How to retain your top managers

A considerable amount of experience has been lost in the aged care sector over the last three years, creating impactful knowledge and leadership gaps. Now, more than ever, the ability to retain and support your managers is essential.

The 2022 Complispace Aged Care Workforce Report revealed 45% of staff had seen half or more members of their management team leave in the past 12-month period. In a similar time period, a whopping 1.3 million people changed jobs in Australia. At 9.5% of the total employed workforce, it was the highest annual job mobility rate in a decade

Together, these statistics are part of the ‘great resignation’ where record numbers of employees in all sectors quit their jobs due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Social isolation, long hours, mandatory vaccinations and close exposure to sickness at an unprecedented level severely impacted aged care and other care settings the most. Under constant barrage by restrictions and illness, more than 75% of the aged care workforce indicated they wanted to leave the sector within five years due to burnout.

Today, there are lingering symptoms of burnout and fatigue from the pandemic era. Staff have realised there’s no time to waste; if they want to search for opportunities they will. But it’s not all doom and gloom. You can – and should – be in a position where you support experienced managers and encourage the growth of your future leaders. And the steps you take to retain your top managers will provide benefits for years to come.

Meet salary expectations

A competitive salary is the starting point for any conversation when you want to retain staff, particularly members of your management team. Long-term staff are also often the most likely to be impacted by a ‘loyalty tax’ where they’re underpaid in comparison to their newer peers because companies typically provide additional incentives to entice new workers. 

Your long-term staff may feel undervalued if their salary expectations have not been met. They may even consider competitors offering more for similar roles.

Keep an eye on benchmark salary figures for management positions in aged care so you can be proactive in raising salaries, or at the very least, now you’re not lagging behind the competition. Otherwise, you may be forced to spend more on recruitment, onboarding and training just to replace a quality manager who could have stayed for a competitive salary.

Provide mentorship, embrace succession strategies

Managers need support, too, and mentorship is crucial. Too often staff are promoted or thrown into a management position and left to flounder as they try to navigate uncharted territory on their own. Having experienced leaders who can act as mentors for your management team helps to keep an eye on performance directly and provides a consistent support network. 

Mentorship also provides direction that can be utilised for future succession planning. For example, an outgoing chief executive officer or senior manager can work closely with a younger counterpart to develop business awareness and professional relationships. Then, when the time comes, you have a leader waiting in the wings who knows just how much they mean to your company.  

Recognise burnout and burden 

We talk about burnout a lot and for good reason; 50% of workers feel exhausted on the job and more often than not, it’s managers taking on a lot of the burden. They could be working overtime juggling too many responsibilities or perhaps there are limited opportunities to take time off because no one can fill their role for an extended period.

That has to change if you want to retain your managers, otherwise, they will seek out a job where they feel more valued. It could mean reducing their responsibilities, bringing in a new employee to work under them, or simply allowing them to take time off and having the resources to cover their absence. 

Stimulate role growth

Managers need opportunity. They’re the ones with big goals. So help them get there! Avoid pigeon-holing managers into a position where there’s no growth or potential for advancement. Stimulate growth through the addition of new responsibilities (without overloading the role), innovative projects, or promotion.

Whatever you invest in, there has to be something for established leaders to work towards. It’s difficult retaining top managers when they feel stuck in a rut performing the same tasks again and again.