EKLEGO WORKFORCE INSIGHTS

CULTURE & RETENTION INSIGHTS:
WHY RETENTION IS AN INVESTMENT

Clinical staff retention remains one of the biggest challenges in senior care — and it’s not just a staffing issue. Home care turnover approaches 79% annually, with senior living and long-term care communities experiencing 40–75% turnover among front-line clinical roles. Each departure carries a real cost — starting at $3,500–$5,000 per clinical hire — along with disruptions to continuity of care, team confidence, and patient trust.

At Eklego, we know retention improves when leaders are supported and culture is intentional. Our workforce solutions support leaders and teams to help you create a culture where people want to stay – leading to more stable teams and stronger care outcomes.

Curious how we can support your team?
Contact Eklego!

A BETTER PLACE:
JOB FIT

An essential element of hiring that is often overlooked when focused on filling positions quickly is Job Fit. Strong credentials matter, but they’re only part of the equation.

At Eklego, we believe Job Fit is made up of 4 parts: skill, will, thrill, and culture.

Lasting retention happens when health care employees have the skill to do the work, the will to stay engaged, and the thrill of practicing in a role they truly want, in a culture that aligns with their leader and team.

When Job Fit is right, it’s a win-win-win. Eklego helps clinical leaders hire and lead with Job Fit in mind, creating environments where health care professionals choose to stay.

Want to get your organization to a better place?
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LEADER IN ACTION: ONE WORD

Shared by Jordan, Senior Talent Acquisition Specialist

Joe Stirpe, Eklego’s CEO, challenged our team in the New Year to choose One Word for 2026 – a word that gives meaning and mission, passion and purpose for the year ahead, adopted from Jon Gordon. Our team was then encouraged to use our One Word to impact both our mission at Eklego and our personal lives. Jordan shares about his One Word below:

My One Word of the Year is Motivate. To me, motivate means focusing on the reason behind what we do in our day-to-day work. Looking at smaller wins and staying consistent to achieve larger goals. Working in healthcare recruitment, I fuel my motivation by finding candidates who are passionate about helping others and matching them with clients in need.

PARTNERSHIP HIGHLIGHT:
LUTHERAN SENIORLIFE &
EKLEGO

Shared by Mark, President of Eklego Leadership

Retention and employee engagement continue to be top-of-mind for long-term care organizations. In our conversations with senior living leaders, one truth consistently rises to the surface: Developing the organization’s leaders directly impacts both retention and engagement.

The challenge is not believing leadership development matters, it is knowing what it looks like in practice. How do we equip leaders and their teams to strengthen culture, build relationships, and lead with resilience amid staffing pressures and ongoing change?

At Eklego Leadership, this is the work we are committed to. While we partner closely with leaders, our work extends to people at every level of the organization, defining true leadership and how every role can add value and make a positive impact. We help people gain commitment by communicating effectively and building strong connections rooted in trust. Just as importantly, we can provide tangible tools to navigate difficult conversations, turning moments of tension into opportunities of strength, rather than division.

As John Maxwell reminds us with his Law of Intentionality, growth does not just happen. Many organizations desire to develop leaders, yet lasting growth requires intentionality and action. This is where organizations like Lutheran SeniorLife stand out by making a deliberate commitment to developing their leaders: Choosing to invest in the people who shape their culture, strengthen retention, and increase employee engagement.

What Our Partners Are Saying – Lutheran SeniorLife
“The leadership training was engaging, practical, and immediately applicable.”
— Marla Bonney, Chief Human Resources Officer
“Eklego has been an outstanding partner. Our leaders left feeling energized, better equipped, and more confident.” — Lindsay Strishock, Corporate Director of Talent Acquisition and Learning

Pictured above, Mark with LSL team

Connect with
Mark on
LinkedIn!

WORKFORCE ADVANTAGE
TOOLBOX:
RETENTION – BUILDING EMPLOYEE LOYALTY

Shared by Meg, President of Workforce Partnerships

When it comes to Retention of team members in healthcare, there are countless tools and resources that can be added to an organization’s overall Retention Strategy. Below I’ll share a few tips to strengthen Retention but first…

At Eklego we believe the most impactful way to improve Retention is investing in your leaders! Empower your leaders to authentically connect with team members to create trust and unity within your shared mission as an organization. Honest, caring relationships create loyalty.Loyal, mission-focused teams translate to less turnover!

What can be done to improve, deepen, and personalize Employee Retention?

To address turnover in the first 90 days:

• Review the Interview to New Hire experience from the perspective of a candidate. Ensure that the Mission and Core Values are integrated into daily operations.
• Evaluate departments or job titles with better retention. Identify what can be replicated in other departments to improve loyalty.

With all employees, both new and more seasoned:

• Schedule formal and more informal meetings to discuss how employees are living out and experiencing organizational values.
• Create an active Employee Engagement Committee which includes representation from a variety of roles/departments, addressing welcoming new employees and continuing peer-driven Recognition and Appreciation Events.
• Equip managers to have conversations with their direct reports on available career pathways for professional growth.
• Showcase stories of success both internally (retention) and externally (recruitment)!

In the end, the most powerful Retention Strategy isn’t a program or a perk—it’s the daily, lived experience of belonging to a mission worth staying for. When your people know they matter, they won’t just stay… they’ll fight to keep the privilege of serving alongside you.

Connect with
Meg on
LinkedIn!