching lives for a living”.
Accompanied by our refreshed vision and purpose statements:
Vision: To enrich the lives of everyone in our community.
Purpose: To provide a caring community where every person feels safe and has the freedom and choice to live the life they desire.
Nancy Kingston, SwanCare’s Brand & Marketing Manager, explained the significance of this new messaging.
“The word ‘enrich’ lends itself to highlighting that what we do is not just about improvement, especially in tangible areas, but more so around providing a sense of purpose, connection and enhancing the quality of life of those around us. This is evident across everything that we do as an organisation and it starts with those we recruit.”
We spoke with CEO Graham Francis to discuss how our new EVP will be brought to life throughout the organisation.
The articulation of SwanCare’s EVP has recently evolved from “improving lives for a living'' to “enriching lives for a living”. What inspired this transformation?
It’s more of an evolution than a change. We’ve always tried to focus on not only enriching our residents' lives but also our staff's lives. The word “enrich” feels stronger and more meaningful, suggesting a deeper connection where someone can get more holistic value out of the time they spend at work.
Can you describe the significance “enriching” has for you personally?
Enriching means different things for different people. It can be as simple as feeling good about coming to work or doing something good for a resident. Making a difference in their lives provides that personal enrichment and feeling of accomplishment.
How will this be embedded across the SwanCare community for residents and employees?
It starts with listening. First and foremost, we’re committed to listening to our staff and engaging them so their thoughts, desires, goals, pain points and challenges are taken on board. It’s about making them understand that they’re an important part of what we’re trying to achieve, and we couldn’t do what we’re trying to do without their input.
How do you plan to implement this in the recruitment and onboarding process for new staff members?
Our vision and purpose are essential to the employee induction process from day one. We want every person working here to feel safe and comfortable in our work environment, and our actions ensure staff also get enrichment out of the time they’re here. That has been more difficult in this previous year because of the challenges and uncertainty we faced throughout COVID-19, but that is also why it’s so important for us to understand what our staff have been going through and be strong in our support of them.
What does this mean for the work SwanCare does every day?
One ongoing initiative is our monthly staff ‘Thank You’ lunches. This gives our Managers a chance to come together with all staff to extend our gratitude for the work everyone puts in and provide them with a catered meal. There was also a really great example several months ago during the height of COVID-19 outbreaks when our staff were feeling a lot of pressure at a time when our residents' family members could not visit in person. The Chairperson of our Board personally wrote a letter to every staff member, thanking them for the work they were doing and letting them know they had the Board’s support. It was a very easy thing for her to do, but the authenticity of the message shone through, and it was very well received. It is very much a priority for us to listen and communicate to our staff with an open heart.
How do you plan to bring this ethos into your role as CEO?
I spend a lot of time walking around our facilities, observing and interacting with our staff at the coal face. I make every effort to be approachable, empathetic and understanding as I really want our staff to know how important they are. What they do not only means a great deal to us as a business but also to our residents. They really do make a huge difference and enrich lives daily.
