As the workforce crisis affects the daily operations of aging services providers across the country, it can be difficult to stop long enough to consider the long-term strategies that will build a strong future workforce pipeline. Yet it is incredibly important to consider the future of workforce sourcing, as the demographics and regulatory environment in the United States will continue to add pressure to the process of fulfilling the direct care staff needs in our sector.

Traditional recruitment methods, alone, are no longer enough to meet the demand. We need to expand our methods to ensure that employers are reaching enough potential applicants to fill the pipeline. Potentially fruitful methods include investing in social media marketing and recruiting diverse populations to clearly assess and grow pipelines.

Intentional Social Media

The most critical area to expand—or begin—is social media presence. This is an integral part of the lives of individuals across generations, as 70% of Americans use social media according to the Pew Research Center. Yet many aging services organizations are not capitalizing upon the reach of social media in their recruitment efforts. Simply having a Facebook page or posting jobs to online platforms is not enough. Providers must invest in the social media channels that younger job seekers use most, such as Snapchat, Instagram, and TikTok, and grow the brand presence and individual interaction opportunities that social media offers. When organizations have a strong presence online, they gain regular online interaction with stakeholders, including staff, residents, family members, community members, and candidates. Interaction may include comments, likes, reactions, shares, or clicks to a web resource. 

If social media engagement is low, a recent Forbes article suggests that organizations should “Evaluate content for its usefulness to customers and employees. Sharing pictures of employees and bonding events provides useful insight into company culture but may be inadequate to attract a wider following. The most viral content will share information and provide value in areas of business expertise.” The article later adds, “The strongest social media presences will see ongoing engagement from the broader community within an industry, not just job seekers.” 

In other words, sharing content that shows a fun, warm, and engaging culture while also demonstrating expertise in the area of aging is a key content strategy for your social media brand. And the platform matters. As we try to expand the pipeline, selecting social media platforms that reach new audiences is key. The Pew Research Center notes that the use of social media varies widely by demographic groups. If you’re ready to dig into social media, review this Recruiter Social Media Checklist for ideas on how to begin closely curating and monitoring your online presence.

Community Needs Assessment

Another area to consider is community need. What are the needs of people who reside in the community? What are their biggest challenges? And how can your organization, as an employer, fulfill those needs? 

Many aging services organizations are key neighborhood supporters and incredibly invested in the community. Consider completing or reviewing a community needs assessment or asocial determinants of health assessment to better understand the needs of the people living in your community. If an employer is able to fill gaps in terms of access to transportation, housing, childcare, nutrition, exercise, or other health and wellness needs, they may be able to attract more employees. 

Reaching Non-Traditional Job Seekers

Traditional direct care workers in aging services are most frequently women, people of color, and aged between 18–54. As we look to expand the workforce pipeline, it can be beneficial to spend some time recruiting populations that are underrepresented in our field. Consider these options:

Veterans and military spouses: Several studies make the case that hiring veterans is a wise business move, citing the tight enrollment standards, higher percentage of high school graduates compared with the general population, training in “soft skills” (leadership and ethics), and substantial education among those in the military. Other characteristics are high productivity and higher retention. Military spouses have particular barriers to employment due to different state certification and licensing requirements, regular moves, and their spouses’ long-term deployments. Each year, approximately 180,000 military veterans leave the service, many of whom seek civilian work. Search for potential candidates  with military backgrounds by working through your local American Jobs Centers. 

Older workers: As people live longer, many are finding that the traditional retirement age is no longer relevant. Employees are retiring later or are trying different jobs but with fewer hours. Many are unready to leave work altogether and many need to work simply to support themselves. The Government Accountability Office has reported that almost 30% of people older than 55 have no savings for retirement—or pensions. Working longer and not claiming full Social Security benefits until age 70 also may lead to higher Social Security benefits at retirement, perhaps as much as 32% higher. Thirty percent of people aged 65-72 were looking for a job or already working. To recruit older workers, your organization might consider:

• Offering opportunities to job share or work fewer hours than their current schedule.
• Reaching out to former employees and starting an alumni page on your website. 
• Using terms in your job descriptions such as “experienced” and “reliable,” and avoiding language that limits years of experience.
• Thinking through your wellness, reward, and recognition programs; benefits that younger workers enjoy may not be as appealing to older adults. 
• Allow as much autonomy as possible for older adult employees, who have been working for years. 
• Thinking through the ergonomic requirements of the job. 
• Allowing people potentially interested in your field to volunteer or intern at your organization. Ask current volunteers if they have interest in part-time employment or casual work. 
• Seeking out or creating networking events. You may find job switchers more easily at conferences or via LinkedIn than through traditional job postings that are geared to your typical candidates.

Immigrants: Many providers are looking to foreign-born workers as one potential source for filling open positions. Immigrants already are significant contributors to the long-term care workforce: More than 30% of all home care aides, more than 20% of all nursing assistants, 20% of RNs in nursing homes, and more than 15% of licensed practical nurses (LPNs) in nursing homes are foreign born. LeadingAge supports policies, programs, and innovations that expand pathways for foreign-born workers to enter the United States to join the aging services sector. If your organization is considering expanding recruitment efforts of foreign-born workers, consider these tactics:

• Inform employees, including immigrant workers, when you have open job positions. Immigrants are often hired through informal social networks that link migrants in the. country with job-seekers who still live in their communities of origin or newly arrived immigrants. 
• Partner with community organizations serving and representing immigrant populations. 
• Advertise through traditional means such as local newspapers, job postings, and other recruitment methods. 
• Work with international recruitment and employment agencies to hire nurses, though this can be expensive and time-consuming.

Displaced workers: The Bureau of Labor Statistics defines displaced workers as people aged 20 and older who have lost their jobs, left them, were underemployed, or had their jobs or shifts eliminated. Displaced workers come not only with specific skills and backgrounds, but a sudden disruption of their lives and financial security through no fault of their own. They may be more cautious than traditional employees. These workers seek financial security, well-being initiatives, and cultural fit with their employer. These characteristics must be considered as you seek to encourage them to work in older adult services. The best ways to reach displaced workers include:

• Local employment offices or job placement centers
• Social media outlets
• Traditional means such as community centers, libraries, employment services, and placement agencies.

Investing in Your Strongest Talent Pipeline Sources

Understanding your successful sourcing channels is an important step in your long-term pipeline plan. Do you know which candidate sources are the most successful in terms of applicants that lead to hires, length of service in your organization, or quality of hires? Tracking metrics that can identify the best sources of candidates can help your organization decide where to invest the most recruitment resources. Strong relationships with key community organizations and local K-12 schools, technical and community colleges, and universities are key pipelines to maintain as you build out your recruitment strategy. Check out these additional resources from LeadingAge to strengthen your recruitment practices:

• High school student presentation template
• High school student activity guide
• Job fair checklist
• Recruiting diverse candidates
• More resources and tools

Resources

• The Power Of Social Media In Recruiting
• Social Media Use in 2021
• A Recruiter’s Social Media Checklist