This year, McKnight’s “Mood of the Market” survey uncovered a sense of optimism permeating the senior care industry, but it comes with a catch. Yes, employee satisfaction is up. Yet, with a workforce just beginning to recover from the pandemic, the situation is tenuous. Seize the moment, and solidify employee contentment with these five strategies.
1. Provide your team with flexibility
Healthcare professionals often can’t participate in important events in their lives due to their schedules. A whopping 94% of them say their jobs have required significant personal sacrifices, like missing weddings and funerals. McKnight’s found that although flexible options are increasing, 14.5% of nurses and 16.75% of administrators said a more flexible schedule would be “one of two changes that would most improve their job satisfaction.”
When people are talking about work-life balance, they get the fact that they’ve got to work a weekend or a holiday. I think real work-life balance is, what does it particularly mean to that person? Can I go to the Mother’s Day lunch? Could I get out at a time earlier than 5:00? The key is the flexibility is there when you need flexibility.
When we surveyed senior care leaders earlier this year, they were also focused on flexibility: 41% said they often allow employees to work flexible shift times, and 41% stated that more scheduling flexibility was a key to employee retention. To learn more about the art and science of mastering flexibility in your organization, including evaluating your current workforce paradigm, see our webinar, “Mastering Flexibility: Retaining Talent And Driving Operational Excellence.”
2. Support nurse leadership
McKnight’s survey found that 39% of nurse leaders considered quitting this year. That number is down from last year’s 53%+, but it’s far from ideal. Nurse leaders also feel overworked, with the majority saying they were “asked to do too much.” McKnight’s attributed this finding to the workforce shortage, especially for Directors of Nursing (DoNs), who tend to be responsible for filling coverage gaps and regulatory reporting, which can be an overwhelmingly negative experience.
Consider conducting monthly one-on-ones, pulse surveys and peer-led focus groups to gather regular feedback from nurse leaders so that you understand the challenges they’re facing. Support them by using technology to improve organizational communication, streamline scheduling and make reporting easier.
3. Ensure ideal workforce levels
Positive resident outcomes contributed to the overall feeling of optimism showcased in McKnight’s survey. Ensuring ideal workforce coverage enables your team to focus on delivering excellent care to all residents. It can also relieve the burden on overworked healthcare professionals, which protects them from burnout.
Some skilled nursing facilities are limiting new admissions to support their staff, but you don’t have to choose between your staff and those who need care. Technology, like scheduling platforms, can help you increase workforce levels as occupancy rises, provided it gives you a full picture of your schedule, census and available workforce.
SAMI, our proprietary technology, goes even further. It enables facilities to access reliable independent professionals when necessary to drive census growth, while still empowering employees first on their terms. For example, Silver Bluff Village, an independently owned, 142-bed skilled nursing facility located in Canton, North Carolina, used SAMI to grow census by 21% while boosting team morale and reducing burnout.
4. Offer professional development programs
Professionals surveyed by McKnight’s showed interest in training opportunities, alongside benefits and pay. As a strategy for increasing engagement, professional development programs work in a few ways. One, they enable you to train your current workforce for positions you need now or in the future. Two, it keeps people engaged. Three, it lets your staff know that you are invested in their growth, which can increase their loyalty to your organization. Four, it allows you to prepare your team for more senior roles, benefitting your community over time.
When creating your professional development plan, solicit feedback from your employees to find out what kind of opportunities they are looking for and understand their career goals. Technology can assist you with running regular surveys, which are critical to creating development plans that hit the mark and taking the pulse of overall employee sentiment.
5. Engage staffing agency alternatives
Skilled nursing facilities are reducing agency usage, and 36% of McKnight’s survey respondents named that as one of the “good things that happened at work.” While that is a positive development, facilities will likely be unable to meet the growing demand for care or their employees' increased desire for flexibility without some external support.
Agency usage is often seen as a necessary evil, but technology platforms can empower your facility with transparent pricing and full control. An ideal platform gives you the power of choice — in how often you use it and who cares for your residents.
SAMI unites OnShift’s industry-leading scheduling software with ShiftKey’s powerful independent professional marketplace. It specifically contributes to a culture of transparency, giving schedulers and facility leaders visibility into independent-professional reliability, scheduling, usage and more.
Make external workers an integral part of your workforce strategy to keep your employees’ satisfaction levels high, provide them with flexibility they need and want, and accept admissions requests without burning out your team.
Preparing for the future
Investing in your team is a solid move in any market. If you’re looking for more in-depth guidance or technology that can support your retention efforts, get in touch with our team today.
References
“2024 McKnight’s Mood of the Market survey: Nursing Home Leaders’ Thoughts of Quitting Subside With ‘Return to Normality.’” (McKnight’s)
“Mood of the Market Part 2: Pay Pressure Persists.” (McKnight’s)
“Senior Care Survey Report: Workforce 360” (ShiftKey)
“Mood of the Market Part 3: Amid Unforgiving Regulatory Burden, Some Nursing Home Leaders Buoyed By New Workplace Flexibilities.” (McKnight’s)
“Mcknight’s Survey: Expelling Agency, Elevated Mood Among The Best Things Nursing Home Leaders Enjoyed This Year.” (McKnight’s)
