WLTCAC: Long-Term Care Worker Recruitment and Retention Resources

The caregiver shortage is a nationwide issue and continues to grow within long-term care. This webpage offers resources on ways to combat the shortage, as well as ideas from the field on how to improve worker recruitment and retention. The Wisconsin Long Term Care Advisory Council (WLTCAC) compiled this information to help address the issues long-term care organizations face recruiting and retaining staff.

Resources

Resources include articles, studies, guides, and books.

General publications—articles

Health care publications—books, guides, studies

Health care publications—articles

General publications—articles, books, guides, studies

Health care publications—books, guides, studies

Health care publications—articles

General publications—articles

Health care publications—books, guides, studies

Health care publications—articles

Health care publications—books, guides, studies

Health care publications—articles

Ideas from the field

Here are ideas submitted from human services colleagues to help recruit and retain quality staff.

  • Communicate clear and consistent expectations across teams
  • Create a supporting and fun culture at work
  • Create job security
  • Eliminate unnecessary tasks (i.e., busy work) as much as possible
  • Ensure work-life balance is manageable—create action plan to support staff
  • Focus on areas of strength and passion with projects
  • Give autonomy to staff—people invest more when they are trusted and accountable
  • Give birthdays off without use of staff personal time off
  • Hold quarterly meetings with supervisor's boss
  • Match or offer competitive pay
  • Pay for education and continued training
  • Conduct weekly or biweekly meetings with supervisor
  • Create suggestion box or employee survey with concrete plan on how to follow up and create change
  • Give recognition (awards, cards, gifts, thank yous, raises, etc.)
  • Offer relaxed dress code or casual Fridays
  • Provide opportunities for socialization with peers at onset of employment (assign new employee to shadow peer, pair on projects, etc.)
  • Train supervisors to train their staff to replace them
  • Turn failures into lessons, not shaming or bringing people down (have the "Challenge of the Week" with lessons learned, include leadership, etc.)
 

Submit your ideas

If you would like your idea, training, or resource to be listed on this page, please email the Bureau of Adult Quality and Oversight.

Related DHS information

Other related information

Disclaimer about advisory council content

This content reflects the views and opinions of the advisory council. It may not reflect the official policy or position of DHS.

Glossary

 
Last revised August 14, 2023