Addressing Workforce Churn in Aged Care: Avoid Losing Top Candidates by Hiring Faster and Smarter

Workforce churn continues to be a critical issue for the aged care sector in Australia, and it’s a challenge that directly impacts both the quality of care provided to residents and the overall efficiency of the sector.

High staff turnover can lead to gaps in care, increased workloads for remaining staff, and a significant financial burden associated with recruiting and training new employees.

Given the growing demand for aged care services due to Australia’s aging population, retaining skilled and qualified staff is more important than ever.

Aged Care providers have done an incredible job to manage the challenges of recent years, COVID-19 and ongoing legislation changes. The recruitment and retention of the workforce remains a challenge that providers face every day.

The Impact of Workforce Churn on Aged Care

Aged care organisations face unique staffing challenges. High turnover rates, especially among frontline staff such as personal care workers, registered nurses, and allied health professionals, are common.

Aged Care workforce turnover rates are estimated to be as high as 25-30%, with many staff leaving the sector within the first 12 months of employment. This level of churn creates significant disruptions for the workforce and the quality of care.

The ripple effects of workforce churn:

• Lower continuity of care
  When staff turnover is high, residents can experience inconsistent care, as the new caregivers must repeatedly learn and adapt to their specific needs. This can impact the crucial trust and connection developed between resident and caregiver.
• Increased workloads
  With fewer staff on hand, those remaining often must take on additional responsibilities to deliver quality care, causing burnout, stress and often more turn over.
• Financial strain
  Recruitment, training and onboarding new employees takes time and resources. The cost of turnover is significant, from lost productivity to the direct expenses associated with hiring new staff.

Why Speed and Efficiency Matter in Hiring

In a highly competitive labour market, aged care providers cannot afford delays in hiring processes. Top candidates, especially those with in-demand skills and qualificatios, may have multiple job offers to choose from.

A long and difficult recruitment experience can result in these candidates looking elsewhere before your offer even reaches them.

Hiring Faster and Smarter to Provide Quality Care

• Streamline credential verification
  The verification of right-to-work credentials is essential in the Aged Care sector but can be time-consuming if done manually. By automating these checks in the recruitment stage, providers can reduce delays and ensure candidates are safe-to-work from the beginning.

• A good candidate experience
  Providing a seamless, transparent and supportive candidate experience is key to keeping top talent engaged. Simplifying the application process, and offering quick feedback helps candidates to feel respected throughout the process.

• Use data to inform hiring decisions
  Leveraging analytics helps to identify trends in the hiring process, including where delays occur. Providers can make data-driven decisions to reduce inefficiencies, eliminate unnecessary steps and improve the overall quality of hires.

Future-Proofing Your Workforce Strategy – Retention of Talent

Addressing workforce churn requires more than just improving the speed of hiring. Aged care providers should also invest in strategies to retain the employees they have, reducing the overall need for continuous recruitment.

• Invest in your employees
  Offer professional development, benefits and other incentives to show your organisation values its staff.
• Practice flexibility
  Improve job satisfaction by allowing staff to have a say in their shifts and work hours where practical. Work-life balance can be crucial to reducing burnout and increasing retention.
• Employee autonomy
  Providing employees with more control over their tasks and decision making can empower and motivate your workforce. Autonomy fosters ownership and pride, enhancing job satisfaction.
• Listen to your staff – a culture of engagement
  Regular feedback loops and open communication channels creates a culture where staff feel heard and valued.
• Training, mentoring and encouraging career progression
  Investing in employee skills and development increases loyalty and encourages staff see a future within your organisation.

Workforce churn in aged care is a pressing issue that impacts the quality of care and the financial health of organisations. By improving the speed and efficiency of the hiring process and focusing on smarter recruitment practices, aged care providers can reduce churn and secure top candidates.

In the long term, investing in both hiring and retention strategies will ensure a skilled, safe-to-work and satisfied workforce, ready to meet the growing demand for aged care services.