DALLAS — Long-term care’s overwhelming No. 1 problem — staffing — must be met with aggressive, multipronged efforts to lure and retain workers.
That was a main message from a panel of workplace experts at a mainstage presentation Friday at the annual spring meeting of the National Investment Center for the Seniors Housing & Care Industry. Each expert addressed a handful of recommendations for the management-based audience.
“We all have to double-down on why we exist in the first place,” advised Myra Norton, CEO of Arena Analytics. “Without that, it’s hard to create solutions that move the needle.”
Focus must be placed on creating a “win-win” for both the organization and its people, she stressed. Consideration should be given to “now, near and far” thinking because “things aren’t going back to the way they were.”
That should be something providers aim for, regardless of whether the pandemic has worsened staff shortages over the last two years, said Jacquelyn Kung, CEO of Activated Insights. Huge employee turnover rates translate to poor resident experiences, she pointed out.
Senior care trails other sectors in three main areas that must be improved, she noted. When recruiting staff, senior care draws a much less robust response than others — about one-half as many applicants as the retail sector, one-third as that for hospital openings, and one-sixth of the response for hotel openings.
A solution is to “become great” and improve one’s reputation, Kung said.
Play to win
Senior care also lags in employee retention, she added. Since employees overwhelmingly cite the “special meaning” the work holds, that should be promoted and exploited more.
The field not elevating its own workers is the third third major shortcoming, Kung said. While senior care operators promote only 17% from within, while hospitals do so 46% or the time, retail 31% and hotels 30%. She called on providers to set a goal of promoting 40% from within, while also pressuring wages higher.
Norton emphasized that companies need to develop hiring plans with greater discipline, creativity and courage, while also ensuring CEO involvement.
To build a deeper, more stable workforce, she advised:
- Tapping non-traditional worker pools, including outside the industry. She also suggested reconsidering job requirements when attracting job candidates. “Fishing in the same pools and expecting different results is a variation on the definition of insanity,” she said.
- Hiring with outcomes in mind. Aim for people who “do things that matter.” This can be assisted by artificial intelligence profiling and eliminating bias that could be unknowingly systemic and come off as “unfair.”
- Supporting conditions that promote good work-life integration, including flexible work hours and locations if possible. “People want their lives to come first.”
- Rethinking your staffing mix among full-time, part-time and seasonal workers. Nearly half of part-time workers want more hours, she noted.
- “Co-creating” solutions. Frontline workers “hold the cards” and often see answers to problems the most clearly — if they’re asked. They also will remain vested in systems or initiatives longer if they have a hand in devising them.
Awareness, engagement are keys
For better retention and engagement of employees, leaders need to do three main things, said panelist Ed Frauenheim, co-founder of The Teal Team.
- Be aware of their own personal needs and care. This includes knowing one’s own blind spots, strengths and weaknesses.
- Know and care about their individual staff members. What do they want, fear and need to feel safe? Encourage their personal and professional growth. Know personal details.
- Help team members know and care about each other. Encourage interaction, whether at the beginning of meetings or through company-sponsored programs such as coffee breaks and cocktail hours. “You can’t skip the soft stuff any more,” Frauenheim said.
The key to building staff on a higher plane is achieving higher levels of engagement. That’s a level beyond mere satisfaction, noted Craig Deao, managing director at Huron Consulting. Satisfaction focuses on “What I get back” while engagement involves “What I give back” and considers an employee’s discretionary “effort when no one is looking,” he explained.
It comes down to commitment vs. compliance, Deao said.
Senior leaders should present, embody and direct the company’s mission, vision, values and also oversee compensation and benefits, he added.
Supervisors, meanwhile, have heavier lifts with regard to frontline employees. They must create strong lines of communication and set employee expectations, accompanied by follow-up, an often lacking step. Supervisors also must take responsibility for employee development, create personal connections and promote an air of positivity, Deao said.
He also recommends making monthly rounds to casually meet with each employee. In as little as five minutes, a supervisor should ask what’s working and who the supervisor can thank on the employee’s behalf. The boss also should ask if the employee has any ideas for improvements — and then follow through to help create any proposed solutions.
