As caregivers grow with the ageing of the population, home caregivers are increasingly dependent on millennial and generation-Z employees. While expanding the workforce is important for industries suffering from labor shortages, if providers are unable to update their approach to hiring and retention, they risk losing valuable employees.
To attract and retain millennials and generations of Z-at-home workers, providers are offering professional benefits and implementing new recruitment strategies, including social media and gamification, addressing the “invisible” nature of home-based care jobs.
“We've seen millennial caregivers get driven by purpose, flexibility and professional growth,” Brandi Kurtyka, CEO of MissionCare Collective, told Home Health Care News. “Unlike previous generations who prioritized job safety and long-term tenure, millennials want to be consistent with the organization's mission, feel it's worth every day and hope for a clear path to development.”
MissionCare Collective is a staffing and recruiting company focused on caregivers and parent companies for Mycnajobs and Coachup Care.
Generation Z, currently 13-28 years old, and millennials, ages 29-44, are often grouped. However, there is an important difference between the two that influence how providers approach employment, training, onboarding, awareness, and management.
Companies working to improve retention and recruitment have launched targeted initiatives and have taken cultural changes to meet the expectations of each generation. Otherwise, providers are at risk for increased turnover and lower productivity, according to the Sorenson Impact Institute at the University of Utah.
Additionally, younger generations may be less likely to join companies that do not prioritize specific needs or values.
“Millennials are more likely to look for companies that value contributions and offer better work-life balance, and if current employers don't meet their needs, they have a higher turnover,” read the Sorenson Impact Institute paper.
When millennial and generation Z caregivers join home care companies, they often excel due to their strong technical skills, collaborative nature and ability to leverage online resources to support them, according to a study from the University of Utah Faculty of Nursing in Salt Lake City.
Improved flexibility
Gen-Z and millennial employees see themselves as more than their job and want their employers to acknowledge this. According to the World Economic Forum, 73% of Generation Z employees prefer permanent flexible working options. This includes combining remote work from home with on-site responsibilities, four days of work, or allowing employees to have more freedom to choose their working hours.
“Young caregivers are looking for flexibility,” Kerin Zuger, Chief Operating Officer of CareTech, told HHCN. “You're going to attract (workers) with flexibility, but you need to understand their needs too.”
CareTech, an independent home care company based in Omaha, Nebraska, offers a range of non-medical services, including personal care, dating and family support. The company serves clients in Nebraska, Wyoming and Iowa.
Zugar said that extra distance for home care workers to ensure flexibility will contribute not only to retention, but also to building trust and loyalty. She recommends offering flexible shifts and asking if she prefers regular shifts or wants to call. This type of flexibility can greatly demonstrate that providers value their lives outside of work and support work-life balance.
“(These generations) are mission-driven, but they cannot be poured out of an empty cup,” Kurtyka said. “Employers who build infrastructure around happiness, emotional, financial and professional happiness, not only retain them, but help them thrive.”
Match the value of employees
Generation Z and millennial employees often prioritize finding meaning in the role of caregiving, and, according to activated insights, may be more likely to seek employment that provides purpose or connection. They tend to value jobs that can develop personal skills, improve the lives of people in need, and promote creativity.
Millennials may have graduated from university degrees during challenging economic situations and therefore appreciate the possibility of winning generous benefits packages and tuition refunds in many cases.
Meanwhile, their younger peers may seek other benefits.
“In my experience, Gen Z employees are not at the age where they care too much about profits,” Zuger said. “They don't think about it in advance. They like the idea of gamification and incentives. You can relate to them through culture and flexibility. But millennials are a little different. They want to know what you offer and what you benefit.
Professional development is a common priority among Generation Z and millennials as well. But growth doesn't mean constantly pursuing a nursing degree or climbing a clinical ladder, Kurtyka said. For many, it is about improving their skills to serve clients better, being more confident in their role or accessing a path to higher wages.
Recruiting and maintaining young workforce in the “invisible” industry
According to Kurtyka, millennials and generation Z workers with an interest in healthcare are more likely to pursue a caregiving role if they are actively enrolled in relevant education programs, but providers may have difficulty finding employees outside of these categories.
“The role of caregiving, especially in home care, is often “invisible work” for people outside of the industry,” Kuchika said. “Many young adults simply don't realize that these opportunities exist unless they have experience in personal care or are exposed through school or work. For millennials, which are early in their careers, this lack of visibility can be a barrier, so if someone is already pursuing a health care path, it is more likely that caregivers will recognize caregiving as a viable and meaningful job.”
According to Zuger, creativity is needed for this “invisibility” to attract a young workforce.
“Being involved with a social media platform is a great way to get attention,” Zugar said. “We adopt through fun dances at Tiktok. We also use handshakes. It uses channels that younger generations rely on work, through parents, counselors, schools or the web.”
When it comes to keeping younger employees, Zuger said they use many of the same strategies CareTech adopted to hire them.
“It's staffing flexibility. I admire it. They want praise,” she said. “The opportunity to move forward is also essential for caregivers.”
Zuger said many organizations must agree with the reality that young workers often don't stay for life. That's fine.
“They do a good job, they can be trusted, but they are young and they are moving forward with their careers,” she said. “We offer opportunities such as accreditation, schooling, promotional reimbursements, and more. People can use those opportunities for us to continue as caregivers while planning their next role. They are also a great way to keep employees up.”
Kurtyka agreed, noting that he observed many ways this young workforce could build on their caregiving experiences.
“Through Mycnajobs, I have seen many HR and social work students work as caregivers while earning their degrees,” says Kurtyka. “They are still deeply committed to quality care, but they also have valuable transferable skills such as communication, leadership, problem-solving.”
Training the emerging workforce
Training and onboarding the next generation of caregivers is not as easy as adopting the same strategies used by previous generations
Activated insights suggest that different communication styles, advances in technology, and different approaches to authority and management may need to take a different approach than many managers experienced when entering the workforce.
“I like being managed differently by age groups,” Zugar explained. “Millennials or older people expect a continuous training process and preparation for work. They want black and white policies and procedures. GENZ is a little different. They want to do things.
Zuger said that not only leads Z to the solution, but using empathy rather than simply conveying the answer is a better way to compare to millennials.
According to Activated Insights, one of the common complaints about working with younger generations is that they don't seem to respect authority. However, their research shows that it is true that they generally respect inferred arguments rather than authority for themselves.
“Rethink the way younger generations are inside, oriented and trained,” says Zuger. “Many of that is around emotional intelligence and how you work through some of the different types of engagement, and you're looking at people one-on-one, one-on-one. These are the types of skills that are inherent in training younger generations.”
During training, instead of “draw a rank”, follow the activated insights to clarify the “why” behind the reason.
Managing young employees
According to Kurtyka, young caregivers face a unique and often unrecognized combination of emotional, financial and systematic pressures. Many work in roles that demand deep emotional energy and resilience while juggling student debt, financial instability, mental health challenges and caregiving responsibilities within their own family.
According to a study by MissionCare Collective, caregivers are three times more likely to experience anxiety and depression, making emotional well-being an important area of concern. These challenges are often segregated and enhanced by the absence of traditional workplace structures and peer connections.
According to Kurtyka, employers must go beyond the basics to truly support young employees. She proposes fostering a culture that prioritizes emotional support and providing opportunities for workforce funding. If employers can't pay any more, they can develop a culture that drives outcomes, Kurtyka said.
