While many have the impression that careers in long-term or senior care are second rate with long hours and little pay, the truth is that a career in the long-term care industry can have great rewards. Fortune recently released a list of long-term care organizations committed to supporting a top-notch employee experience, while a recent Canadian study shows that individuals who have empathy, patience and a desire to learn thrive in the LTC work setting.
With the demand for long-term care workers on the rise in Canada and the United States, more facilities across North America are working to attract more qualified employees to open roles by applying best practices in employee culture to the long-term care sector.
Here are some helpful tips on how to build a better long-term care work culture and attract more high-quality candidates:
Build Your Brand
No matter what their current employment status, 72 percent of adults look out for new jobs, and long-term care facility leaders must put in the effort to convince candidates of the benefits of working in the LTC industry. Building the brand of the LTC facility is crucial to attracting more potential candidates. Brand building can come in the form of a revised and strengthened online career site. LTC leaders should consider allocating resources to improving and optimizing their company’s site, so that the organization’s culture, values and mission are prominently highlighted in order to attract highly qualified professionals. Site optimization can also help target specific candidate personas. A little effort in optimizing a career site can go a long way in increasing the number of high-quality applicants.
Use Better Software
Introduce effective recruiting software in your organization. Recruitment software, including tools such as applicant-tracking and marketing platforms, offer healthcare leaders access to highly skilled healthcare professionals seeking employment.
Track Low-Hanging Fruit
Use a tracking system to manage the recruitment process. Put in place a call-back schedule so that there is regular engagement with quality candidates who may not be ready to join immediately, but would consider joining your team in the future.
Career Planning
A common misconception of the LTC industry is that there is limited room for career growth. With today’s job seekers looking for clearly defined career paths and growth opportunities, LTC leaders would be wise to ensure that they have career counselling and training policies in place.
Work-Life Balance
Focus on what your ideal candidate needs to ensure work-life balance. Recruit the best talent by offering continued education and training, top equipment and digital tools, and counselling and self-care strategies to cope with potential job stress and burnout. Consider offering flexible schedules to attract more candidates who seek a balance between personal time and work time.
Great Onboarding
Ensuring that new employees feel like part of the team is important for long-term employee retention. Statistics found by Google HR show that genuine and friendly greetings from managers can lead to increased employee engagement of up to 15% over the first year of an individual’s employment.
Be a Great Manager
In its quest to make better bosses, Google poured over performance reviews and feedback surveys, ultimately determining that great managers exhibit eight key behaviours, including acting as a good coach by providing consistent and constructive feedback, and engaging in regular one-on-one meetings. The Google team also found that empowering employees with stretch assignments, expressing interest in team member’s success and personal well-being, enabling the team to be results oriented, being a good communicator and listener, and supporting employees in career development all contribute to management strength. Finally, Google discovered that great managers have a clear vision and strategy for their teams, paired with the right technical skills to help the team when needed.
Continuous Training
It’s important to offer employees all the tools they need to succeed. After ensuring new employees meet with their managers to understand their career goals and milestones, outline personalized training plans to help them succeed in the job and move up the ladder. Measurable goals and available training resources will ensure that employees feel valued, and contribute to quality employee retention.
With the new hiring challenges that long-term care facilities are facing, LTC leaders must find new ways to attract top-notch employees. Applying best practices in employee culture to the LTC industry is a great start.
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