October 21, 2015 | Peter Corless
It’s no secret that a major indicator of senior care providers’ success is staff retention. So it's good news for many in this industry hearing turnover is down nationally across leadership roles. Stability at the top portends well for the rest of the organization, right? Well, not so much it seems.
In fact, turnover is up among CNAs … to an alarming 36.51% compared to 30.15% last year* – over a 20% increase! Worse than that, some regions of the country are seeing CNA turnover rates of almost 60%. In a service industry where relationships between the day-to-day operations employees and customers (residents) are a driver of success, this is a 'call-to-action' statistic.
And with numbers like that, it’s no surprise residents are becoming activists and speaking out.
Despite the deteriorating turnover statistics, senior care leaders are quick to acknowledge that operational roles (like CNAs) are becoming ever-more vital to the success of their organization and the overall quality of care. This is a good sign and, proving they mean it, the average pay for these roles across the nation increased again this year.
Yet, financial incentives are only one lever that an organization can pull to decrease turnover, and it’s too often used solely to be competitive with other local senior care providers or local employers in general.
There are many other factors that contribute to caregiver attitude and ultimately, retention – recognition and schedule flexibility come to mind immediately – that organizations can address to mitigate turnover risk. But, have you ever considered that the overall culture of your workplace may be causing your caregivers to look elsewhere?
Senior care providers that build stability and dedication into their culture often report the highest levels of resident satisfaction. But for some organizations, even embracing this challenge may seem like a monumental undertaking.
We’ve all heard the saying “the first step is the hardest” and you might be thinking “I don’t even know where to start.” Changing a mindset across an organization requires careful planning, creativity, and a lot of patience.
Communication is the key, and it starts at the top. Open up lines of communication between different levels of the organization. Talk about what is working and, more importantly, what isn’t. Soliciting feedback in a collaborative, judgement-free forum can be priceless. You cannot address issues if you are not aware of them.
These conversations may also help you uncover the unique goals and motivations of your staff. And, making small changes that align to these goals may be very low or no-cost ways to reduce turnover.
Organizations that have embraced a culture of employee-centricity in the workplace note many desired benefits including better quality care, improved caregiver attitude, increased resident satisfaction and of course, lower turnover.
It’s time senior care leaders drew a line in the sand and start building a culture of stability through the entire organization, not just at the top.
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