Children and Youth Services Review 33 (2011) 157–160

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A recent look at the factors influencing workforce retention in public child welfare

Sharon E. Williams a,⁎, Quienton l. Nichols b, Alan Kirk b, Takeisha Wilson b

a Grambling State University, LA, USAb Kennesaw State University, GA, USA

⁎ Corresponding author. Tel.: +318 274 3305; fax:+E-mail address: williamsha@gram.edu (S.E. Williams

0190-7409/$ – see front matter © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. Aldoi:10.1016/j.childyouth.2010.08.028

a b s t r a c t

a r t i c l e i n f o

Article history:Received 17 May 2010Accepted 31 August 2010Available online 17 September 2010

Keywords:RetentionPublic child welfare

Consistency of services to children and their families continues to be an ongoing problem in public childwelfare agencies. Worker turnover is high, thus affecting the availability of a well trained, experiencedworkforce. It is critical that we continue to explore the factors associated with worker turnover and retentionin public child welfare agencies. Such knowledge will allow us to determine the needs of workers,administrators, and the agency in general, in an effort to create an environment that will result in workerretention, and a better quality of services. Children and their families will be major benefactors of suchknowledge as the consistency and quality of services will be enhanced. Existing research has found thatoutcomes for families and children are affected by the workload and training of frontline workers, andorganizational characteristics (GAO, 2003, NASW, 2004, and Milner, 2003). This study describes personal andorganizational factors relative to worker retention for public child welfare workers in the northwest corridorof Georgia.

318 274 3254.).

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© 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

1. Existing research: factors that impact retention

Studies have shown a consistent downward spiral in terms ofworker turnover. Reports show turnover rates as high as 57% for someprivate agencies and 45% for some public child welfare agenciesnationally. Greater turnovers seem to be among CPS workers.Research in the area of retention has shown that two primary areascan be used to categorize factors associated with retention: personalfactors and organizational factors (Landsman, 2001).

Personal factors that are positively associated with workerretention include professional commitment to families and children;previous work experience; education; job satisfaction; efficacy; andother characteristics such as age, being bi-lingual, etc. Personalqualities that are negatively associated with worker retention areburnout; emotional exhaustion; role overload, conflict and stress;salary; reasonable workload; coworker support; supervisory support;opportunities for advancement; and organizational commitment andvaluing employees (Zlotnik, DePanfilis, Daining, & Lane, 2005;Weaveret al., 2006).

A recent study conducted by Strolin-Gotzman, Auerbach,McGowan, and McCarthy (2008), analyzed the similarities anddifferences of the factors that influence intention to leave amongrural, urban, and suburban child welfare districts in 25 public childwelfare systems in the Northeastern portion of New York state. Italso examined four organizational factors, two individual factors

and one supervisory factor in the evaluation of effective macro levelinitiatives aimed to increase workforce retention; thereby improv-ing the lives of children and families in care. The four organizationalfactors were operationalized as (1) life work, (2) job supports, (3)salary/benefits, and (4) job satisfaction. The two individual andsupervisory factors were social degree, tenure on the job, andsupervisor support respectively.

Relevant findings from this study provided similar results fromearlier studies with regard to predictors of turnover such as life-work fit, job satisfaction and tenure on job (Ellett, Ellett, & Rugutt,2003; Dickinson & Perry, 2002; Jones, 2002; Juby & Scannapieco,2007; Jacquet, Clark, Morazes & Withers, 2008; Milner, 2003;Landsman, 2007); conversely, this study found that having a socialwork degree was interrelated and influenced intention to leave andthat intention to leave was significantly lower in suburbanagencies than in urban or rural agencies. Findings also indicatedthat life-work fit significantly influenced intention to leave in ruraland urban agencies; having a social work degree and tenure on thejob were interrelated factors that influenced intention to leave;and that continued professional development opportunities couldpossibly serve as preventative measures to intention to leave thechild welfare work force. Studies conducted over the past decadehave shown a consistent pattern of worker turnover, andfurthermore that personal and organizational factors affect inten-tion to leave the agency. It is critical that we continue to explore,describe, explain and predict personal and organizational factorsthat impact worker retention, as well as develop, implement andevaluate strategies for addressing worker turnover and retention inchild welfare agencies.

Table 1Demographic variables.

