A storm is brewing in post-acute care as the lack of staff reaches crisis proportions. Turnover rates continue to be staggeringly high while the demand for services continues to grow. Administrators stand in the middle of all of this – with little time and many responsibilities..
Despite the challenges, the recent Viventium Caregiver Onboarding Experience Report shows us that there’s room for hope. We surveyed 175 admins and 220 caregivers in the post-acute care industry across the United States, in home-, facility-, and community-based care. What we found is that admins have a clear and accessible path to help them engage, motivate, and retain caregivers. That path is better onboarding. New hires are more likely to feel better about their employers – and therefore be more engaged and productive – when admins and managers take a proactive approach toward onboarding, extend direct support and attention to new hires, and bring the organization’s culture into onboarding.
After all, onboarding is how new employees get to know you and your company – and what you expect from them. Our study proved that when compared against Onboarding Laggards (organizations that create a mediocre or terrible onboarding experience), Onboarding Leaders (those that create a good or excellent onboarding experience) see higher employee confidence and more positive employee attitudes in at least seven critical drivers of employee experience.
Proactive Onboarding: A Strategy for Engagement
By adopting a proactive onboarding approach, post-acute care admins can set the tone for engagement from day one. But what does that look like in practice? Here are two areas our report identified where admins and organizations can take practical steps that will have a positive impact on new-hire engagement and motivation:
Introduction t o Culture: Great onboarding is about more than filling out forms and reviewing handbooks; it's about connecting new hires with the heart and soul of your organization. For example, our study found that when company leaders welcome new caregivers, it makes a significant difference on their onboarding experience. Unfortunately, very few new employees get this kind of welcome. Only 29% of surveyed caregivers reported that they were welcomed by a company leader during the onboarding process. Even fewer (25%) said a colleague or team member reached out to them.
Regular Check-Ins: Talking to new employees often helps them feel important and included. If managers check in regularly, they can spot issues early and fix them. Our research found that when managers take an active role in onboarding, employees are 3.4 times more likely to strongly agree their onboarding experience was exceptional.
Supportive Infrastructure: The Backbone of Retention
In any industry, keeping employees for the long term means supporting them and offering them opportunity to grow. In the world of post-acute care, that means empowering caregivers with tools and processes that elevate the quality of their work and support them off the job as well. Our research found that using the right digital onboarding platform can help make this happen in three key ways:
Training: Training is critical in health care. The right onboarding tools give managers a way to provide thorough training during onboarding that helps ensure that new hires have the required skillset to perform their job. However, only 37% of caregivers in our survey felt the training they received during onboarding was comprehensive. The right digital onboarding platform gives managers the tools to instill confidence in caregivers that they have the knowledge necessary to succeed in their role.
Technology: Teaching new caregivers about the company's tech helps them perform their job better and takes some of the pressure off them and their managers. Unfortunately, our survey found that training on company technology represented the area where new caregivers need the most help during onboarding. An online, digital platform that has tools for efficient scheduling, mobile charting, and communication can simplify and ease work in post-acute health care.
Recognition and Rewards: Organizations that acknowledge caregivers' hard work and achievements keep their employees happier. Celebrating wins and giving meaningful rewards make a big difference in how valued caregivers feel. A significant 84% of caregivers at Onboarding Leaders said they received recognition or support sometimes or always, compared to only 49% at Onboarding Laggards.
Culture Connection: Aligning Values with Action
Culture isn't what's written on the wall; it's what employees live and breathe on the job every day. Reflecting your company's core values in caregivers’ day-to-day work experience can make them more enthusiastic and committed to their jobs. Based on how caregivers feel toward their onboarding experiences, here are two practices that could promote a positive culture:
Open Communication: Talking openly between workers and managers breaks down barriers and builds trust. Only 40% of caregivers in our survey felt communication was clear and transparent during onboarding. 38% felt like their questions were answered promptly and helpfully.
Flexibility and Autonomy: Now more than ever it's important to remember that people have lives outside of their job. Showing that you understand this by giving them some control over their work schedules can make them feel more valued and, in turn, less likely to leave their job. It's surprising, then, that only 24% of caregivers in our survey said their orientation included information about work-life balance.
Summing Up
Managers and admins in post-acute care have tough jobs, but they aren’t without options for making life better for themselves, their staff, and their organizations. With a robust, digital onboarding solution, admins can positively influence staff engagement and retention.
As the health care industry continues to evolve, leaders in post-acute care must prioritize their workforce and create a positive and inclusive work environment. By investing in their team, promoting work-life balance, and fostering communication, leaders can not only improve the quality of care for clients but also set a strong example for the rest of the industry to follow. With dedication and commitment to their employees, these leaders can make a lasting impact on the future of post-acute care.
And, they don’t need to figure all of this out alone. Viventium is in it with you. We have continually been a trusted partner of home-, facility-, and community-based employers. We support post-acute care admins and organizations not only by providing a robust digital platform for optimal onboarding but also with consulting and support built on years of experience serving the health care industry.
This information is for educational purposes only, and not to provide specific legal advice. This may not reflect the most recent developments in the law and may not be applicable to a particular situation or jurisdiction.