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to go through all these layers of
approvals.”
She also credits their reten-
tion to the shared values of the
staff. She says they all have the
same goal of “providing excep-
tional service to seniors,” and
“when you’re working work
with a bunch of like-minded
people like that, it doesn’t feel
like a job.”
Patrick Schilling is the Director
of Design for PARC Living. He’s
a more recent addition to the
team, but he agrees with Jac-
queline’s sentiments. He joined
the company roughly two years
ago because Rainer convinced
him of the worth of their mis-
sion.
“I wanted to design buildings
that people could use and en-
joy,” he says. “That’s what drew
me to Rainer. He really want-
ed to build residences for res-
idents. That’s what he wanted
more than anything else – more
than making money, more than
winning awards. It was about
the residents and giving them a
unique experience.”
In addition to giving employ-
ees a worthwhile cause, PARC
also pays a living wage. In fact,
their company is certified Living
Wage Employer, one of only a
select few in Vancouver. Jacque-
line believes that certification
has been vital to their retention
efforts – and that retention has,
in turn, been vital to the compa-
ny’s success.
“Keeping staff is important, be-
cause it’s very hard when they
turn over,” she says. “It’s hard
on the business and it’s hard on
the residents.”