Since Argentum CEO James Balda took the helm in late 2014, he has spent many months traveling around the country and talking with members to learn about their businesses—the services they offer, the residents they serve and the people they employ. Time and again, he is told that workforce issues are among the top challenges senior living providers face today.
From high employee turnover and fierce competition for talent to growing wage pressures, the senior living market is facing serious workforce issues. And they’re made even more challenging by a looming caregiver shortage. Largely due to an influx of aging Americans, the industry will need to recruit 1.2 million new employees by 2025. That means continuing to establish attractive work environments and career paths despite these hurdles—essentially creating what could be seen as an uphill battle for some organizations.
We at OnShift are very aware of these industry-wide problems. Our entire company is dedicated to helping providers overcome their workforce challenges with easy-to-use software and proactive services so they can staff consistently and efficiently each and every day. Because these issues are near and dear to our hearts, we saw an opportunity to collaborate with Argentum and work together to move the industry forward.
To that end, we are looking to find out what providers are doing to retain employees; the causes of turnover in senior living; some of the career paths available and the ways in which those paths are laid out for employees; and what providers are doing to prepare for the looming workforce shortage. We will develop resources, research and tools to move the needle for senior living operators and to help them through difficult times with respect to staffing. We are dedicated over the next three years to put together data, insights and actionable best practices so providers don’t have to bear the burden of ongoing workforce issues at a time when the industry is stressed by a worker shortage.