In the senior living industry, generating leads for prospective residents is a well-known priority. Communities spend significant portions of their marketing budgets on campaigns designed to bring in new residents, filling open units and keeping occupancy rates high. However, an equally important, yet often overlooked, aspect of success in senior living is lead generation for employees. Without a highly qualified and dedicated team, the in-community experience can suffer, and this can directly impact your ability to attract and retain residents.
Why Employee Lead Generation Matters
Over the last few years, one of the biggest challenges facing the senior living industry has been staffing shortages. Finding and retaining top-notch employees has become an industry-wide issue, and many senior living communities are feeling the effects. Despite this, many operators haven’t allocated the necessary focus or resources to solving this problem.
Here’s the thing: your staff is your brand. In fact, most of the reviews on platforms like Google or Yelp for senior living communities mention staff — either in a positive or negative light. Whether it’s the caring attitude of a nurse or the attentiveness of the cleaning staff, your employees play a crucial role in creating the type of environment that helps convert leads into residents. Therefore, attracting and retaining highly qualified staff is just as important as filling your occupancy rates.
Treat Recruitment Like Lead Generation
To ensure you have a great team, you need to treat recruitment with the same seriousness and strategy as you do when marketing to prospective residents. This means dedicating a portion of your marketing budget to recruitment lead generation efforts. In today’s employment environment, simply posting job openings on job boards isn’t enough to attract the top level type of talent that contributes to successful communities. You need to build a comprehensive recruitment campaign that highlights why your community is a great place to work.
A dedicated recruitment campaign can include:
- Targeted job ads on platforms like LinkedIn, Indeed, and even social media
- Employee testimonials in marketing materials, showcasing a positive work environment
- Outreach programs that connect with local schools, certification programs, or job fairs
- Referral programs that incentivize current employees to recommend new hires
The focus should be on marketing your community as an employer of choice. This is not just about filling a job, but about attracting the kind of employees who will be motivated to stay long-term and grow with the community.
Measuring the ROI on Recruitment Campaigns
While measuring the return on investment (ROI) for resident lead generation is relatively straightforward, calculating the impact of employee recruitment campaigns can be more challenging. However, it’s crucial to track the right metrics to ensure that you are allocating your resources effectively. Some important metrics to track include:
- Time to hire: How long does it take to fill a position once a job is posted?
- Quality of hire: Are the candidates you’re attracting qualified and motivated for the role?
- Retention rates: How long do new hires stay with your community?
- Employee engagement: Are employees satisfied with their jobs, and do they feel supported?
While direct attribution of employee success to recruitment campaigns can be more difficult to pinpoint, the long-term benefits of building a strong, motivated team are undeniable. A positive staff culture not only enhances the experience for residents but also boosts your community’s reputation, making it easier to attract both future residents and employees.
A Long-Term Investment
Building a great team doesn’t end with recruitment. Retention is just as important as finding new hires, and that requires a focus on creating a positive work environment, offering competitive wages, benefits, and career advancement opportunities. Employee satisfaction drives engagement, which in turn impacts resident satisfaction.
A dedicated recruitment campaign is a vital part of attracting and retaining top talent in today’s employment environment. Senior living operators who treat recruitment as seriously as resident lead generation will be better positioned for long-term success.
Free Marketing Scorecard: Track Your Success
Are you confident that you’re tracking the right metrics and calculating your outcomes in the best way to maximize your marketing budget? Whether for resident or employee lead generation, measuring success is key to making informed decisions. Be sure you’re optimizing your efforts by using our free Marketing Scorecard, designed to help you assess and improve your strategies.
