Employee turnover in the senior living industry remains exceptionally high compared to other sectors. In 2023, the National Investment Center for Seniors Housing & Care (NIC) reported an annual turnover rate of around 85% across all positions.
Although the ongoing pressures from the COVID-19 pandemic were a significant factor, and turnover has somewhat eased since then, it remains a pressing concern for both operators and residents. High turnover can create instability in care delivery, while also costing senior care providers thousands of dollars annually.
To address turnover effectively, it’s important to look beyond the surface and understand the root causes. While burnout is often cited as the primary culprit, Jeff Harris, CEO of Jeff Harris & Associates, argues that the issue is more complex.
“I think the notion of burnout is misguided,” Harris explains. “When people talk about burnout, they often mean, ‘they’ve just been overworked and need a break.’ The truth of the matter is that if you’re doing something you love – something you find exciting and engaging and inspiring – you don’t burn out. If you love skiing, you might physically get exhausted, but you go to sleep and want to get up and do it again because you love it.”
Harris suggests what is often perceived as burnout is actually a feeling of being stuck – lacking forward momentum or a sense of purpose in the role. And it’s not something that a few days off can fix.
He identifies this issue in three stages:
Stage One: “Uneducated Optimism”
This is when employees first step into a role, full of excitement and optimism about what they can contribute to the organization. It’s often referred to as the “rose-tinted glasses” stage, where everything feels possible, and the potential seems limitless.
Stage Two: “Educated Pessimism”
At this point, once employees are more settled into their role, they begin to see the entrenched cultural or operational challenges that were invisible at first. This realization leads to discomfort and dissatisfaction.
Stage two is when employees typically start feeling stuck, sensing that their efforts aren’t yielding the results they had hoped for. “It feels like you’re doing the same thing over and over, but not getting a different outcome. That’s disheartening, and it often leads people to start looking elsewhere,” Harris says.
Stage Three: The Decision
Employees can only stay in stage two for so long before they reach a crossroads. For many, this means leaving to seek a better opportunity. For others, it might mean staying put, but harboring resentment and feeling stagnated in their career.
Either scenario comes with a cost for the employer. So it’s crucial to address the issue before it escalates.
“If you want to keep executives, you need to work with them when they feel stuck to help them get unstuck,” Harris advises. “If you don’t, they’ll leave, and they’ll attribute it to burnout.”
There’s no universal solution to “unsticking” staff, but the underlying goal remains the same: to help employees rediscover purpose and passion in their work.
“No one experiences burnout from something they find fascinating, captivating, or enjoyable,” Harris says. “Burnout happens when people don’t love what they’re doing, and they don’t love it because they feel like their work lacks direction.”
Sometimes, this lack of fulfillment can be tied to an individual’s inability to overcome those tough periods, which may be where coaching can help. Other times, it may stem from organizational barriers that impede growth, leaving staff feeling trapped.
In either case, strong, engaged leadership – particularly during the onboarding process and the early stages of a role – is essential. Whether the cause of turnover is internal or external, attentive leadership can make all the difference in reducing turnover that’s often attributed to “burnout.”
For more insights on this topic, stay tuned for our next post where we’ll dive into strategies for improving onboarding for senior living executives.