Long-term care employees are in high demand, as the number of seniors in the U.S. is projected to double between 2015 and 2050, while the population older than 85 will nearly triple. But few job seekers are interested in pursuing roles at long-term care facilities because they don’t understand the true opportunity a long-term care career presents.
To attract and hire top talent at your facility at the demand for long-term care employees increases, it’s critical to sell job applicants on the key benefits of joining your team. And one of the criteria job seekers look for today is a defined career path. The most motivated job seekers want to grow in their careers with the right employer, rather than job hopping.
What does your facility have in place to support long-term care career paths and continued employee growth? Below, we’ve outlined some tips to get started or improve the career path strategy you already have in place.
Develop long-term care career paths across departments
Today’s top job seekers aren’t simply looking for an exchange of time for money. Rather, they demand a clearly defined career path and opportunities for long-term growth. Some job seekers might not be interested in a long-term care career because they don’t understand have an understanding of potential career paths. You can change this misconception by ensuring you have defined career paths across departments at your long-term care facility.
Your career site and your job descriptions are both great places for you to change the perception of long-term care career by outlining specific career paths. On the administrative side, the career path might range from administrative assistant to office or front desk manager. And on the nursing side, entry-level nurses might have the opportunity to rise through the ranks to become a director of nursing or hold a similar high-level position. Highlight all possible paths on your career site to encourage top talent to apply and help them understand the career growth potential on your team.
Highlight success stories on your careers page
In addition to outlining career paths on your career site, share firsthand examples of employees who have successfully grown in these long-term care career paths at your facility. You can include written employee testimonials, written employee spotlights featuring Q&As with some of your top employees, or create an employer brand video that highlights employee success stories.
When qualified job seekers see real-world examples of employees who have grown with your long-term care facility, they’ll be more motivated to join your team and provide top-notch patient care.
Provide ongoing training at your long-term care facility
Once you have outlined career paths, provide employees at your long-term care facility with the tools they need to move up the ladder. To support career paths, you can make a variety of training resources available to your employees — including skills assessments, structured training videos, and certification courses, to name a few. You can also bring in outside training experts or guest speakers for hands-on skills training.
If employees at your long-term care facility approach you with an idea for a training opportunity, encourage them to pursue additional training if your budget allows. By investing in your employees’ success, they’ll feel valued and be more motivated to grow their long-term care careers with your team.
Not only can defined career paths and ongoing training help you excite qualified job seekers about long-term care careers, but career paths can also boost productivity, employee engagement, and patient care at your facility. For additional tips on how to attract top talent for your open long-term care jobs, read our resource, “Investing in Growth: Best Practices for Staff Development in Healthcare Facilities.”
