As part of our continuous dedication to the senior care industry, OnShift conducted our second Workforce 360 Survey this past fall. The goal of this survey was to learn more about the workforce challenges facing providers, as well as to capture insights into how COVID-19 is impacting employees and their organizations. This year, over 2100 industry professionals shared their perspectives. Thank you to all who participated in this survey!
As expected, the influence of the current crisis can be felt throughout the report, starting with the top workforce challenge. In 2019, providers reported that employee turnover was their greatest workforce challenge, followed by finding and hiring qualified candidates. This year, these top two challenges swapped positions, suggesting that while turnover remains a major issue across the industry, recruitment efforts have become even more difficult throughout the pandemic.
Other key findings include:
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- The top personal challenges facing employees today are burnout and fear and safety concerns due to COVID-19.
- Year over year, there was a 50 percent increase in respondents citing staffing to meet resident care needs and managing excess labor costs as top challenges.
- The majority (74 percent) of respondents cite relying on overtime to fill shifts and the data shows agency worker usage has increased 22 percent year over year.
- The majority of respondents indicate they believe the industry’s challenges will remain the same or worsen over the next three years and that technology will play a significant role in going up against these challenges.
- Providers are placing a high priority on investing in technologies that will allow them to better support staff and grow their workforce. Employee scheduling and employee communication technologies are at the top of this list.
I encourage you to download the full report to see how your organization stacks up and learn what top providers are doing to improve the lives of their employees, and build a strong and sustainable workforce today and in future.