•Gender60.56% of the respondents were females39% of respondents were males

•Race/Ethnicity36.62% of respondents were African American16.90% were White1.41% were of Hispanic/LatinoThe remaining respondents identified as other or did not answer

•AgeAges ranged between 20 and 60, with average age approximately 2819.72% of the respondents were between the age of 31–4017.61% of the respondents were 41–60 years of ageLess than 1% (.70%) of respondents identified themselves as being over theage of 6019.72% of the respondents did not identify their ages

•SalarySalaries range between $25,000 and $50,00052% of respondents had salaries between $25,000 and $30,000. The remaining48% varied considerably.

•Household incomeRespondents' household incomes ranged between 25,000 and $70,000The larger interval, 40% of the respondents’ had incomes between$25,000 and $40,000; these are likely single individuals29% of the respondent's household incomes were between $56,000and $70,000; these are likely married individuals.

•Highest level of education33% have Bachelor level degrees18% of respondents’ highest degree was at the graduate level

•Undergraduate majors29.53% majored in Social Work11.41% majored in Psychology5.37% majored in Sociology

•Graduate majors19.18% majored in Social Work80% majored in other disciplines such as Psychology

•Case manager unit32% of respondents worked in the Child Protection Services Unit38% of respondents were in the Foster Care Unit

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2. Problem studied

Though research has been conducted investigating workerretention and turnover, the problem of high turnover continues toexist. This study is a beginning effort to explore and describe workerretention in the state of Georgia, and create a continuum of researchto work collaboratively with state agencies in defining best practicesfor employing strategies for recruitment and retention of publicchild welfare workers, and evaluating the effectiveness of suchstrategies.

This study initiates the process of systematically evaluating bestpractices by first exploring and describing factors associated withretention and turnover in an effort to develop a baseline fordiscussion, and comparison to national findings.

3. Need for study

Consistency of service to children and their families continues tobe an ongoing problem in public child welfare agencies. Workerturnover is high, thus affecting the availability of a well trained,experienced workforce. Understanding the factors associated withretention and turnover will provide the knowledge needed todetermine the needs of workers, administrators, and the agency ingeneral, in an effort to create an environment that will result inworker retention, and a better quality of services to children and theirfamilies.

4. Purpose of the study

The purpose of this study was to explore and describe workerretention patterns of child welfare workers in Georgia's districts 1, 3,13 and 17, relative to management style and professionalism ofsupervisors, multicultural knowledge, values and skills, and numer-ous other factors.

5. Institutional Review Board (IRB)

This study was reviewed and approved by the IRB at KennesawState University Human Subjects Committee. Subsequently, CountyAgency Administrators were contacted by telephone, email and inperson to inform them of the study, and to solicit their support andparticipation. All study participants were recruited and selected inaccord with the standards of the university IRB at Kennesaw StateUniversity.

6. Research design

This study utilized a survey research design. Worker retention andrelated factors were measured utilizing a self administered surveyconsisting of 160 items. Previous studies have found a relationshipbetween professionalism of managers as well as numerous otherfactors and worker retention; however, none have factored in theconcepts of multicultural awareness, knowledge and skills aspotential correlates of worker retention.

This study seeks to answer primary and secondary researchquestions including:

Primary: What are the factors that describe worker retention inpublic child welfare agencies for selective rural and urban countiesin Georgia?Secondary 1: What are workers’ perceptions of management styleof managers and supervisors?Secondary 2: What are workers’ perception of manager andsupervisor professionalism?Secondary 3: Is cultural competence a factor in worker retention?

7. Sample and sampling procedure

A convenience sample of 260 public child welfare workers wasselected from public child welfare agencies in the state of Georgiafrom four districts north of Atlanta. District 1 consists of primary ruralcounties consisting of Murray, Gilmer, Fannin, Whitfield, Walker,Chattoga and Dade counties; District 13, an urban county consisted ofFulton County and; District 17 consists of urban, rural and suburbanincluded Cherokee, Cobb and Douglas counties. All agencies involvedexcept Fulton County were participants in the KSU's Title IV-EProgram. Participants in the study were either case managers orsupervisors of case managers (Table 1).

8. Instrumentation and data collection

Mixed methods were used to generate both qualitative andquantitative data. Data from the study provided information on:

1. the patterns of worker retention across urban and rural agencies;2. survey data to assess workers’ perceptions of correlates associated

with retention;3. demographic information on child welfare workers; and4. data to assess multicultural knowledge, values and skills.

