WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
Public Perceptions of Careers in Senior Living
Argentum in concert with national polling firm ORC International conducted a survey in September 2016 to explore public perceptions about jobs and careers in senior living. The online survey includes responses from 801 adults ages 18 to 64 who self-selected for participation from across the United States. The report summarizes key findings and identifies implications for moving forward.
A
professional, caring staff lies at the heart of senior living. In- dustry communities are poised
to serve the burgeoning population of older adults, but will need to craft creative solutions to attract, engage and retain workers in a competitive marketplace. Argentum has identified workforce devel- opment as a key issue impacting the senior living industry well into the next decade. The senior living industry is an engine
of job growth for the nation. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data indicate the senior living industry outpaced average U.S. job growth by 3.7% from 2001 through 2014. Senior living employment is expected to exceed 1.1 million by 2025, spurring the industry with a need to attract more than 1.2 million new employees by 2025 and cre- ate conditions favorable to retaining them. Ensuring that senior living is an indus-
try of choice for qualified workers will require effective, sustained action on a number of fronts including public policy and legislation, academic programming and certification, investment in training and development opportunities as well as professional credentialing to elevate the sta- tus of the profession and provide standard qualifications. Important to these efforts will be understanding, and eventually track-
ing, specific factors that drive employee satisfaction and engagement in the senior living industry.
Key Findings: Survey results indicate that interest in a ca- reer in the senior living industry is closely and directly linked with awareness and familiarity with senior living. Workforce development success will require an effective communica- tion strategy to raise awareness and create familiarity with what senior living is and what it offers, especially among the youngest cohorts entering the workforce. Millennials (ages 18-35) accounted for 40% of respon- dents, Gen X (36-51) represented 32%; and baby boomers (52-64) made up 24%. » Two-thirds of respondents who had firsthand experience with senior living would recommend it for a family mem- ber who needed assistance, while only one in three without that experience would do so.
» One in three respondents (32%) with firsthand family experience with senior living would consider a career in the in- dustry, compared with only 13% of those without firsthand experience. Nearly two-thirds (62%) of the latter group said they would not consider it, compared to 54% of those with experience.
“I would be afraid of getting too attached to the residents, and when someone would pass away, it would affect me.”
Survey Respondent 30 SENIOR LIVING EXECUTIVE / NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016
BABY BOOMERS FAIR PAY, CHANCE TO USE SKILLS
GEN X FLEXIBILITY
MILLENNIALS CAREER
ADVANCEMENT
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72