Tackling the High Turnover Rate in the Medical, Nursing Care, and Welfare Industries

Based in Osaka, Shieruka Inc., founded by two physical therapists, is dedicated to "creating an industry where passionate individuals don't have to quit" through recruitment branding support specialized in the medical, nursing care, and welfare sectors.

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■ Structural Issues in the Industry, as Shown by Numbers

The medical, nursing care, and welfare industries face a chronic shortage of personnel.

【Nursing Care Sector】

The turnover rate for nursing care staff is 14.4%.

66.3% of facilities feel a shortage of personnel.

(Source: Japan Long-Term Care Labor Stabilization Center, "FY2022 Survey on Long-Term Care Labor Conditions")

https://www.kaigo-center.or.jp/report/)

Furthermore, it is estimated that there will be a shortage of approximately 320,000 nursing care personnel by FY2025 and about 690,000 by FY2040.

(Source: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, "Regarding the Necessary Number of Nursing Care Staff Based on the 8th Long-Term Care Insurance Business Plan")

https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/newpage_02977.html)

【Medical Sector】

The turnover rate for nursing staff remains around 11-12%.

(Source: Japanese Nursing Association, "2023 Hospital Nursing Practice Survey")

https://www.nurse.or.jp/home/publication/toukei/index.html)

【Common Issues】

The turnover rate within three years for university graduates is approximately 31.5%.

(Source: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, "Turnover Status of New Graduates")

https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/houdou/0000177553.html)

Moreover, in the medical and welfare fields, both the hiring rate and turnover rate remain high, indicating a structure where "people are circulating" rather than simply "a shortage of people."

(Source: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, "Employment Trend Survey")

https://www.mhlw.go.jp/toukei/list/9-23.html)

■ However, the essence is not "quantity"

Analyzing consultations from over 1,000 medical, nursing care, and welfare professionals revealed the following facts:

It's not "unmotivated people" who quit.

Rather, those who strongly desire to:

・Engage more with users

・Realize ideal care

・Improve the industry

are more likely to leave due to:

Lack of shared philosophy

Discrepancy between on-site and management directions

A feeling of "this workplace is not what I expected"

■ The problem is "structure," not "number of hires"

Many facilities implement "quantitative measures" such as:

・Job advertisements

・Recruitment agencies

・Improvement of conditions

However, if it's not clear:

✔ What kind of passion drives the business

✔ What future they aim for

✔ What kind of people they want to work with

they cannot escape the loop of:

Recruitment → Mismatch → Early turnover → Re-recruitment

■ Articulating and Visualizing Aspirations

Shieruka Inc. builds "workplaces chosen for their values" rather than "workplaces chosen for their conditions" through:

Reconstruction of MVV (Mission, Vision, Value)

Designing continuous communication using social media

Structural design of recruitment funnels

Organizational story branding

■ Recruitment is not Marketing

We believe recruitment is not about attracting people with conditions, but about resonating with them through a shared future.

Japan's population will continue to age, and the demand for medical and nursing care will expand.

(Source: Statistics Bureau of Japan, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, "Population Estimates")

https://www.stat.go.jp/data/jinsui/)

That is why it is urgent to create a society where:

Passionate businesses are rightly chosen,

And passionate individuals can continue to work with pride.

■ Representative's Comment

"We want to create an industry where passionate individuals don't have to quit.

Our mission is to eliminate the feeling of 'this wasn't what I expected.'"

■ About Shieruka Inc.

Shieruka Inc. was founded by two physical therapists and provides branding support specialized in the medical, nursing care, and welfare industries. Through listening to over 1,000 voices on-site, they have uncovered the structural issues behind the phrase "this wasn't what I expected." The reasons for medical professionals, including physical therapists, leaving their jobs often stem from recruitment mismatches and joining without a clear understanding of the company's philosophy or vision. This results in a vicious cycle of personnel shortages, rising turnover rates, and ever-increasing recruitment costs. We visualize the reality of companies and carefully articulate the on-site reality to design recruitment communication strategies that foster alignment of philosophy and values. We believe that "giving shape to aspirations" is the first step towards building sustainable organizations in the medical, nursing care, and welfare industries.