Not all perks are created equal. Some perks appeal to certain age groups, while others are costly and difficult to maintain. But if there were ever a time to take a closer look at what you offer employees, that time is now.
The long-term care and senior living professions face intense labor and retention issues—making the perks you offer a huge differentiator in attracting, engaging and retaining employees. In fact, according to PwC’s 2017 Employee Financial Wellness Survey, 79% of employees say they would pick perks over a pay raise.
With that in mind, here are a few feasible-for-senior-care perks that your organization can offer to attract new hires and retain current employees.
70% of new hires in senior care are millennials, meaning providers have an opportunity to capitalize on the desires of this group.
One perk that workers, especially millennials, appreciate is tuition reimbursement. According to a survey from the public relations agency Padilla, 59% of millennial respondents said tuition reimbursement programs would boost their engagement at the workplace.
Tuition reimbursement can also provide incentive for employees to advance their education while working at your organization. In turn, they’ll learn new skills that can prove to be useful in their current role and help them grow within the company.
Of course, not every request for reimbursement will be approved. Instead, providers should prioritize approval for programs that teach employees skills that will be valuable to the organization and limit the total dollars approved in a budget year.
According to a recent Career Builder study, 78% of employees live paycheck to paycheck. As a result, anything that an employer can do to help alleviate this stress will be welcomed by employees.
With risk free financial wellness software, providers can allow employees to gain real-time access to their earned but unpaid income between paychecks when an unexpected expense puts them in a bind. Simply knowing they have access to it will provide employees peace of mind.
Providers can also offer support that doesn’t include increasing wages with group discounts and on-site education about fiscal management.
Other than pay, scheduling flexibility is rated as the top driver in job satisfaction. Understanding employee obligations outside of work and giving them more control over their schedules will dramatically improve retention.
Consider offering more convenient shift times and the ability to easily pick up shifts on-the-go. Easy and convenient online scheduling helps employers create better work-life balance for their employees.
Whether it’s cash, a gift card or a bonus in their next paycheck, thanking your high performers for all that they do is crucial for employee engagement. And you don’t need to spend a fortune to demonstrate that you recognize their contributions to your organization. In fact, you might be surprised to see just how meaningful a $15 gift card is to an employee for a job well done.
Employee engagement software for senior care lets providers use a point system to easily reward staff for good behavior like clocking in and out on time, not calling off and achieving tenure milestones.
Want more perks?
The perks above are just a sampling of what providers can offer employees in the race to attract and retain talent. To see the full list, download our Big Book of Perks for Senior Care where you’ll get 30+ plus ways to make your organization stand out against the competition.