Cassia believes that well-rounded employees are key to providing exceptional care and service to residents and their families. Mentorship serves as a tool to help employees be more well-rounded. That’s why Cassia launched the Thrive Mentorship Program in 2024: to foster skill development and personal growth.
The Origin and Vision of Thrive
Thrive stemmed from Cassia’s IDEAL Committee, which stands for Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Love.
“We wanted to create a program where everyone felt they could be included and get whatever skill and experience you wanted to have out of it,” says Jeri Rosenberg, a human resources director at Cassia.
Mentorships go beyond job-specific training to help individuals better themselves in other ways.
How Thrive Operates
Thrive started with an initial cohort of three mentors known as coaches paired with three mentees referred to as tyros.
Members of the HR department created; reviewed and revised tools, tips, tricks and content for coaches to enhance their meetings with their tyros. Jeri says those in the first cohort received the tools well and enjoyed the experience.
Cassia aims to expand Thrive to six to eight teams in the next cohort in fall 2024. Interested individuals will apply to be tyros and coaches. Jeri will work to pair tyros with coaches who have expertise in the tyro’s area(s) of interest. In some cases, Jeri will reach out to others who she believes will pair well with a tyro applicant.
Each cohort lasts four months, with each week focusing on one of Cassia’s eight service standards.
“They can use that as their focus piece or just to integrate that in with what they’re doing,” Jeri says.
Coaches can reach out to other Cassia employees and individuals outside the organization for help related to the tyro’s interests.
Real-Life Success Stories
One tyro was a young, first-time manager paired with an executive administrator. They focused on self-awareness, emotional intelligence and leadership. Skills testing taught the tyro more about her leadership style so she could more effectively manage her team.
An information technology employee wanted to improve his public speaking skills. His coach was no stranger to public speaking. She introduced him to a network of individuals who helped him branch out. She also created tools to assist him when he is speaking in front of others.
Jeri participated herself, mentoring an intern focused on IDEAL initiatives. He wanted to learn more about healthcare analytics as he pursues a degree in that field.
Positive Feedback and Outcomes
One tyro said it was amazing to participate in Thrive because he learned beneficial information.
Coaches praised the program, as well.
“Coaches said they were valuable tools to lead the conversations with the tyros,” Jeri says. “They enjoyed the one-on-one experience and ability to have others to call upon to help with whatever the tyro needed or was looking to get out of the experience.”
A Win-Win-Win Situation
Jeri says she believes everyone wins when people participate in the Thrive Mentorship Program.
Coaches have the opportunity to share their strengths and experiences with others, gaining leadership experience along the way.
Tyros get to enhance their connections and networks, learn new skills and improve on others. That leads to growth they otherwise may never have achieved.
Cassia as a whole wins, as well.
“I think it benefits Cassia because it helps broaden people’s skills,” Jeri says. “It helps retain employees because they learn new skills outside their scope of duties. It’s always good to have people who have a variety of skills and experiences.”
