Inside the Black Box - Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago

Also described, however, were the ways in which leadership teams engage with frontline staff regularly
and share in the decision-making process. In other words, a “hands-off” attitude does not translate to
minimal interaction or limited communication.
Staff also receive support from leadership to prevent burnout, which is especially critical given the
emotionally demanding nature of the work. For staff and participants alike, the work demands great
ability to deal with emotional stress and trauma. When the emotion and stress get to a level that is
particularly trying on staff, leadership or other staff often intervene to encourage self-care or time off.
A few organizations in the study have used attrition data to plan staffing and resource allocation and
avoid overloading any particular staff member. At least two of the providers in the study use participant
attrition numbers to allocate staff resources for new cohorts of participants. By measuring dropout rates,
program administrators can allocate staff based on what the participant numbers will be as the program
begins rather than at enrollment. This allows the organization to more efficiently use its resources.
Staff Characteristics and Commitment
In many of the organizations, leadership acknowledged the essential role of staff in fulfilling the mission
and serving clients. One referred to staff as their “biggest resource.” Further, staff that interact with
clients on a daily basis possess and use specific qualities to deal with participants successfully. Therefore,
finding and hiring the right staff is an exceedingly important process that directly impacts the workforce
provider’s success, and involves intensive screening and evaluation of potential new staff. Moreover,
many of the qualities organizations look for in staff are subjective and may not always be based on
education and professional experience. This also means that credentials and the level of education among
staff range widely, from those with no college degree to PhD-holders, and are less emphasized in hiring
than candidates’ personal attributes and motivations. In one case, a director discussed hiring someone that
was inexperienced in the field, but was hired due to their passion and commitment to help the community.
These serve as the essential characteristics when identifying successful staff, while the training for their
roles and responsibilities can follow.
I could see that person was a little green, but I could work with him because he had those skills that
you can really build on…You could see the passion. You could definitely see the hunger. You can
really see the desire to help the community.
Organizations repeatedly stressed that their staff are committed to and passionate about the organization,
its mission, and its clients, and that these qualities were what drove the organization in its success.
I think that it’s very important that people have the skills. However, for me, it’s really important that
people [are] mission driven. It’s really, really important…the skills [are] great, but also having the
Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago 48