Labor Day is fast approaching, and it’s that last hurrah of summer before it’s time for falling leaves and pumpkin spice. September 1 is also an ideal time to host a summer send-off with residents, as well as to recognize the contributions they and your staff have made to the workforce.

Dating back to the late 1800s, Labor Day was designed to recognize the contributions of workers in this country. It started after a period where labor activists pushed for rights.

In today’s ever-changing world, organizations are so busy looking for ways to attract new staff that they’ve overlooked an important means of addressing staffing shortages –failing to make the best most effective use of their current team.

Utilizing what you’ve got is important when profit margins are razor-thin and budgets are being slashed, but there are ways to make your buildings more efficient and staff-friendly without breaking the bank. In general, this involves balancing operational improvements with cost-effectiveness.

Many organizations are so busy looking for ways to attract new staff that they’ve overlooked an important way to address staffing shortages – making the best, most efficient use of their current team.

“Census and staffing go hand-in-hand in many ways,” said Jonathan Woodrow, Co-Founder and CEO of LivingPath, a Chicago-based company that helps people discover great senior living communities. Painting a picture of a career and work life that attracts and engages staff, in turn, can result in a portrait of a community where seniors want to live.

Thinking we know what others want or need may be well meaning; but it can lead to problems, for example, when you assume what makes your employees stay or leave. We went to an expert, Charles Turner, CEO of Kare, to find out what frontline workers in senior living and long-term care actually say and think about what makes them love – or hate – their job.

Several adjustments, some small and others more complex, can help protect your staff. For instance, the open floor plan that has been become so popular and considered by some as essential to collaboration is also conducive to disease transmission.