2014 Youth Home

Youth Home, Inc., a private non-profit healthcare facility, had placed a freeze on merit and cost of living increases for the last four years due to stagnant Medicaid payment rates. The employees of Youth Home worked together to find various ways to cut costs and as a result the company was able to provide the employees with a pay increase in 2013. However, Medicaid reimbursement payment levels are likely to continue to remain stagnant so Youth Home’s Human Resources was tasked with finding low or no cost ways to keep employees engaged.

The Human Resources Department accepted the challenge and built on the existing benefits program by adding many low or no cost perks and by starting a special committee, the KEEP committee. Keep stands for “Keep employees engaged and positive”. This group of employees from all over the agency decides how to spend a budget of $650 per month. Sometimes it is employees submitting each other’s names for going above and beyond and receiving gift cards, sometimes it is a surprise pancake breakfast or other idea. This committee keeps the ideas fresh and makes sure that the things that the agency does are really what the employees want to do, not just what management wants. As a result of these efforts, the organization has not seen an increase in turnover rates.

We are pleased to present the 2014 Arkansas HR Best Practice Award to Youth Home, Inc.