CALA News & Views | Issue 52 | Workforce

In a rapidly evolving landscape, successful senior living communities rely on more than just a strong mission – they require the right people to bring that mission to life. In this special Q&A, two CALA members – Tara Arancibia, vice president of recruitment at Belmont Village Senior Living , and Shadi Rafat, senior director of talent acquisition at Silverado – discuss the core qualities they prioritize when hiring, the new recruitment practices they’ve introduced to stay competitive and the retention tools that keep their teams strong. From tapping into unconventional talent pools to leveraging technology and community partnerships, their firsthand experiences offer valuable guidance for anyone seeking to build and maintain top-tier senior living teams.

focusing on skills-based hiring, where we prioritize a candidate’s potential and transferable skills over their direct experience for specific roles. We also leverage our networks by engaging with schools, associations and organizations to elevate Silverado’s brand awareness. Additionally, we stay up to date on pay rate trends and conduct comprehensive salary analyses, enabling us to provide leadership with insights that lead to competitive market adjustments, ultimately helping us attract and retain top talent. Have you actively recruited professionals from other industries? If so, which backgrounds have transitioned well into senior living, and what lessons have you learned? Tara Arancibia: We find many transferable skills in hospitality professionals and educators - particularly those who have worked with special needs populations. Shadi Rafat: We recruit from senior living, skilled nursing, hospitals, care homes, home health and hospice settings, as these professionals have hands-on experience with our population. We also find that hospitality professionals transition seamlessly into caregiving roles. Q Attracting Talent from Outside Senior Living Could you share any new or creative tactics you’re using – such as technology tools or community partnerships – to attract qualified candidates? Tara Arancibia: Belmont Village owns and operates communities in various cities across eight different states. Each city has unique opportunities for community partnerships with schools and social service programs focused on offering job placement services to underemployed members of the community. We prioritize strengthening these partnerships to identify qualified candidates. In addition, we find having flexible interview times and hosting in-person hiring events to be beneficial as well. Q Innovative Recruitment Approaches

Skills and Competencies

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Which specific competencies and personal qualities do you find most critical when hiring for senior living roles, and why? Tara Arancibia: The competencies will vary by position but in general, we find the most successful candidates prefer engaging roles, have a passion for helping older adults thrive as they age, and demonstrate patience and empathy towards others. We value candidates who have a proven work history that demonstrates dependability and loyalty. Shadi Rafat: Some of the most important traits we seek at Silverado include empathy, professionalism, self-awareness, adaptability and a positive attitude. Many families and residents we serve are navigating memory impairment or hospice for the first time, making it essential for our associates to demonstrate these qualities while providing support. How have your recruitment strategies evolved in response to today’s changing workforce and market demands, and what adjustments have proven most successful? Tara Arancibia: We often find our most successful hires are direct referrals or internal promotions. We’ve found success through our employee referral program, our internal career training programs and through community referral partners. While we continue to use digital postings for active external job seekers, we also enjoy investing in our existing employees and maximizing the external referral partnerships for candidates. Shadi Rafat: Our team focuses on a proactive approach to hiring by building robust candidate pipelines for all positions nationwide. This approach has significantly reduced agency costs, overtime and time-to-fill while also boosting associate morale. This strategy includes Adapting Recruiting Practices

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