Competition for qualified staff willing to work on the front lines of the community support services is growing fiercer, says a veteran human resources leader who has worked in the sector for more than 30 years.
“The pool of candidates is shrinking as competition increases,” says Janet Williams, Vice President of Human Resources, CHATS-Community & Home Assistance to Seniors. “We’re all competing for the same people, and because we’re all funded differently, some people can pay more than we do, and it makes it that much harder to recruit.”
CHATS, a not-for-profit organization based in Aurora, Ont., has been delivering home and community services to older adults and caregivers for 45 years. The organization serves more than 8,000 clients living in York Region and South Simcoe and has a team of more than 300 staff, including personal support workers, nurses, social workers, program workers, administrative and skilled leadership staff.
Williams says the wage gap in the community health sector has been a consistent staffing challenge throughout her career, the disparity has become even more pronounced over the past few years with new provincial government funding agreements and the rapidly rising cost of living. It’s often possible for health workers to earn 25 per cent or more doing similar work at other publicly funded organizations, such as schools or hospitals.
Privately operated temporary staffing agencies that offer even higher wages than hospitals and other public sector employers have compounded the staffing challenge. Not only does CHATS compete with the agencies for candidates, but it also needs to rely on the agencies to help fill some vacancies – a costly option that isn’t sustainable.
Williams says CHATS is fortunate that it doesn’t have a high volume of vacancies, but it needs to put more time and resources into recruitment to maintain a steady supply of candidates.
“We have people that get so far into the process and then they just leave because they found something that pays more,” Williams says. “So, it’s a much longer process to find people (and) then you really have to work on retention.”
CHATS focuses heavily on retaining staff through initiatives like training programs to help team members grow and increase their expertise, recognition programs and other supports.
Williams says tackling the wage gap would not only ensure workers are treated equitably but also reduce overcrowding and wait lists at hospitals and long-term care homes.
“We are a critical piece of the health-care system,” she says. “You need us to enable people to stay at home safely and keep them out of hospitals and long-term care. We do all this because it helps support the health-care system. Our clients want it. Our people want it.”