Data were collected using a modified version of the WorkforceRetention Survey developed by the Social Work Education Consor-tium of State University System of New York (SUNY). A standardizedscale, the Multi-Cultural Counseling Inventory was used to assessmulticultural awareness, knowledge and skills of the participants.

Table 2What are the factors that describe worker retention for public child welfare workersin the districts of the state of Georgia identified for this study?

Professional commitment: About 50% seem committed to the agency and clientsEducation: Most have bachelor degrees in social work and psychologyJob satisfaction: 60% feel good about what the agency does; however, 55%are not satisfied with their job

Intent to leave: 50% have taken various steps to look for other jobsEfficacy is lowBurn out: Only 3% reported feeling emotionally strong and not burned outSalary: Only 3% are satisfied with their salariesWork load: Only 12% feel that the work load is reasonableSupport from coworkers: They feel that they receive sufficient support fromco-workers

Few are satisfied with opportunities for advancementTechnology is not sufficient

Table 4What are workers’ perceptions of manager and supervisor professionalism?

Respondents report that supervisors do not show leadershipNo incentives are provided for good workThere is little recognition from supervisorsThey do not feel respected by supervisorsSome question whether the agency values their safety and well being

Table 5Do workers feel effective in providing culturally competent services?

159S.E. Williams et al. / Children and Youth Services Review 33 (2011) 157–160

9. Data analysis

Data were analyzed and reported in the aggregate. A univariateanalysis was used to describe demographics of study participants,workers perceptions of factors associated with retention, andmulticultural awareness, knowledge and skills. Data were organizedaround the primary and secondary research questions.

10. Discussion and conclusions

The study results indicate that public child welfare workers in thisstudy are consistent with existing research with regard to workforceretention along most factors; however, there are some differences(Table 2). Studies have shown a consistent downward spiral in termsof worker turnover. Georgia is consistent. In one area, a countyexperienced a 50% retention rate, loosing nearly half of its workforcewithin a one year period. Regarding personal factors that arepositively associated with retention, study participants rated profes-sional commitment to the agency and the families they serve are high.Regarding education, most have bachelor degrees. Job satisfactionwasrated high. Efficacy is high nationally; however, low in Georgia.Regarding personal qualities that are negatively associated burnout ishigh nationally and in Georgia; Emotional Exhaustion is highnationally and in Georgia; role overload/conflict/stress is highnationally, and in Georgia as well.

Organizational factors that are positively associated nationallyinclude better salaries, reasonable workloads, coworker support,supervisory support, opportunities for advancement, and organiza-tional commitment and valuing employees (Zlotnik et al., 2005). Theorganizational factor positively associated with retention in Georgiawas coworker support. Organizational factors that were rated low bystudy participants include salary, reasonable workload, supervisorysupport, opportunities for advancement, and organizational commit-ment to and valuing of employees.

11. Summary of findings with regard to retention factors

Among study participants, workers are committed to the agency;however, they do not feel that the agency is committed to them ortheir well being (Table 3). Workers enjoy the support of coworkers;however, they do not feel that they are supported by supervisors(Table 4). Workers are not satisfied with technology, nor their

Table 3What are workers’ perceptions of management style of managers and supervisors?

They feel that supervisors are competent; however, not supportiveSupervisors and managers do not acknowledge their work in a positive mannerThe management style of supervisors does not communicate that the agencyvalues its workers.

salaries, and do not feel effective in their jobs. Many are experiencingemotional exhaustion and burnout, and are looking for new jobs.Management styles in the agency do not translate into a culture ofleadership and caring. Workers report having cultural awareness;however, they do not know how to apply this awareness, nor are theyaware of culturally specific resources (Table 5).

Given the findings above, and in comparison to national studies,agencies are likely to experience continuous patterns of workerturnover. Agencies need to develop strategies for addressing thecurrent work environment, worker's dismay with the agencies, andorganizational factors so as to create a work environment that lendsitself to worker retention.

12. Recommendations

Based on the findings and conclusions, the following arerecommended: additional training for management on how tosupervise their workers, and create a culture of support; promotinga new leadership paradigm such as transformative leadership thatleads to being able to empathize with the emotional needs of workers.Rural counties appeared to be less informed about cultural knowl-edge, indicating a need for training in this area.

