The LeadingAge Center for Applied Research asked LeadingAge members to disclose their most prominent workforce issues in nursing homes, assisted living communities and home and community-based services. And, I have to be honest; I’m not at all surprised by the results as the study reaffirms known workforce challenges within long-term care and senior living today.
The Big Three
A workforce shortage is among us and the senior living profession is feeling the brunt of it. Those that responded to the LeadingAge survey say they face considerable challenges in the following three areas:
- Finding quality employees (52.7%)
- Turnover (9%) and retention (13.0%)
- Competitive wages (8%)
How do we address each one?
A workforce shortage certainly is a force to reckon with, but the challenges can be met when you take a step back and evaluate where you’re at and what you need to address in each of these three areas. Here are three suggestions to address each of these workforce challenges in senior care:
Find quality employees by establishing your brand and letting it be heard. According to the survey, insufficient quality applicants is the most pressing workforce issue. Not having the right talent is detrimental to your organization, so increase your applicant flow by letting prospects know what you’re all about. Here are three ways to attract quality hires:
- Create a mission. Transparency is key, so be upfront about your organization’s values and goals. Most people who are attracted to the senior care profession in the first place have a desire to do good in the world, so make sure you communicate how you would allow them to do that. As a bonus, outlining a clear mission will give you a better idea of the traits you want to look for in the candidates you want to attract.
- Speak your audience’s language. Keep in mind you will be communicating mostly with millennials, who currently make up 78% of new hires in senior care. This group values making the world a better place, teamwork and professional growth. They’re also avid users of technology, so be sure to showcase your brand on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and other relevant social media platforms
- Use a referral program. Good people usually know good people. Use your employee’s social circles to your advantage and offer them an incentive for referring talent. Many providers say referred employees have a better retention rate since the referring employee has a vested interest in their success.
See how Senior Living Communities reduced turnover by 15.6% percent and saved $300,000 in annual labor costs.
Boost retention and reduce turnover by engaging your current employees. The saying “you never know what you have until it’s gone” applies to this practice. Sometimes we’re so busy worrying about a multitude of concerns, that we overlook showing appreciation for what’s right in front of us. Take time to focus on the people that you do have before hardworking, dedicated employees leave, and it’s too late. Create a happy and engaged workforce with these three tips:
- Practice open communication. Let employees know that their input matters and invite them to share their ideas. It’s also good practice to regularly update employees on any organizational changes. Even things a simple as open shifts and opportunities to fill in for call-offs should be equitably relayed to everyone who wants an opportunity to fill in when they’re needed.
- Consistently recognize good performance. Show your employees that they’re valued and recognize their hard work and commitment in a fair and equitable way. There are many ways to do this, but a rewards program is a great place to start. Be sure to be consistent with your rewards program.
- Use an effective onboarding process. Engaged and happy employees are created on Day 1, so make sure your new hire orientation and training is both informative and engaging. Don’t just feed them an oral history of your company and send them into their unit, use interactive learning tools like games and open discussions to set them up for success. Introduce new employees to key staff members and discuss their scheduling preferences during this time.
Control unnecessary labor costs to provide competitive wages. We’ve found that excess labor costs are largely related to how you schedule your staff. At industry events, we regularly ask senior care executives for their biggest pain point, and a significant number of respondents cite scheduling. That’s no surprise since scheduling plays a large role in your ability to provide high-quality care, control costs and boost employee satisfaction. Effective scheduling practices can reduce your labor costs and position you to possibly redirect savings to wages in the future. Try these three practices when managing labor costs:
- Curb OT with proactive scheduling. You can’t predict the future but you can prepare for it the best you can. When creating and managing your schedule, use technology that tracks each employee’s hours (those hours already worked + those that the employee is scheduled to work) and shows you where overtime is projected. In addition, make sure you’re flexing staff hours to meet your residents’ needs and avoid potential overstaffing costs.
- Give staff visibility into open shifts with the goal of eliminating agency use. Bringing in agency workers is costly in many ways. It negatively impacts your bottom line, staff dynamics and potentially the quality of care since, since agency personnel aren’t familiar with your residents’ needs. Avoid this expense by alerting staff to any open shifts in your schedule.
- Fill call-offs with qualified and cost-effective replacements. Most overtime occurs last minute when scrambling to find a replacement. Have a process in place where you can quickly communicate when a shift needs covered and alert all qualified and available staff members in real-time. Then choose the best fit replacement that won’t incur overtime.
Your organization’s future will be determined by your ability to adapt and embrace change. Using the right technology is important for both showcasing your brand across multiple channels to attract talent and for achieving your financial results. The senior care world is fast-paced and ever-evolving, so taking control of these challenges will make your future brighter, your employees more engaged, and your residents happier.
