One of the biggest trends I’ve noticed over the past 6-9 months is the use of smartphones by workers in long-term care and senior living facilities and communities. I have seen a huge spike in smartphone usage by CNAs and caregivers in particular. A year or so ago, that was not the case. But, things have changed. In fact by 2014, mobile will be the most common way of accessing the internet.
Many CNAs and caregivers use smartphones as their primary computing device. Many don’t have a computer at home and quite frankly, don’t need it. Their phones have become their lifelines – getting in touch with friends and family, accessing news and community updates, staying on top of what’s happening in their social circles, and so on.
Such prevalent smartphone adoption was more than a big hint to us at OnShift that we need to “go mobile” for employees at our customers’ facilities. Today, I’m excited that we have made this a reality as we announce a new mobile app for employees.
OnShift has packaged up a full suite of scheduling capabilities for employees in the new easy-to-use app, which works on both the iPhone and Android platforms. Employees now have what they need to self-schedule at their fingertips, including the ability to request shifts, swap shifts, submit PTO, and set work availability and communication preferences.
We see this release as a significant one because it presents great benefits to both employees and the employer. The mobile app is able to merge employees’ work and shift preferences with approval workflows from the employer, creating desirable work schedules for everyone.
Keeping employees connected with employers and giving them greater control over their schedules will boost engagement and staff satisfaction. And with today’s heightened turnover rates in long-term care and senior living, hitting over 50% on average, an improvement in staff satisfaction creates a ripple effect of benefits throughout the organization – less turnover, lower costs, greater resident and family relationships, better care, and much more.
Our clients are excited about today’s announcement and Diane Geis, Executive Vice President of Human Resources, Altercare of Ohio, said it best, “Smartphones are the lifeline for many of our staff members, so I expect this app to be a home run at Altercare.”
Hit it outta the park with your employees by taking advantage of our new app. Learn more about the new mobile scheduling app from OnShift.