Strategies to Recruit and Retain Talented Senior Care Food Service Professionals

Food service professionals are vital to the success of senior care communities. They not only ensure a quality dining experience, but they can also influence resident satisfaction and may even affect the community’s financial performance. These professionals create experiences that enhance the quality of life for seniors, making their recruitment and retention a strategic priority for communities.

How Food Service Professionals Impact the Dining Experience and Beyond

Dan Stockdale, CEO of Seulu

The dining experience plays a critical role in the senior care experience, says Shawn Fontaine, director of culinary and nutritional services at Wesley Enhanced Living Main Line. “It’s important to recruit talented food service professionals that truly understand the proper ways to prepare meals, but also dedicate themselves to provide residents with the utmost satisfaction,” he explains. Skilled food service professionals craft enticing meals that residents eagerly anticipate, while incorporating variety into menus, enhancing both dining enjoyment and overall resident satisfaction.

Recruiting talented food service professionals has other impacts on the community as well. “Recruiting talented food service professionals is a major indicator of the attention to detail in you will find in all aspects of the facility,” says Dan Stockdale, CEO of Seulu. “Operators who take the time to recruit, train, and ensure food service staff carry forward the vision of the brand will serve not only your existing resident population, but also enhance the staff experience and word of mouth in the community and on social media.”

Stockdale explains that it’s easy to let the resident experience, including the dining experience, take a backseat to clinical, compliance, and financial considerations. However, the resident experience can’t be undervalued. “After over four decades serving the senior population, I have found that it is actually the resident experience, especially the culinary aspects of the operation, that drive the financial impact for the facility,” he says. “If an operator has taken the time and effort to develop the food service operation, that’s a strong indication they have also put the effort into creating clinical and compliance systems that work.”

Strategies to Recruit and Retain Talented Food Service Professionals

The process of recruiting and retaining talented staff starts with a realistic vision. “You also have to consider the ‘why?’,” says Stockdale. “Why are you undertaking this transformation? Why the focus on talent and foodservice? Is your facility languishing with occupancy, hoping this strategic shift will impact your marketing efforts? Or are you full with a waiting list and a keen desire to improve services and the quality of life for your existing residents? The definition of a ‘talented’ staff will vary based on the answers to these questions.”

Shawn Fontaine, director of culinary and nutritional services at Wesley Enhanced Living Main Line

Stockdale encourages communities to consider their place in the market, such as whether they’re a community serving a rural population, or whether their primary market area is one of the wealthiest locations in America.

Fontaine explains that the Wesley Enhanced Living recruitment process starts with understanding the skill sets that successful dining professionals possess. Then, the community works to identify where they can find candidates with that skill set. “We tend to look for candidates at culinary schools and seek experienced individuals who have worked in the senior living industry,” he says. “Overall, the most crucial aspect of recruiting is to ensure food service prospects have a passion for the dining experience and wish to enhance the lives of residents through their recipes.”

He notes that individuals looking for employment opportunities in the senior living industry often seek growth opportunities and the ability to showcase their cooking talents. “Senior living communities can model our techniques to attract talented candidates by including messaging within job descriptions that within their roles, they can learn, grow and have the opportunity to make the dining experience fantastic for each and every one for our residents,” Fontaine says.

Additionally, Wesley Enhanced Living offers hands-on training opportunities to aspiring or emerging professionals who want to have a career in dining. The community also works to pay above-market rates for dining staff.

Stockdale draws from his own experiences when it comes to finding talented food service professionals. “When I see professionals in retail or food service operations, who are intrinsically motivated to fulfill customer expectations, I always invite them for an interview,” he says. “You know who I’m talking about—the person whose energy and smile radiate throughout whatever environment they are in. Always hire personalities first and skills second. If birds of a feather flock together, word of mouth is your best way to attract quality staff.”

A community’s culture can help attract talented professionals, too. “Your food service staff will only exhibit the energy and attention to detail which they observe in their leaders,” says Stockdale. “Although it sounds cliché, culture starts at the top. If you have an unhealthy or unhappy workforce, you can guarantee they won’t be exhibiting positive energy in their service. However, if a leader puts the time, effort, and emphasis on a culture that truly cares about their team, that positive energy will extend outward to the residents they serve, as well as their relationships with their peers.”

Designing a Food Service Staff Onboarding Process 

Wesley Enhanced Living’s onboarding process is comprehensive to prepare and train new staff to seamlessly transition into their roles. During the onboarding process, staff receive training and guidance. “We work to ensure our employees know that we, as an organization, are always seeking new ways to provide them with the right tools and skills, ensuring the best work experience, and our residents with the best care,” Fontaine explains.

Additionally, the community conducts frequent check-ins and performance reviews. “This further helps us identify areas of opportunities to train for gaps and other development opportunities,” adds Fontaine.

The Importance of Training

Training plays a significant role in recruiting and retaining talented staff. “Wesley Enhanced Living gives opportunities and appropriate development programs to individuals who desire to have careers in the dining field,” says Fontaine. “This is one of the ways our communities create positive impacts in the lives of our employees and residents from a dining perspective, which is a crucial sector of senior living.”

Stockdale encourages communities to hire professionals with personalities that are right for the job. “Oftentimes in our industry, we hire in order to fill a position as opposed to fulfilling a mission,” he says. “In actuality, if you want to have a great dining experience, you must hire personalities first, and then be willing to develop the processes and teach the skills for the level of service you plan to provide.”

By offering an appealing culture, opportunities to grow, and training that can help professionals achieve their career goals, senior care communities can successfully recruit and retain talented food service professionals who can enhance the dining experience and improve resident satisfaction.

Paige Cerulli

Paige Cerulli is a contributing writer to i Advance Senior Care.