Most senior living facilities have been concerned for the health of their residents. The pandemic has turned communities’ recruitment efforts upside down and shifted their focus primarily towards protecting seniors.
While the worry hasn’t faded, quality workers are desperately needed during these times.
Here are 3 things senior living communities should do to find talent:
Utilize virtual interviews and training
Video interviews are the new standard. To prevent the risk of COVID-19, especially in senior living, hiring managers are conducting their interviews through Zoom. This also means you can require applicants to submit a video of themselves as part of the application process. Additionally, you can conduct video conferences and completely remove the in-person session.
A benefit to this, other than you’re guaranteeing social distance, is that you can fast track the hiring process. An increasing trend is using training videos during the onboarding process. Short iPhone videos can help new employees stay on track while maintaining distance
Expand industries
Owners should look at companies that have had to reduce staffing levels due to the pandemic. There has been an outpouring of candidates forced out of their roles and looking for new jobs. Specifically, the hospitality industry has many displaced employees; they serve in relevant areas like housekeeping, food and beverage, sales, and maintenance.
In the past, the hotel industry has been a great source of talent. Since, their specialty is enhancing their customer service, hoteliers can help senior living facilities elevate their experiences. This also provides an opportunity to spearhead new and original initiatives.
It’s also important to note that the pandemic has made it easier to hire from non-traditional sectors. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has recently waived the requirement of people requiring certification after four months.
Use telemedicine
Before the pandemic started, telemedicine was growing rapidly in senior living. Telehealth distributes health-related services via technology. It allows long-distance patient and clinician contact, care, advice and monitoring. Finding remote physicians, nurses and dietitians will widen up your talent pool. It’s also more accessible to some seniors that may be uncomfortable with any in-person contact.
While you should keep on-staff employees, working with remote staff can help avoid spreading your in-person employees too thin.