Sponsored by WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT


Insights From The C-Suite: The Senior Living Workforce


Mark Woodka, CEO, OnShift


ipate on a power-packed panel with some of the most inspirational and successful leaders in senior living: Judd Harper, pres- ident, The Arbor Company, Bill Pettit, president, RD Merrill Company, and Mitchell Warren, chairman, chief executive ocer and co-owner, The LaSalle Group. During our session, “Insights from the


T


C-Suite: The Senior Living Workforce,” we examined the current state of the workforce, key challenges, and how organizations are addressing their workforce issues. With the shortage of senior living workers


expected to swell to 1.2 million, and turn- over rates hitting 50% or more, the work- force issues in our profession are massive. In fact, one panelist described the state of the stang crisis as the most acute he has ever seen, “requiring a sea change to overcome.” Openly sharing strategies and practices is an important step in helping the senior living industry mitigate these challenges. Here are four key strategies shared during


the panel discussion that can drive mean- ingful impact.


1. Make People The Priority. There’s no question that senior living provid- ers prioritize care above all else. But in order to consistently drive quality care and service, senior living leaders must make workforce development a top priority – no exceptions. One panelist remarked that a successful


operation requires prioritizing not just res- idents, but all people, including their team members. Another executive added that prior to the stang crisis,  of their time was spent on occupancy, resident care, and dining. He had an epiphany, realizing that


his year’s Argentum Senior Living Executive Conference was the best one yet. I was fortunate to partic-


their workforce requires the same attention and focus in order to succeed. Now, the or- ganization has made workforce a top prior- ity–recruiting, hiring, onboarding, engaging and retaining—in order to perform.


2. There Is Such A Thing As Free Lunch. True story: some senior living providers offer free lunch, every day, to their staff. ree lunch is a healthy way for managers to show employ- ees they care, which is a great stride toward engaging staff. uring the panel discussion, there was a lot of talk about which employee perks are most effective. eyond free meals, the ability to offer flexible schedules and short- er shifts, sping up the break room, offering continuing education, driving open commu- nications, and consistently surveying staff were shared as examples that make an impact.


3. Give Associates A Time-Out. One “non-healthcare” story mentioned during the discussion really grabbed my at- tention. An executive shared how one busy retailer is helping cashiers better handle ev- eryday workplace stress. At this retailer, when cashiers grow tired of talking to customers, the company offers them respite by relocating them to another part of the store to perform different tasks. In other words, when cashiers get stressed out, they have an opportunity to take a break by performing different work. I love this concept for senior living, especially considering the high-stress work that can burn out caregivers. With diligent planning and accounting of hours, offering associates the opportunity to recharge their batteries in this same manner could have a big impact on a community. A break from caregiving and other stressful demands can help employees feel better, which can also benefit the residents, their families, and the organization overall.


4. Understand Turnover Inside And Out. While an industry standard metric to mea- sure turnover is in the works by Argentum’s workforce development committee, there are plenty of ways to dive in. Our discussion explored the need to analyze turnover by timeframe, position, shift and supervisor. The panelists discussed a best practice of working with their finance leaders to build a financial model to encapsulate the cost of turnover, and then flipping the model to focus on re- tention. For example, one panelist said if it costs $5,000 each time an employee leaves, ED’s should ask for $5,000 to “go out and do stuff” to focus on engaging and retaining staff. Then, weigh the impact of retaining employees against the costs of turnover. During our discussion, there was no short-


age of practices and innovative approaches to conquering workforce challenges in senior living. We all agreed that the more we share, the better we all become. If you have a prov- en practice for recruiting, hiring, scheduling, engaging or retaining employees, I’d love to hear from you! Feel free to contact me at mwoodka@onshift.com.


ISSUE 3 2017 / ARGENTUM.ORG 29


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