HJNO Jul/Aug 2022

46 JUL / AUG 2022 I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS COLUMN  SENIOR HEALTH AS the aging population grows and expands, so does the retention crisis of nurses, nursing assistants, and other healthcare professionals working in the senior living industry. The retention crisis is rampant across the healthcare spectrum around the world, and managers are struggling to keep up with the constant turnover. As soon as an employee position is filled, another position becomes vacant, leaving assisted living and nursing care residents with the lack of attention they so deservedly need. Human Resources are frequently misled during the interview believing they have just hired an amazing, qualified employee, only to quickly find that the employee was a “no call” or “no show.” Dedicated employees are stretched thin and running out of fuel. Does this sound familiar? How can industry leaders fix this problem? Effective employee retention takes place when employers attract motivated and energetic employees who tend to be focused on quality work; therefore, leaders of senior living communities must focus on what motivates employees for retention efforts and recruitment of new employees. Innovative retention strategies must be a primary focus for the leaders of senior living communities as such approaches can provide real solutions to successfully guiding the industry forward. Employee retention concepts such as satisfaction, motivation, and engagement tend to be the building blocks managers focus on. However, unless these concepts are converted into actions and executed, nothing will change. The best way for leaders to learn what keeps their employees satisfied with the organization is to simply ask them. I recommend using Richard Finnigan’s five stay interview questions, a tool that can equip managers to predict, learn, and resolve employee concerns. 1 Employees want to feel valued and appreciated and require support from their co-workers and supervisors, but Identifying Factors that Lead to Retention of Healthcare Staff in Senior Living Will They Stay, or Will They Go?