Last updated on June 15th, 2023
Over the last year, staffing shortages have been a difficult challenge for several industries — especially food service. And while you may attribute these shortages to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was happening well before that. The Bureau of Labor Statistics found that the turnover rate for the hospitality industry was 130.7% percent in 2020. But, in 2019, it was still high at 78.9%.
Some restaurants are so short-staffed that they’ve resorted to sending their corporate staff to store locations to work. Like restaurants, healthcare communities are also seeing a lot of turnover. According to The Washington Post, 420,000 employees have exited the nursing home workforce since February 2020.
Your healthcare community may be feeling the effects of this shortage, but you must find ways to get ahead of it. The United States’ aging population keeps growing. In fact, the Census Bureau found that by 2034, older adults (those 65+) will outnumber children for the first time in history. When this group of older adults begins to seek out senior living communities, you want to be able to handle the influx of residents.
But, your community already has so much on your to-do list. Recruiting, hiring, and training keep getting pushed to the back burner. So, what’s the solution? Today, many senior living communities are choosing to outsource their food service staff to keep their kitchens running efficiently and continue providing outstanding service to every resident.
4 Challenges Outsourcing Food Service Can Solve
1. Spend less time recruiting
You probably know that recruiting the best of the best employees takes a lot of time. Scouring Linkedin, vetting referrals, and just reading through resumes takes time away from your other to-dos, like marketing, working with vendors, and spending time with residents.
However, without the right team in the kitchen, the quality of your dining experience will suffer. A full-service food service management company should be able to help your community find the staff to fit your needs. They can actively recruit across major job boards and social media to find the right candidates and quickly fill roles.
2. Train people right the first time
In order to pass safety inspections and provide a great experience to residents, all new staff need to go through comprehensive training when joining a healthcare community like yours. But, building a training program and having the time to walk each new employee through it isn’t always possible — especially if you’re already really short-staffed.
Most good food service management companies will have a training program they’ve built that they can customize for the communities they work with. At Culinary Services Group, every team member that works with us gets comprehensive training on safe food handling, workplace safety, and customer service, ensuring our kitchens are safe, healthy, and friendly environments. We’re also building a pathway for advancement called “CSG University.” This advanced training helps us cross-train employees and prepare them for roles in mentorship and leadership within our organization.
3. Support professional development
One survey found that 22%+ employees have left their jobs for better career development opportunities. Good workplaces should engage with their teams about their career goals and recognize individual strengths and skillsets needed to move up the ladder, but again, if you’ve already got a full plate, it can be hard to prioritize professional development.
To retain your very best employees, you have to help them grow. That’s why Culinary Services Group offers to support continuous learning for all of our team members. Chefs receive regular culinary training to ensure they’re up to date on best practices, diet modifications, and culinary trends. Our registered dietitians can receive CEU credits through our training program and access a network of support for their clinical practice. Additionally, we support our team members in achieving the following certifications:
- ServSafe
- Certified Dietary Manager
- Registered Dietitian
4. Plan creative menus
When you’re extremely busy, you might be tempted to rely on the same old menu staples for residents week after week. But, that can have a negative effect on your residents’ quality of life. Think about it. Would you want to eat the same foods all the time? Probably not.
Giving residents more dining choices is a critical component of person-centered care. Offering more variety is also great for residents who must follow stricter or modified diets, like pureed foods or finger foods. When a client signs on to partner with Culinary Services Group, we work with their dining team and residents in the community to serve meals that offer variety every single week. Our team will meet each resident and learn their food likes and dislikes. We use this data to develop a menu at your facility that takes those food preferences into account. Our goal is to keep your residents happy and create a more person-centered care environment.
Are You Ready to Outsource Your Food Service Team?
Culinary Services Group understands that many senior living communities are facing staffing challenges right now. Beyond alleviating staffing challenges in your community, you’ll benefit from customized menus, monthly safety auditing, and on-time food delivery when you partner with us.
While our full-service contracts offer the most resources to accomplish staffing goals, every contract we offer benefits from our world-class training and support for leadership. To learn more about how we can help your community, contact us here.
