{"id":25613,"date":"2018-08-02T07:08:29","date_gmt":"2018-08-02T11:08:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dev-gordon-food-service-canada.pantheonsite.io\/ideas\/navigating-todays-healthcare-labour-environment\/"},"modified":"2023-01-11T15:33:51","modified_gmt":"2023-01-11T20:33:51","slug":"navigating-todays-healthcare-labour-environment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gfs.ca\/en-ca\/ideas\/navigating-todays-healthcare-labour-environment\/","title":{"rendered":"Navigating Today\u2019s Healthcare Labour Environment"},"content":{"rendered":"

With the right recruiting and retention strategies, you can successfully overcome today\u2019s challenging labour market.<\/h2>\n

Low unemployment, high turnover and a workforce shortage are squeezing margins for healthcare foodservice operators and threatening to impact the quality of service they offer customers.<\/p>\n

Canadian unemployment in the last quarter of 2017 was the lowest it\u2019s been since 2008. That challenge is intensified in the entry-level arena, where rising wages are boosting the competition for unskilled workers. Additionally, many jurisdictions in Canada are increasing the minimum wage. <\/p>\n

Unless you can match those wages, you\u2019ll have a much smaller pool of potential servers and dishwashers to choose from. And the people you currently employ may leave for greener pastures at the first opportunity. Turnover has long been a significant challenge for healthcare, and it\u2019s becoming even more daunting.<\/p>\n

Demographic issues further complicate the labour picture. \u201cFoodservice typically hires younger workers, and that group is getting smaller compared to baby boomers,\u201d says Gordon Food Service Healthcare Segment Manager Dana Fillmore, RD. As older people use a disproportionate share of healthcare, the demand for new workers is exceeding the supply.<\/p>\n

Multiple solutions for a multifaceted problem<\/h3>\n

There are multiple factors at work in this new labour environment, so there is no single solution to improve profitability and maintain service quality. Operators must develop a strategic plan with multiple solutions. The following are necessities of any approach.<\/p>\n

Benchmarking.<\/strong> First, benchmark your operation<\/a> to determine the real financial impact of labour\/staffing issues. A benchmarking program can help you determine how you\u2019re performing against similar operators and guide development of achievable goals to reduce labour costs. <\/p>\n

By measuring internal labour processes and performances, and comparing them to other operators, you can identify areas for improvement\u2014and make sure you\u2019re getting the most out of your existing staff. It can also help you justify new hires.<\/p>\n

Defining your value for employees<\/strong>. Before you begin the tactical process of hiring, define the \u201cvalue proposition\u201d you offer employees. <\/p>\n

\u201cThink of potential employees the way you think of customers,\u201d advises Lisa McKiernan, Manager of Talent Acquisition for Gordon Food Service. Just as you create a brand that promises customers a unique dining experience, you should build one that promises employees a unique working environment. \u201cRecognize that you are being interviewed by candidates who have options,\u201d she continues. \u201cYou need to give them a compelling message that speaks to their needs and expectations.\u201d<\/p>\n

Spectrum Health, an integrated health system that spans 13 counties in Michigan, has done this with a new workforce initiative that presents career pathways to new entry-level workers\u2014and positions Spectrum as an employer of choice. <\/p>\n

Updating the hiring process. <\/strong>You can\u2019t rely on yesterday\u2019s recruitment and hiring techniques to connect with today\u2019s employees. Emboldened by technology, people are searching for jobs and making employment decisions in a much shorter timeframe. Operators must provide multiple technology touchpoints to reach job candidates.<\/p>\n

A well-developed careers website and pre-vetting solutions that identify candidates with desired behaviors and attributes have changed the process for employees and employers alike. These technologies can help you stand out from other employers while reducing the time and cost of employee acquisition.<\/p>\n

Understanding generational differences<\/strong>. As older workers stay on and younger people enter the workforce, it\u2019s common to see high schoolers on the same team as seniors. \u201cAs a leader, you have to understand that different generations want different things,\u201d says Fillmore. <\/p>\n

Younger generations, for example, will embrace the hiring technologies mentioned above. Older workers might not, so you may have to vary your recruitment methods. You\u2019ll also have to vary your management approach\u2014for one thing, you can\u2019t expect millennials to accord you the kind of immediate devotion traditionally granted by baby boomers. <\/p>\n

\u201cMillennials want engagement and transparency from employers, and they want to influence the organization,\u201d Fillmore continues. If you can offer that to employees, you need to let candidates know it in the interview process\u2014and carry through on the promises you make.<\/p>\n

There are a few workplace issues that unite all generations, including a desire for education and flexible schedules. \u201cFlexibility is especially important today, because the labour shortage is forcing people from hospitality to the executive suite to work longer hours,\u201d says Fillmore. \u201cPromoting work-life balance through such means as flexible schedules can help reduce burnout.\u201d<\/p>\n

Investing in retention.<\/strong> Retaining employees in this highly competitive environment is challenging, but any investment that can reduce turnover is well worth making. <\/p>\n

A Center for American Progress study pegs the cost of losing an hourly employee making less than $30,000 at 16% of that employee\u2019s annual salary. The Hospital & Healthcare Compensation Service projects a turnover rate above 36% for dining services at senior living communities in 2018, so the cost of replacing employees can quickly add up. <\/p>\n

Gordon Food Service Customer Effectiveness Manager Ken Wasco contends that most people don\u2019t quit a job, they quit a boss. He encourages operators to apply his I.M.P.A.C.T. leadership strategies to improve retention<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Also worth considering:<\/p>\n