Even as the senior care industry faces persistent challenges, some leaders inspire their teams, foster cultures of excellence, and drive innovation. The OnShift Applause Awards recognize their accomplishments and dedication.
A recent McKnight’s webinar featured HR Director Timothy Bryce (Williston Care Center), who won this year’s OnShift Applause Innovator Award, and Regional VP of Sales Joy Patel (ShiftKey), a former administrator and respiratory therapist. They unpacked how leaders are retaining team members, balancing efficiency with compassion, and preparing for what’s next in senior care.
Here are some of the key themes that emerged.
Prefer to watch instead of read? Access the on-demand webinar to hear the full conversation.
A people-centered style is critical to successful leadership
Both speakers started their senior care careers from a deeply people-centered “why.”
Timothy came to HR wanting to support the people providing care; Joy’s calling to be a “servant leader” brought her first to respiratory therapy and later to administration.
Early on, leadership felt task- and rule-driven to both of them. As they grew, they turned their focus to empowering the people around them. Both emphasized how this leadership style contributes to a positive environment for both residents and direct care workers.
You can boost retention by making people feel seen, heard and supported
Timothy thinks of his team’s compassion as a “well” that must be intentionally refilled to prevent burnout. He organizes ongoing engagement activities with two to three events every week, big and small.
He believes consistency in engagement activities is key, and appreciation and acknowledgement are critical. Pulling someone aside to say, “I noticed that you're doing a really good job. Just wanna let you know that if you need anything, you can always come to me” can change their entire day.
As an administrator, Joy led by example. When the team needed help, she jumped in and did everything within her scope of practice.
She paired that with:
- Consistent communication and recognition
- Flexible scheduling where possible
- Professional development tailored to different generations on the team
- A culture of safety and transparency that extended to every area of the workplace
Technology and processes are vital, but they can’t replace human connection
Both leaders agree that efficiency and compassion must coexist. When it comes to processes, Joy suggests that leaders aim for streamlined, automated and standardized, but also look for opportunities to personalize every experience.
When allocating team workloads, she advocates for clear roles and smart workload allocation combined with team member training and support. Communication, she says, works best when brief and accurate yet empathetic and engaging. She also stressed that KPIs like wound reduction and turnaround times must be connected to the emotional dimension — connected to the humans they affect and the team members who made them possible.
Timothy highlighted the tension between coverage and capacity. If workforce decisions ignore human limits, he says, you end up with people physically present but emotionally drained — exactly the opposite of compassionate care. He works with his scheduler to maintain balance.
Balancing empathy with accountability is difficult, but necessary
Both leaders candidly said the balance between empathy and accountability is one of the hardest to get right.
Timothy’s approach is to figure out the “why” behind every policy question.
For example, when handed a question like: “This person has called out X times. Can we write them up?”, he doesn’t see the answer in black and white. Instead, he asks:
- Is there a scheduling mismatch that hasn’t been resolved?
- Did the person try to communicate a change in availability?
- Is there something in their personal life they haven’t felt safe sharing?
He still enforces policy, but pairs the write-up with a solution, such as:
- Adjusting schedules where appropriate
- Documenting availability changes
- Setting clear expectations going forward
During her tenure as an administrator, Joy had a similar strategy. She shared a story of an outstanding nurse who frequently clocked in a bit late. Rather than simply cycling through progressive discipline, Joy sat down and asked, “What can I do to help you meet expectations?”
It turned out the nurse was a single mom with childcare constraints that made on-time arrival nearly impossible. Joy's solution:
- Buddying her with a nurse willing to stay over slightly
- Building in a small overlap window that worked for the unit and the nurse
The result: no drop in accountability, but a big rise in trust, stability and performance.
The future of senior care (and senior care leadership) is evolving rapidly
Despite very real headwinds, both speakers are hopeful about the future.
Timothy is energized by the possibility that technology and AI could reduce charting burdens and free professionals to do more of what matters most: being present with residents.
Joy is excited by how innovation could help solve real care needs—for example, technology that can monitor vitals unobtrusively, or tools that turn data into actionable insights for both healthcare professionals and leadership.
Over the next five years, both Joy and Timothy expect leaders to need:
More adaptability.
- COVID forced adjustment, but emerging generations and technologies will demand even more flexibility.
A stronger blend of:
- Operational acumen (budgets, staffing, regulatory compliance).
- Emotional intelligence (empathy, communication, conflict resolution).
- Innovation mindset (willingness to pilot new models and tools).
A commitment to succession planning:
- Timothy notes we’re moving away from the “40 years in one job” model.
- Leaders must plan for movement: building pipelines (e.g., CNAs mentored into medical records, assistant leaders groomed for director roles) so transitions don’t destabilize care.
Trends shaping senior care right now
Demand for flexible work models
- Traditional shifts don’t fit everyone anymore.
- People increasingly seek nontraditional hours, shorter shifts, or tailored patterns that align with their lives.
- Leaders who adapt to this reality, within regulatory and operational constraints, will have an edge in retention.
Technology and AI as force multipliers
- Tools that streamline scheduling, documentation, and care planning are no longer “nice to have.”
- Smart use of technology can return time to the bedside, reduce burnout and support better decision-making.
Growing mental health focus for healthcare professionals
- Emotional support — whether via in-house resources or virtual platforms — is becoming a core dimension of workforce strategy.
Personal and professional growth are non-negotiable
Timothy treats every unfamiliar question, especially around employment law or policy, as a chance to learn. He’s actively pursuing further education (including advanced HR studies) so his team can trust the guidance he gives.
Joy stays connected to mentors she’s known for years. She attends conferences, follows industry standards, and pays close attention to trends in post-acute and senior care. Maybe most importantly, she says she learns from her team every day and is intentional about saying, “I don’t know; teach me,” when appropriate.
Ready to go deeper?
In the full webinar, you’ll get:
- Specific engagement ideas and calendar examples
- Real-world scenarios where policies and people collided—and how the leaders navigated it
- Audience Q&A with practical questions from senior care professionals facing the same challenges you are
Watch the full “Leading with Excellence” webinar on-demand to hear the full stories and take away ideas you can start using in your organization today.
