Over the course of a year, the market went from being saturated with jobs, to being saturated with candidates. The industry has always had its ups-and-downs, but it’s now harder than ever to find quality candidates. Poor staffing and inadequate management has been reported to be a major issue among communities. People are reluctant to enter a workforce that has the potential to become a pandemic hotspot.
According to an article from McKnight Senior Living, a survey from OnShift interviewing SL operators found that:
- 67% stated the top workforce challenge is finding/hiring qualified candidates.
- 57% stated the top workforce challenge was employee turnover.
- Compared to last year, there was a 50% increase in survey respondents listing that staffing. to meeting resident care needs as a top workforce challenge.
- 74% of poll participants reported difficulties with consistently filling shifts.
- 33% of respondents still said some shifts do not have enough staff.
- 31% have been forced to adjust employee roles.
- 33% are understaffed.
One of the main reasons why retaining talent is difficult is because almost everyone is experiencing burnout. People are looking for a quick exit, and the safety concerns of COVID-19 have proven to be a challenge for employees.
Sadly, the majority of respondents said they believe that these problems aren’t going away anytime soon. Operators desperately need to remedy the situation.
Currently, only 24% of communities have reported using agencies to cover their staffing needs.
Providers need to create and inform their recruitment strategy moving forward. With a limited amount of staff members, it’s important to allocate time wisely. Recruitment firms fast-track sourcing and quickly locate the best senior care executives.
With retention concerns, it’s important to look back over the last year to see if there’s been a notable change in their turnover rates. With this information, you’ll be able to find potential issues with your current strategy and fix it. Perhaps the majority of turnover rates were due to layoffs…. or maybe it was overworking, weird hours, or stress. Not only should you work with a firm to figure out how to attract talent despite these issues but figure out how to manage these issues internally.
Working with a firm is the beginning of securing talent. Once they’ve been locked-in, providers will need to improve employee training and communication to create a well-prepared, high-quality workforce.
Future residents will continue to carry high expectations. They’re going to look at the reputation quality of care. Financial constraints are going to make it difficult to maintain, but it all starts with hiring and staffing.
Senior living has experienced robust growth with a forward-looking 10-year horizon of more growth and innovation. JDI’s Senior Living practice brings a unique blend of access to the top talent in the Senior Living while leveraging 15 years of experience placing executives in the hotel industry. JDI is uniquely able to offer organizations a blended talent pool comprehensive of top talent from both Senior Living and Hospitality, giving their clients an offering they cannot get anywhere else. If you’re interested in learning more, reach out to one of our recruiters here.