13. Implications for practice

The implications for social work practice with regard to retentionof the workforce of public child welfare workers are profuse.However, to promote the retention of public child welfare workersin Georgia, child welfare agencies may perhaps provide training thatwill assist supervisors in improving their supportive and leadershipskills when dealing with their supervisees. Agencies could alsodetermine what types of supervision facilitate workers’ needs, andwhat kind of training supervisors need to enhance their effectiveness.Make a distinction between what new supervisors and experiencedsupervisors might want and need in the way of support and trainingto help them do their jobs more effective.

14. Implications for policy

Policy adjustments are needed regarding case load sizes, thesupervisor selection process and the training process for supervisors.The availability of resources, the case worker's workload, andsupervisor's management skills must be considered when determin-ing policy changes with regard to workforce retention. Policyadjustments are needed regarding case load sizes, the supervisorselection process and the training process for supervisors. Theavailability of resources, the case worker's workload, and supervisor's

About 40% report having cultural knowledge and awareness overallWith regard to ethnicity, about 50% feel that they are knowledgeableWith regard to racism, about 60% feel that they are knowledgeableWith regard to multicultural counseling, 40% feel competentThough they report being culturally competent, they do not feel prepared toapply this knowledge in client cases: and

They do not feel good about their ability to identify diverse and culturallyspecific resources

160 S.E. Williams et al. / Children and Youth Services Review 33 (2011) 157–160

management skills must be considered when determining policychanges with regard to workforce retention.

15. Implications for future research

Conduct intense interviews and focus groups to hear fromworkers, supervisors and managers regarding their perceptions ofneeds, and how such needs may be facilitated to improve the overallclimate of the agency, and quality of relationships within theorganization.

References

Dickinson, N. S., & Perry, R. E. (2002). Factors influencing the retention of speciallyeducated public childwelfareworkers. Evaluation Research in ChildWelfare, 15(3/4),89−103.

Ellett, A. J., Ellett, C. D., & Rugutt, J. K. (2003). A study of personal and organizationalfactors contributing to employee retention and turnover in child welfare in Georgia.Executive Summary and final project report. Athens, Georgia: University of GeorgiaSchool of Social Work.

Jacquet, S., Clark, S., Morazes, J., & Withers, R. (2008). The role of supervision inthe retention of public child welfare workers. Journal of Public Child Welfare, 1(3),27−54.

Jones, L. (2002). A follow-up of a Title IV-E program's graduates’ retention rates ina public child welfare agency. Evaluation Re Research in Child Welfare, 15(3/4),39−51.

Juby, C., & Scannapieco, M. (2007). Characteristics of work load management in publicchild welfare. Administration in Social Work, 31(3), 95−109.

Landsman, M. J. (2001). Commitment in public child welfare. Social Service Review, 75,386−419.

Landsman, M. J. (2007). Supporting child welfare workers supervisors to improveworker retention. Child Welfare, 86(2), 105−125.

Milner, J. (2003). Changing the culture of the workforce. Closing plenary session of theAnnual Meeting of the States and Tribes. Retrieved October 15, 2008 from http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/cwrp/changing_culture.htm

Strolin-Gotzman, J., Auerbach, C., McGowan, B., & McCarthy, M. (2008). Therelationship between organizational characteristics and workforce turnoveramong rural, urban, and suburban public child welfare systems. Administration inSocial Work, 32(1), 77−91.

Weaver, D., Chang, J., & Gil de Silva, M. (2006). The retention of public child welfareworkers. Berkeley: University of California at Berkeley: California Social WorkEducation Center.

Zlotnik, J. L., DePanfilis, D., Daining, C., & Lane, M. (2005). Factors influencing retention ofchild welfare staff: A systematic review of research.Washington, DC: Institute for theAdvancement of Social Work Research.

Dr. Sharon E. Williams is Associate Dean and Professor of Social Work at GramblingState University. Dr. Quienton L. Nichols is an Assistant Professor of Social Work andDirector of Field Education at Kennesaw State University. Dr. Alan R. Kirk is a Professorand MSW Program Director at Kennesaw State University. Takeisha Wilson is theCoordinator of the Child Welfare Title IV-E Program at Kennesaw State University. Thisstudy was conducted in collaboration with the State University System of New York,Albany.