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Along with the first order offer - 15% discount (with the code "get15off"), you save extra 10% since we provide 300 words/page instead of 275 words/pageHistory and Facts of Benchmark Senior Living
Benchmark Senior Living is the biggest provider of senior living services including independent living support, assisted living, memory care, and short-term care.
It was founded in January 1997 by Tom Grape, a chairman and a present chief executive officer of the company. Today, the organization manages 45 communities and is the largest care provider in Connecticut. The company is known for its positive reputation for excellent quality of care and services (A Benchmark Senior Living Community, 2013).
Today, due to a demographic situation of aging in America, the assisted living industry is a fast growing competitive field. Thus, it is necessary to create favorable conditions for maintaining high standard value-based service. To align its practices and values, Benchmark has established a number of corporate practices that are applied in each of 45 communities. It is aimed to ensure that every employee is familiar with companys work principles.
Benchmarks Core Values
Benchmarks main values are presented with the abbreviation PERSONAL. This set of values stands for excellent personalized service, respectful communication with collaborators and customers, and honest and transparent policy. It also requires employees to be passionate about their work, be responsible, dependable, and committed to their duties and open and ready for changes, be willing to learn and upgrade their professional skills through innovations (Mayfield, 2011).
Benchmark Systems of Recognition and Compensation
Chief of the organization believes that the best way to reinforce core values in daily company performance is to develop substantial encouragement programs. During its existence, Benchmark has established numerous programs aimed to recognize and compensate a well done job. In a course of achieving this goal, the company set a so-called culture ambassador position in all its communities. The purpose of culture ambassador is to support Benchmark’s mission by keeping every employee motivated to provide high quality service. Company’s systems of recognition provide every cooperator with an opportunity to increase annual income by 20% by granting them different awards. For instance, On-the-Spot Awards are given to the best associates for performing beyond the expectation of their job. Safety On-the-Spot Awards are given for doing something extraordinary to increase safety in Benchmark Community. Community bonuses are awarded to communities for excellent results in terms of income increase. There are also Service Champions awards, which are given every month to the best employee in each community chosen by executive director. Benchmark/Community Champions Awards are annually given to frontline employees based on the results of their work during one year period. Gratitude Grams are established to mark decent work of particular employee justified by co-coworkers choice. Magic Moments Award provides a magazine cover of communitys data for Magic Maker nomination on a monthly basis. The nominee for Compassionate Caregiver Award is chosen by Tom Grape and is awarded at annual awards gala with a money prize (Mayfield, 2011).
Workforce Training
Besides encouragement programs, Benchmark Senior Living has established relevant educational programs in order to maintain its value-based culture. Training starts with a day-and-a-half orientation. During this time, new employees learn company policies, community-specific systems, and infrastructure. Benchmark employees must create individual annual development plans, which contain both personal and professional goals based on the individual aspirations and interests. Education programs are embodied though Benchmark University, compensation for courses attended in other educational establishments, and through in-service training. Each community, depending on its size, is claimed to have a certain number of skilled faculty members, who are trained to work with adult learners (Mayfield, 2011).
One Company Fund
To celebrate its 10th anniversary, Benchmark’s leadership decided to create a separate non-profit organization aimed to provide financial support to employees and their families in times of extreme hardship. It was an appropriate way to thank company associates and show that they were appreciated and cared for. One company’s fund is staff-supported organization that increases funds through community activities, contests, and individual donations. Both full- and part-time workers can apply for an emergency grant to be a part of the company for more than one year. In 2009 and 2010, the fund gave away 135 grants that together amounted to around 178 000$. Establishing One Company Fund was done with a goal to maintain Benchmark Senior Living policy of strong moral values throughout the times of crisis.
(Mayfield, 2011).
Benchmark Senior Living Tangible Results
Unshakable determination to apply the all about people policy has brought significant positive outcomes both to companys staff and Benchmark’s business. In April 2010, for 2009 year survey employees announced an increase of opportunities to learn and grow.
Benchmark Senior Living Community’s recognition can be seen through the history of its numerous rewards. In 2008, the company received Help and Hope Public Health Award for making an essential impact in health and policy to fight the arthritis issue. Continuing to work on the same health problem, they obtained Arthritis Foundation’s National Public Health Award for co-creation of Arthritis Foundation Exercise Program. The same year, the company was among Boston Globe’s Top 100 Places to Work, and kept its leading position until present days. Benchmark received three awards for establishing One Company Fund. These are New Heaven Healthcare Hero Institution Award (2008), Young President’s Organization’s Corporate Social Responsibility Award (2009), and Assisted Living Federation of America’s “Best of the Best”(2009). Furthermore, the company received three other rewards named Assisted Living Federation of America: Award for Benchmark Lead Aide: Steps for Success Program (2013), Program to Spotlight Honoree for Bedford Falls (2013), and Award for Benchmark’s Sensory Dining Services Program (2009). Benchmark Senior Living Community was named Best Places to Work in 2010, 2011, and 2012 years by Boston Business Journal’s (Benchmark Senior Living, n. d.).