Although it has slightly decreased in recent years, the health and social care sector in England faces a high vacancy rate. In 2023/24, there were approximately 131,000 vacant posts, representing a rate of 8.3%. This shows an improvement from the 9.9% vacancy rate and 153,000 vacancies recorded in 2022/23¹. Despite this progress, the sector’s vacancy rate remains higher than that of the broader UK economy.
Alongside this, the average age of individuals working in the UK’s health and social care sector is around 43 years old². This includes both the NHS and the adult social care sector. A large portion of the workforce, particularly in social care, is aged 55 and over.
This suggests a generational gap, with fewer younger people, like Gen Z, choosing to work in the sector. If the industry continues to rely on an older generation, it will eventually lead to more staff shortages as people retire.
In this blog, Leigh Midgley, our Senior Customer Relations Officer, discusses how we can attract Gen Z to the health and social care sector to fill the vacancy gap and ensure the industry’s long-term sustainability. It also highlights what we’re doing at Unity to support this generation entering the sector.
Why do Gen Z not want to work in the health and social care sector?
Unfortunately, the UK’s health and social care sectors are widely considered to be underfunded, with significant underfunding in social care estimated at £8 billion annually, projected to rise to £18 billion by 2032. This is a major cause of people feeling like they’re overworked and underpaid. However, if organisations prioritise better conditions and the well-being of staff, this would be an effective step toward addressing this feeling of being underappreciated. Improving the health and satisfaction of the workforce is necessary for both staff and those being cared for.
Following this, the health and social care sector often receives negative press, focusing on being overworked, underpaid, or underfunded. While these concerns are valid and require attention, they don’t fully represent the reality of working in the sector, which can be extremely positive and rewarding.
Social care is the most rewarding industry I could ever imagine working in. Seeing a patient’s progression and the smile on their faces costs nothing. Even saying hello to them or giving them a cup of tea can make someone’s day. People don’t see the rewarding aspects of it.
There’s also a common misconception about the social care sector and the roles within it. For example, some people I’ve spoken with believed it mainly involved personal hygiene tasks for older people. While this can be a part of it, it’s far from the only responsibility. The sector includes a variety of essential tasks that are crucial to its functioning. It’s also about supporting people with complex needs, which can impact individuals of all ages.
Why would Gen Z be of value to the health and social care sector?
I think what’s clear about the Gen Z generation is that they’re passionate about societal issues and making an impact. For our Gen Z workers at Unity and temporary workers for the care homes we work with, there are clear common themes: being passionate, eager to learn, flexible, proactive, and collaborative. There’s a message in the media that Gen Z can be lazy, but our workforce does not reflect this.
Gen Z can also offer a new perspective. For example, this generation is often very inclusive and diverse, advocating for the prioritisation of mental health and wellbeing. Alongside this, they can offer technology-based skills that will help the sector progress.
How to attract Gen Z to the health and social care sector?
Purpose-driven work
If organisations in the health and social care sector can position roles as ones that make a meaningful difference to the sector and individual lives, rather than just listing responsibilities, it would greatly aid in recruiting people who want to impact their communities and society.
Working in health and social care is incredibly rewarding, with people changing lives every day, from nurses to care home workers. Patients rely on these individuals to improve their quality of life. This aligns with Gen Z’s drive to make an impact and difference to communities.
Value-based recruitment
It’s important to consider value-based recruitment, which prioritises a candidate’s values and behaviours to ensure cultural alignment, not just their skills. The majority of health and social care roles will require specific qualifications, but organisations can get across to Gen Z that we’re interested in who they are as people, beyond just the qualifications they possess, they’d appreciate this much more.
When an individual has the right passion and drive but lacks some qualifications, it’s important to offer upskilling, training opportunities, and even apprenticeship routes. Also, providing them with a clear career pathway will bust the myth that working in the social care sector is something you do when you’re older, pre-retirement, but it offers a multitude of career opportunities for progression.
