The senior living field continues to rapidly grow and evolve, which means that our strategies to attract and retain top talent must evolve, too. Landing the right candidates for key roles requires a deep understanding of what today’s employees are really looking for. As you consider your strategy going forward, here are four of the benefits that could make or break your ability to connect with the talent you want — and how you can highlight your organization’s strengths in each area.

 

1. Adequate coverage

 While not a “benefit” in the usual sense of the word, this piece of workplace culture is critical to attracting and retaining talent in healthcare, including in senior care and assisted living. Research published by the American Medical Association found that work overload can nearly triple the risk of burnout and turnover in healthcare workers! Employees in this field have had a rough time of it in the last several years, and understaffing contributes significantly to the problem.

Be sure to highlight for candidates how your organization supports work/life balance and ensures adequate staffing levels. This also extends to the workloads themselves. Job candidates want to be confident that they can thrive and meet expectations without overworking themselves or being perpetually on call, so lay out for them how your policies support that.

 

2. Childcare and family solutions

 Support for having and caring for children is top of list for many top candidates. 48% of workers who left their jobs in 2021 said that issues with childcare contributed to that decision, according to Pew Research Center, and that number continues to be a significant proportion. Childcare issues are also likely to disproportionately impact core demographics in the senior care field. A study from Babycenter, reported in the St. Louis Business Journal, found that 54% of mothers say that childcare has somehow affected professional opportunities. Millennials – the demographic currently taking up the largest share of the workforce – are also most likely to be affected.

Candidates will be asking about a wide range of family-related benefits, from parental leave to flex scheduling, childcare support, and more. Be able to lay out the clear benefits you offer, and consider how you might be able to improve your offerings. Caring well for the caretakers is a big part of offering an attractive employee value proposition.

 

3. Career development

 MIT Sloan researchers found that 67% of surveyed employees want to advance their careers, which is great news – but 49% say they lack the advice or support they need to make those moves. With more and more people preferring to take a job at an organization where they can stay for a while, candidates will be looking closely at how they can grow – and not stagnate – when they decide about a role. Consider how your organization offers options for career development:

  • Do you have tuition programs or partnerships for continuing education?
  • Do you have skills development or mentorship initiatives?
  • Do you have resources to help employees explore potential career pathing?
  • Do you have a record of promoting internally?

 

4. Health care coverage

 It may seem intuitive, but robust health care remains one of the most important benefits for today’s employees. A CNBC/SurveyMonkey study found that the single most-desired benefit for employees is fully-covered health care premiums, with 51% of respondents ranking it first. In fact, nearly 20% of workers would even trade a lower salary for better health care benefits!

Expanded health care coverage can help set you apart from the competition. Consider additional benefits, such as mental health or reproductive care coverage, to further differentiate yourself. People want to be able to take care of themselves and their loved ones, even as they grow their careers, and offering strong health care benefits is a fantastic way to show that you’re invested in them as people, not just workers.

As you look for ways to best present your organization’s value proposition and attract top talent, Aspen is here to help! Talk to us to learn more about how we can connect you with exceptional talent and streamline the hiring process to get you the right candidates at the right time.

 

By Tom Zeleny, NHA