Is your Community Using Technology to Recruit Millennials?

Late last year, USA Today reported on a recent Zogby Analytics survey analyzing Millennials and their use of Mobile Devices.  The study made some very interesting discoveries:

• Nearly 90% of millennials say their phones never leave their sides
• 80% of millennials start the day by reaching for their phones
• 78% of millennials spend 2+ hours a day on their devices 

These results may be surprising to some, but anyone who is working or living with millennials on a daily basis realizes the impact of mobile technology on this younger generation. With a son in college and a daughter in high school, I myself have seen how mobile technology has come to dominate their lives, so these percentages did not surprise me. What does continue to surprise me is how many providers are still putting off any plans for connecting with millennials through mobile technology, despite the fact that this will be increasingly detrimental to their bottom-line. This is especially true when it comes to recruiting young talent.

We all know about the high turnover rates plaguing long-term care and senior living (around 50% on average). This means that HR and hiring managers routinely face major staffing challenges while the aging baby-boomer population—a.k.a the silver tsunami—continues to increase the demand for senior care. The competition among providers to offer quality care and service at higher margins should drive them to recruit the best employees.

In this highly competitive hiring climate, being millennial-friendly is a huge selling point. In fact, embracing technology like electronic scheduling and mobile apps that allow employees to access key information from any location may be the deciding factor in where a young healthcare professional chooses to work. Bottom line - as these young professionals look for jobs, of which there are many, the best candidates are increasingly flocking to communities that have embraced technology, especially mobile technology.

You see, this generation of healthcare workers will not see electronic scheduling software and mobile apps that let them check their shift status from their bedroom as a novelty or a mere convenience. They will see it as a requirement, if not a necessity. Even if you are able to attract top young talent without it, most of these workers are not at all shy about leaving if and when greener pastures present themselves. It won’t be long until they become dissatisfied with the general lack of mobile-savviness and move on.

Under these circumstances, it goes without saying that your communities should be prioritizing technology initiatives, including electronic scheduling and mobile support for employees. Moreover, long-term care and senior living hiring managers should be selling these technology perks as they recruit and interview top young talent. By demonstrating that you understand the value and benefits of new tech trends, you are sending a message to millennial talent that you are willing to invest in solutions that are more productive and more employee-friendly, allowing the employees to focus on what they do best—care for residents. 

Top photo by Ambro from freedigitalphotos.net