CASE STUDY
PARTNERSHIPS WITH PURPOSE:
How a Nonprofit Healthcare Provider is Addressing the Workforce Gap Quickly and Efficiently
Executive Summary
A nonprofit senior living organization that provides a full continuum of care across Pennsylvania with 5 campuses and more than 2,500 employees, was facing workforce shortages preventing them from adequately meeting the needs of the elders they serve. Due to a tight and competitive labor climate, the organization required a new strategy and infrastructure changes to advance their ability to build and grow their workforce. Through a collaboration with Eklego Workforce Solutions, the organization realized significant hiring achievements, process efficiencies, and enhanced operational capabilities.
THE CHALLENGE
Workforce challenges in healthcare have been prevalent for decades, then came the spring of 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated staffing shortages in nursing homes and long-term care facilities. Staff burnout hit an all-time high, and many caregivers left the industry entirely, causing nurse-to-patient ratios to skyrocket. Now three years after the first reports of COVID-19 in the United States, healthcare staffing shortages continue at concerning rates.
This Pennsylvania-based senior living provider was at a critical juncture. It encountered significant workforce shortages that hindered its capacity to meet the escalating needs of the residents it serves. While providers nationwide are facing historic workforce shortages, the number of Pennsylvania adults 85 and older is expected to double between now and 2040.
With a series of concerns, the organization leveraged their partnership with Eklego to stabilize then expand its workforce in a highly competitive and stringent labor market.
The Response
Working closely with the human resources leadership team, the Eklego team developed and implemented a comprehensive recruitment strategy tailored to the unique needs of the organization. The plan provided a scalable infrastructure encompassing people, processes, tools, and performance metrics essential for meeting operational staffing requirements.
This integrated approach ensured that the organization was well-equipped to attract, hire, and retain the right talent. Eklego’s unique approach to supporting mission-driven organizations is central to its proven success. Eklego understands that gaps in staffing result in stressed team members, risks to care, and unhappy residents and families. Their proven senior care recruitment model is tailored to each organization and outperforms existing internal programs.
Eklego’s purpose is to help senior living organizations build and sustain a mission-driven workforce. Specifically, Eklego helps them find hirable candidates that drive down vacancy rates to be adequately staffed (and staffing-ratio compliant) and provide leadership and support in transforming the workforce to support resident-directed care.
The Results
The partnership yielded exceptional outcomes in 2023, fundamentally transforming the recruitment and staffing paradigm within the organization:
840
New employees were hired, filling a wide range of 76 job titles. This substantial influx of talent significantly bolstered the operational capabilities.
70%
The process maintained a robust interview-to-offer ratio, indicating the effectiveness of the recruitment strategies in identifying hirable candidates.
12,769
The recruitment efforts attracted a staggering number of applications, demonstrating the effectiveness of the outreach and engagement strategies implemented.
112
Clinical PRN positions were filled, establishing a strong internal flex pool, and significantly reducing the dependency on external staffing agencies.
1,798
Interviews were conducted, showing a streamlined and effective selection process.
94%
A vacancy reduction was realized for dining operation.
The strategic hiring decisions and the establishment of an internal flex pool notably minimized the need for staff agency use, leading to cost efficiencies and greater staff continuity.
The recruitment and hiring processes were centralized and streamlined, ensuring a cohesive and uniform approach across the five communities in Pennsylvania. This centralization not only enhanced operational efficiency but also ensured a consistent and high-quality recruitment standard across all locations.
The partnership exemplifies a strategic, responsive, and effective approach to overcoming workforce challenges in a demanding and dynamic environment. The results speak volumes about the commitment to excellence and the collaborative spirit that drove this successful initiative.