A Recipe for Employee Retention in Senior Care

In a recent Senior Housing Forum blog post, Denise Boudreau-Scott shared a story about a senior living community where every single person who walked in the door was offered something to eat or drink. Every single person! Imagine the impact this has on someone who arrives to interview for a job at that community. I’d imagine the potential employee would feel especially welcome and think the organization is a great place to work.
With caregiver turnover in senior care reaching 50%, communities need to do everything they can to not only hire the right employees, but also keep them. Building a positive culture, sharing it at the very onset-- when someone walks in the door--and living it each and every day are great ways to keep employees happy and engaged.

Unfortunately, many employees leave within the first 90 days of a new job. Stronger programs and efforts in the area of onboarding, training and engagement can help overcome turnover challenges. A mentor program, an employee task force, and allowing employees to provide input into their work schedules can make them feel valued and wanting to come to work each day. All of these things are extensions of the organization’s culture, which can be expressed at the very earliest stages with just a Coke and a smile.

For more tips on increasing employee engagement in your facility or community, check out our whitepaper, 5-Step Action Plan to Improve Employee Engagement.