Health and wellbeing support
Health and social care is consistently referenced as one of the most burned-out and stressed sectors in the UK. Unsurprisingly, this can be a deterrent to the Gen Z generation looking to enter the sector. However, if proper mental health and wellbeing support is offered, it can make individuals’ workplaces more positive and supportive environments.
Support could include regular 121s, access to external support resources, an open-door policy where workers feel comfortable sharing issues, and workplace social activities, alongside offering flexibility and prioritising a work-life balance. These practices shouldn’t be a nice-to-have, but a priority.
Embrace technology
Across the UK, organisations are embracing technology and digital automation, and Gen Z must recognise that health and social care are following suit. There’s a misconception that the social care industry, in particular, is quite outdated and we’re not willing to move with the times, but we are, and lots of exciting things are happening within the space.
We know Gen Z are very adept in technology and want their workplace to be aligned with this too. If organisations can showcase that they’re willing to move forward with technology, Gen Z will find this appealing.
What we’re doing to recruit and retain Gen Z
As well as the above, we practice many initiatives and processes that help us recruit and retain Gen Z workers, including:
Relatable recruitment
Our team is made primarily of those in this generation, so we naturally understand how to connect with younger candidates. While most agencies just post a uniform and call it done, Unity takes the time to meet new recruits, follow up after their first shift, check in on challenges, and keep communication open. The whole process feels more personal and less intimidating, especially when interviews are handled by peers rather than senior managers.
Consistent communication and support
We’ve learnt that Gen Z require regular updates and feedback. At Unity, we prioritise this by keeping communication open and accessible at all times – we value regular phone calls, face-to-face catch-ups, and catch-ups after placements. We genuinely care about how people are getting on and what support they need. This consistency builds trust and a sense of belonging that many agencies neglect.
Training, development, and progression
At Unity, we’re big on investing in our people, whether that’s those who work for us internally or our carers. We fund NVQs, apprenticeships and specialist training that most agencies don’t bother with. It’s a big commitment, but we find that staff are better equipped, more confident, and see a real career path ahead of them when we prioritise this.
We focus on long-term supported living packages, some running over six years. That continuity of care requires well-trained, stable teams, which is why we invest so heavily in upskilling and contracts. It creates stability for both staff and the people requiring support.
At Unity Plus, we also cover the costs of PMVA training (Prevention and Management of Violence and Aggression), a specialised programme designed to equip healthcare and social care professionals with the skills, strategies, and confidence to safely manage situations involving aggression or potential violence.
The course spans three intensive days, combining theoretical knowledge with hands-on, practical learning to provide a well-rounded and immersive experience.
This immersive, three-day intensive course offers a well-rounded experience by blending theoretical knowledge with practical, hands-on learning.
Learn more about PMVA training.
Gen Z case study
As mentioned, we work with some amazing individuals from Gen Z, including a supported living worker who would like to remain anonymous. Since we started working with him earlier this year, he’s shown how our recruitment and development approach helps support and develop our workers.
He’s full of ideas and energy, and his ability to connect through shared interests, like music and conversation, has been key to building trust. The person he supports thrives on genuine engagement and gets bored easily if staff aren’t on the same wavelength.
Because it’s not always safe for the supported person to leave the house, the worker thinks creatively about how to keep days interesting and meaningful. Cooking sessions, themed activities, and occasional trips out, like lunch in Bradford or a visit to School of Rock, all of which come from his own initiative.
He’s also confident enough to reach out for support when needed, regularly checking in with our team for advice or to share updates. This open communication and willingness to learn reflect the collaborative culture Unity works hard to build.
Over time, he’s developing towards a key worker role. His enthusiasm, emotional intelligence and ability to relate to Gen Z service users show how Unity’s approach produces confident, capable and compassionate support workers.
If you’re interested to learn more about how we recruit health and social care workers, or if you’re a worker yourself and want to learn more about our opportunities, please get in touch with our friendly team.
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