A New Era of Senior Living: Empowering Teams and Enhancing Care

As the senior living industry continues to navigate through challenges brought on by shifting demographics and evolving workforce expectations, understanding the dynamics at play is critical. The "Senior Care Survey Report: Workforce 360" released earlier this year by ShiftKey and OnShift, consists of analysis of a survey of over 1,700 industry leaders. It offers key insights aimed at addressing pivotal challenges and opportunities within today’s senior living workforce.

Recruitment and Retention Challenges

A notable 62% of senior care leaders report difficulties recruiting qualified full-time employees, signaling a persistent challenge despite some improvement from previous years. This reflects the tight labor market’s impact on senior living, emphasizing the urgency for strategic workforce management. The report suggests investing in technology for flexibility and better communication as crucial strategies for addressing these challenges.

Addressing High Turnover with Flexibility and Engagement

With compensation and wage pressures highlighted by more than half of the respondents, the financial implications of high turnover rates, estimated to cost between $3,500 and $5,000 per frontline employee, underscore the urgency for effective workforce management strategies to manage these costs. 74% of respondents indicated they see employee engagement and retention as key priorities, with 41% specifically noting the benefits of flexible scheduling on retention. This reinforces a growing recognition of work-life balance and its impact on employee satisfaction within the industry.

Better Communications and Operations Through Technology

The “Workforce 360” report also examines the strategic use of technology to foster more communications as well as streamlined operations. With 68% of senior care leaders seeking employee communication features, it’s clear that technology investments are seen as vital to improving operational efficiency and employee satisfaction.

Integrating suitable technology solutions can help senior living communities overcome challenges by facilitating flexible scheduling practices, 40% recognized, and may also help enhance employee communication. Additionally, when asked if utilizing independent professionals would help their organization grow occupancy, 74% said yes or somewhat, highlighting the role of independent professionals as an important part of a total workforce strategy.

For senior living leaders, these findings highlight the need to adopt a forward-thinking approach to workforce management. Emphasizing flexibility in scheduling, enhanced communication tools, and initiatives for strategic employee engagement are crucial. Solutions that provide advanced scheduling functionality and that facilitate real-time employee feedback, such as that offered by OnShift and the total workforce visibility provided by SAMI (Schedule Automation Marketplace Integration), could significantly contribute to optimized operations and improved outcomes.

Benchmark Your Organization

To explore the full analysis of insights and data points to inform the strategic planning and operational decisions, download the complete "Senior Care Survey Report: Workforce 360." Use it as a tool to compare your current strategies against broader industry trends and to discover workable solutions for enhancing your workforce management. Make informed decisions that could significantly improve your organization’s operational success and employee satisfaction.