Palace Group, Brightview Top 2023 Best Workplaces in Aging Services List

This year’s annual Best Workplaces in Aging Services List from Fortune again includes some familiar faces — and a few newcomers to the list.

The annual list, released Wednesday, catalogs the top aging services workplaces nationwide and differentiates between large and small- to-medium-sized operators and care providers.

Miami, Florida-based The Palace Group, which operates 10 communities in South Florida, took home the top spot among large operators this year, dethroning Brightview Senior Living, which ranked second this year after four years in the No. 1 spot.

Other senior living providers that landed a top-10 spot in the large providers category included: Vi Living, Wesley Enhanced Living, Trilogy Health Services, Legend Senior Living and The Arbor Company.

The Palace Group, which was not included in last year’s list, has over 1,500 employees across its portfolio of senior living communities. In an interview with SHN, Vice President of Sales and Marketing Adam Rosenblum said the company was “beyond ecstatic” for the recognition in this year’s number one spot.

“It really affirms everything that we strive for on a daily basis to provide an exceptional workplace for our employees and all of our team members,” Rosenblum said. “We’ve received other designations in the past, but this far exceeds everything that we’ve received before.”

Rosenblum credited The Palace Group’s local ownership structure with helping foster a positive working environment with “hands-on ownership” that are involved in daily operations of the communities.

‘”It really promotes a true family atmosphere,” Rosenblum said. “We have the continuity of the ownership and that makes a huge difference. We listen to our employees to have an open door policy.”

In battling this year’s labor challenges, Rosenblum said the company has had continued success in employee recruitment and employee referrals, specifically by having existing team members recommend friends and family to consider careers with the company.

“That’s the most effective way that we can promote our culture,” he added.

Baltimore, Maryland-based Brightview Senior Living has consistently ranked in the top spot, and President & CEO Doug Dollenberg Jr. said it’s an accomplishment “that we do not take lightly.”

“Our entire team is committed to making Brightview a Great Place to Work and a Great Place to Live. We are thrilled to receive this recognition, and we have our dedicated associates to thank for making it possible,” Dollenberg said.

Brightview recently rolled out a new career development program to help show pathways for future growth for employees. Another successful effort in evolving the company’s workplace culture has been through its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts, allowing for “exploration, discussion, sharing, and learning” regarding unconscious bias in the workplace.

Carlsbad, California-based Continuing Life, which operates 13 communities, ranked third this year after not being included in last year’s list and being named 17th in 2021.

Chicago, Illinois-based Vi Living rose from ninth to fourth place on the list between last year and this year.

“It’s incredibly gratifying for Vi to once again be recognized among the Best Workplaces in Aging Services,” Gary Smith, Vi’s President and CEO, said in a statement to SHN. “We consider it a priority to be an industry leader in creating a fulfilling workplace where every team member feels welcome and recognized.”

Smith highlighted that of the Vi employees that took the survey, 90% reported being proud to tell others about their workplace and 88% of employees surveyed said that Vi offered “special and unique benefits.”

“It’s evidence that we are on track as we strive to offer a best-in-class culture,” Smith said.

Atlanta, Georgia-based The Arbor Company jumped from 12th last year to 10th this year, and has been named a “Great Place To Work” since 2019.

In a statement to SHN, Vice President of Communications Chris Harper said the organization “creates an extraordinary environment not just for our residents, but also for our exceptional teams.”

Its internal leadership development program known as Arbor Grows, was recently recognized with the “Best of the Best” award from trade organization Argentum.

“The Fortune Best Workplaces recognition energizes us to continue our commitment to our employees, providing them with the resources and environment they need to flourish, as we all work together to provide unparalleled care for our residents and their families,” Harper said.

Wichita, Kansas-based Legend Senior Living moved to eighth from seventh last year. Vice President of Marketing Paul Hansen the organization was “incredibly proud” of the distinction.

“Designations like this help in recruiting efforts and expose the idea of working in senior living to people who may have yet to consider it. It also certainly builds resident satisfaction. If the associate is happy, the residents are happy,” Hansen said in a statement to SHN.

California-based analytics firm Great Place to Work analyzes survey responses from over 168,000 respondents who are in the senior living and broader senior care industries to craft the ranking. The list is published by Fortune and compiled by Activated Insights.

Participants in the survey answer 60 statements on a five-point scale and answer two open-ended questions to establish the rankings.

Here is the list of top-10 for both senior housing categories:

Large:

1. The Palace Group

2. Brightview Senior LIving

3. Continuing Life

4. Vi Living

5. Wesley Enhanced Living

6. Trilogy Health Services

7. Citadel Healthcare

8. Legend Senior Living

9. Leisure Care

10. The Arbor Company

Medium/Small:

1. Sinai Residences

2. Thrive Senior Living

3. Legacy Healthcare

4. Embrace Living Communities

5. Arcadia Communities

6. Army Residence Community

7. Distinctive Living

8. Keystone Senior

9. Vicar’s Landing

10. Lutheran Social Ministries of New Jersey