A couple of weeks ago I wrote an article summarizing some Home Health Care workforce trends to watch for. In this follow up article I point out five ways that homecare agencies can evolve the way they recruit and find the quality employees needed to be caregivers.
As I stated in the previous article, more than 2.1 million home care workers provide health care and personal assistance to the elderly and disabled. In our current job market, caregivers want more than just a higher wage; they are also looking for a company that is innovative and able to offer better tools, reliability and steady work. In a new study it has been found that ninety seven percent of caregivers are open to taking another job at any time, that number is staggering.
As the owner or manager of a homecare agency I encourage you to consider the following five ways to modify your recruiting and hiring efforts in order to find the right caregivers for your business as this industry continues to grow.
Speed counts
Caregivers have many job options out there and it is not uncommon for them to get more than three calls per week about work opportunities. In order to be competitive, your hiring process has to be extremely efficient. If your process of evaluating and converting candidates takes too long for ready to work prospective hires, it can mean the difference between acquiring a great new caregiver and losing them to a competitor whose hiring process is faster and more efficient.
Think outside the box
As the demand for homecare continues to grow you will need to find new ways to expand your search for a talented workforce. One such way to do this is by looking at talent pools that are adjacent to homecare. Look at markets where the labor force may still require training for technical skills, but where they may already have intrinsic skills such as service orientation and temperament. Candidates that possess these harder to train, intrinsic skills can offer real growth potential in an industry struggling to meet hiring demands.
Create a referral program
The best caregivers have a tendency to be effective at identifying their own skilled peers. A referral program can provide you with direct access to a large pool of talent through a cost effective, peer based recruiting channel. Developing a referral program takes a significant amount of up-front work and a deep understanding of acquisition cost but experience shows that referrals become a source of many of the best, most loved and trusted caregivers.
Know your market
We are living in what has come to be known as a gig economy where you are not just competing with other homecare companies for talented employees but you are competing with companies that offer part time or gig work. You need to be aware of what types of seasonal employment, rideshare companies, etc. are in your area along with the compensation packages they offer. As an employer, it is critical that you are aware of the multitude of new business types that are competing for new hires in order to stay ahead of the game.
Don’t settle
The quality of people you hire will drive the success of your business. Even with the ever growing demand for care providers and a shrinking talent pool it is necessary to keep in mind that the service that your caregivers provide to clients and their families is what your business reputation and brand is made up of. Keep your standards high, look for those amazing caregivers who find it personally fulfilling to provide exceptional care to clients. The investment made in great caregivers will always benefit your business in the long run.
