5 Hiring Tips for Senior Living Facility Managers in 2025

Find & retain expert caregivers

According to the 2020 Census, one in six people in the United States are over the age of 65. With new minimum staffing requirements on the horizon and high nursing staff turnover rates, it’s more important than ever for senior living facilities to fill the employment gap with dedicated and empathetic registered nurses (RNs), aides and other workers.

At Walmart Business, we understand how challenging it is to find the most qualified candidates to provide your residents with the best care. Here, we’ll outline several actionable tips that will help your senior living center hire new employees with confidence.

1. Put your values front & center

Care, empathy and compassion are prominent selling points for prospective employees at senior living centers. Salary and benefits are important, but they can’t fix a working environment that doesn’t give RNs the space to provide quality care for the people in their charge.

If your care facility wants to attract high-quality employees, its values must be front and center. Display your mission statement prominently on your facility’s website. Post content on social media that reflects those values. Consider putting those values in concrete terms with statistics and real-world examples so prospective employees can see how words convert into action.

Prospective employees also want to work for a leader who can communicate effectively and manage with conviction. Read How to Grow as a Leader as You Grow Your Business for information on how you can make a real difference, even as business demands scale.

2. Update hiring processes

The internet and mobile devices have changed how people look for work and fill out applications. One report in 2024 found that two-thirds of all applicants submitted their resumes via their mobile devices, so make sure that any online application forms are mobile-friendly. Doing so will provide a seamless, frustration-free experience for applicants while ensuring the information you receive is as accurate and readable as possible.

A digital-forward approach will help you get job listings out to as many people as possible. Consider leveraging social media platforms to advertise open positions listed on your website and cross-post the same available positions on classified ad websites to broaden your reach. Include questions within the application process that ask how the applicant found your listing so you can adequately measure how effective each channel is at finding talent.

Transparency is also crucial in modern job listings. One survey found that four out of five people won’t apply if a job listing doesn’t include a salary range. Listings should also accurately reflect the necessary qualifications, required duties and desired skills so caregivers aren’t blindsided by surprises if they take the job.

3. Use employee referrals

The caregivers currently working for you are an excellent resource for finding new hires. One analysis found that referral candidates are seven times more likely to be hired than those who apply through online classified ads, making them a fast and reliable way to discover and retain new employees. 

Consider updating your hiring process to prioritize employee referrals. Develop incentives like bonus programs that reward current caregivers with cash or other benefits if their referral leads to a successful hire. That way, you’ll never go long without a pool of potential qualified candidates.

4. Address burnout concerns directly

High turnover rates are a significant problem impacting senior care facilities all over the country, and burnout is a substantial contributing factor. A 2025 study conducted with nurses and health professionals across 82 countries discovered that many continue to face severe mental health challenges even several years removed from the COVID-19 pandemic, with as many as 61% of those surveyed feeling anxiety and depression as a result of their jobs.

Burnout is real. Failing to address it shows a lack of understanding of the actual conditions caregivers face in their day-to-day work, which may contribute to an environment where highly qualified employees end up seeking work somewhere else—or retire from the profession entirely. This lack of staff then means worse care for your current residents, as well as an inability to bring new residents into the center.

Rather than ignore it, consider tackling burnout head-on and making it a core benefit of working for you over the competition. Highlight benefits like flexible scheduling, competitive vacation plans, mental health services and employee recognition systems. Consider highlighting tech integrations that serve to make their jobs easier.

5. Develop a path for growth

Another significant source of caregiver burnout: a lack of career advancement. Caregivers need a path forward that leads to better positions and higher pay. If they don’t see this path available in your job listings, they’ll be more likely to apply for positions where it’s prominently displayed. A commitment to personal development will show prospective employees that you care about their growth over the long term.

Caring for your caregivers

There are real obstacles to finding qualified caregivers and keeping them for years. With a hiring approach that values empathy, transparency and personal growth, your facility can put its best foot forward and fill essential roles as smoothly as possible. 

Need more resources? Browse the Walmart content hub for information about improving operations and making your facility a better workplace. 

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