INDIANAPOLIS—A panel of students, administrators-in-training and professionals early in their senior living careers kicked off the 6th Annual Vision Centre Symposium late Monday afternoon by providing industry leaders with a better understanding of what future leaders are looking for in their first jobs.
Location, innovation, paid internships and the ability to have a work-life balance are among the factors they said influence job decisions for younger generations.
“Our generation loves contributing to new technology,” said Trenton Klein, an administrator-in-training at Marquette, a not-for-profit life plan community in Indianapolis owned by Retirement Living and managed by Life Care Services.
Younger workers want to use technology to better their careers, industries and organizations, he added. “If leaders are open to those, it will attract us even more.”
Hayley Carr, associate director at The Towne House and Prairie Landing, with BHI Communities’ nonprofit CCRCs in Fort Wayne, IN, said that the intergenerational relationships that are available in senior living are one of the most rewarding things she’s experienced. Working with people of all ages and melding their ideas and visions together, Carr said, is what makes the industry enticing to many young leaders.
Klein added that operators need to pitch their vision to a generation that “loves being a part of something big, and we buy into vision most of the time.”
Ashley Elkin, transitional care manager at Indianapolis-based Magnolia Health Systems, encouraged university programs to connect students with senior living communities and other long-term care properties. Those one-on-one meetings open doors to opportunities that students previously were unaware of, and they allow operators to present a compelling case for working in the industry, she said.
“As individual organizations trying to grow your program, just knowing what organizations are around you and not being afraid to come in and talk to our freshmen — plant a seed and we’ll find a way to water it throughout their four years,” Klein said.
Real-world experiences add context
Those partnerships also can lead to real-world experiences and opportunities that add depth and context to degree programs, the panelists said.
Klein said that the real-world opportunities and projects he has worked on as an administrator-in-training have been among his most valuable experiences. He suggested that university programs should start those real-world opportunities in the classroom and create partnerships in the senior living community.
“The opportunity to contribute as a student while you learn, it grows your excitement,” he said.
The young leaders also suggested that operators extend their reach beyond universities and colleges to educate potential new workers, additionally partnering with high schools and younger grade levels to expand interest in the industry during the formative years.
“The earlier you start, the more formative and more connected an individual is going to be,” Klein said. “Find ways to reach out to schools and ask, ‘How can I serve your students?’ That will end up paying dividends in the future.”
Carr added that she sees many high school students already working in long-term care settings, providing opportunities to make an impression early on with the current younger workforce. Lily Kiffmeyer, an undergraduate student at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, added that investing in those young workers and giving them career paths will pay dividends down the road.
“The passion is already there,” Carr said. “Proving ways they can foster, grow and learn something new is beneficial for them and for operators.”
‘The pandemic was normal for us’
Although the long-term care industry continues to battle negative media attention that began with the COVID-19 pandemic, the panelists offered a different perspective that they can bring to the industry.
“Something to consider is that COVID was a big part of my life,” Kiffmeyer said, adding that the pandemic encompassed one-fifth of her years. “Something that was a huge battle for others was something we had to grow up with and accept. The pandemic was normal for us growing up,” she said.
Younger generations, she added, have different visions and values as well as different perspectives to offer.
“You need to shift your perspective and remember we’re here, we’re excited about the field, and the pandemic didn’t chase us away,” she said.
