Sponsored by WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
3 Key Questions To Combat Turnover Mark Woodka, CEO, OnShift T
his year’s Argentum Senior Living Executive Conference in San Diego was another fi ve-star event.
The keynote speakers, sessions, and net- working events were insightful, produc- tive, and fun, too. As always, it was great to catch up with so many people, while opening doors with the newest member of the OnShift team, Lisa Fordyce, a widely recognized leader in senior living. Workforce issues rang through as one of
the biggest themes of the conference. Time and again, the topic of employee turnover came up and truly to no one’s surprise. With high competition, unemployment rates under 4 percent and a growing workforce shortage, this is nothing short of a crisis. Fortunately, one of the greatest benefits of getting together at the event is that we can exchange ideas and collectively work together to solve these problems. Here are three important questions to ask
of your organization as you work to address employee turnover:
What is your turnover rate and how are you measuring it? To successfully combat turnover chal- lenges, you must fi rst identify how big of an issue it is for your organization. This can be challenging as there is currently no standard for measuring turnover and retention in senior living. To remedy this, Argentum’s workforce development com- mittee has been tasked with developing an industry-standard calculation for measur- ing turnover and retention in senior liv- ing. These metrics will allow providers to accurately benchmark and compare their organizations. At the conference, Brent Weil, Argentum
vice president of workforce development, and I took the stage during the opening
40 SENIOR LIVING EXECUTIVE MAY/JUNE 2018
session to update attendees on this initiative, including the status of the pilot program. To date, turnover and retention data has been collected from approximately 325 senior living communities, consisting of nearly 80,000 employees in positions ranging from nursing to dining services. This data will be used to create a standard method of reporting. The pilot program is expanding so just let us know if you’re interested in participating.
How much does turnover cost your organization? Determining the true cost of turnover may be easier said than done. As a best practice, work with your fi nance leaders to develop a model that works best for your organization. Research estimates that the cost of a care- giver leaving is approximately $5,000. This estimate includes direct costs like recruiting, screening, and training. But, you may want to develop a model that is more holistic and includes additional costs such as the use of agency workers or overtime incurred as a result of fi lling vacant shifts. In addition, staff instability negatively
impacts quality of care and service, staff morale, and customer satisfaction. Consider correlating your turnover rates with addi- tional operational and clinical measures for a more comprehensive view into the true cost of turnover.
What are you doing to prevent turnover? Research shows that high employee engage- ment leads to higher profi tability, productiv- ity, and yes, less turnover. When employees are engaged, they have bought into your organization and are actively working to advance your mission. It’s no wonder then that employee engagement initiatives are one of the best ways to tackle turnover.
There are many ways senior living orga-
nizations can engage staff . Start by taking the temperature of your staff with pulse sur- veys that provide a quick and simple way to continuously gauge satisfaction. Conducting these brief surveys on a consistent basis, at least a few times a month, allows providers to capture feedback and act upon it in a timely fashion. Recognizing and rewarding employees
also goes a long way toward improving engagement. Systematic rewards programs are one of the best ways to fairly and consistently recognize employees for great performance and a job well done. Employee engagement doesn’t have to be
complex to be eff ective—but it does need to be consistent. OnShift’s newest off ering, OnShift Engage, was developed specifi cally to help senior care providers systematize their engagement initiatives. Early adopters have reduced turnover by up to 67 percent and improved overall satisfaction.
It’s this
consistency that drives engagement and off ers momentum in creating a workforce that is satisfi ed and dedicated to helping their organizations thrive.
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