Sponsored by WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
Leadership & Employees Agree On How To Improve Retention
Mark Woodka, CEO, OnShift A
lignment between organizational leadership and employees is essen- tial to building a positive work cul-
ture. With that in mind, OnShift surveyed thousands of post-acute care and senior living leaders and employees to understand their workforce challenges, priorities and perspectives. And, although the industry is facing
major staffing challenges, there is strong agreement from organizational leadership and employees on initiatives that will help build a stronger and more stable workforce.
Top workforce challenges The long-term care and senior living in- dustry has lost over 12% of its workforce in just the past two years, placing the industry squarely in the midst of a staffing crisis. This is clearly recognized by post-acute care and senior living leaders who cite staffing short- ages (79%) as the top workforce challenge they face, followed by finding and hiring job candidates (62%), and employee turnover (54%), all of which are contributing factors to the current staffing crisis. These workforce challenges have led most
providers to place a high level of priority on employee engagement and retention (83%) going into 2022. To be most effective in their efforts, leaders believe increases in pay/wages (82%), increases in staffing lev- els (65%), improved communication with staff members (51%), and more frequent recognition for work contributions (48%) would most significantly improve employee retention at their organization. These sentiments were directly in line
with the research findings from frontline employees. Most employees also focused on better pay, better staffing levels, increased communication, and appreciation from
40 SENIOR LIVING EXECUTIVE MARCH/APRIL 2022
management, when responding to what would make their job more satisfying. This consensus from both leaders and
employees provides a clear foundation need- ed for senior living organizations to improve employee retention.
Competition impacts wages One contributing factor to the workforce losses in the industry is a significant shift in competition for talent. In 2020, 89% of respondents cited other senior care organizations as their top competitor for employees. This year, the landscape has changed dramatically. Hospitals and health systems were cited as the top competitor. In addition, competition for talent outside the industry from segments such as hotels, restaurants, retail, and gig economy services rose 81% from the previous year. This astounding growth for competition
of talent from non-healthcare segments should be considered when evaluating em- ployee wage rates and benefits.
Staffing shortage solutions Staffing shortages are leading to employee burnout. In fact, nearly half of frontline employees cite burnout and stress as their biggest personal challenge. This is often caused by employees being routinely asked to pick up extra shifts. To help alleviate em- ployee burnout and ensure proper staffing levels, many OnShift customers are creat- ing internal staffing pools to help fill shifts. These internal staffing pools are comprised of employees shared by neighboring com- munities within their organization. As shifts become available, staffing pool members are alerted and can easily pick up shifts when needed. This has proven to be an effective way to improve staffing levels and has also
helped many providers reduce their reliance on expensive agency labor.
Listen and recognize OnShift’s research shows that today’s work- force wants a voice to influence change, open lines of communication with manag- ers, and gain recognition for hard work. If your only channels for employee feedback are an annual survey or occasional outreach, it will be difficult to improve retention. Pro- viders attuned to this are supporting their engagement efforts by utilizing technology like OnShift to frequently collect staff feed- back with pulse surveys and provide a sys- tematic rewards program that consistently recognizes employee contributions. By turning employee insights into action,
providers create a culture where people want to work. Without action, then you might not be honest with yourself on how much of a priority employee retention is to your organization. For more senior living workforce insights,
download OnShift’s latest Workforce 360 report at
onshift.com/workforce360.
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