To improve your retention, you need to start by finding quality candidates through diverse and regular recruitment methods. If you need new ideas or you’re not getting the results you want, here are a few sources you may want to try:
Caregiver turnover is a major threat to nearly home care agency, and as a provider, you’re familiar with the constant struggle to find and retain quality caregivers for your home care agency. To improve your retention, you need to start by finding quality candidates through diverse and regular recruitment methods. If you need new ideas or you’re not getting the results you want, here are a few sources you may want to try:
Career Fairs
Get in contact with local universities and nursing schools and ask about upcoming career fairs. These are great places to scout out individuals who need jobs and are seeking first-hand experience. If there aren’t any career fairs on the horizon, you can also ask about presenting during a class or providing a lecture on home care to make contacts and interest potential applicants.
Online
Posting online is the simplest and fastest way to recruit applicants. According to the 2015 Home Care Benchmarking Study, using online job ads was the top-rated recruitment source for both leading providers and the industry as a whole. When you post, start with your own website and social media pages, and then branch out to the most common job sites (e.g. craigslist, Monster, indeed). After posting on these generic sites you can then look for community social media pages and more healthcare-specific job pages (e.g. myCNAjobs, Care.com, Nurse.com). By posting on these sites you can bring in a large quantity of applicants that you can sort through later.
Open House
If you’re tired of constantly going out searching for candidates, let them come to you by hosting an open house. You can either host one large event for a couple of hours or make it an ongoing event by posting a “Now Hiring: Apply Inside” sign outside your building. These events allow you to see the candidates in person and find out how they act in a group setting.
Read Top 5 Caregiver Recruitment Sources
Video
Think outside the box when it comes to advertising. If your regular methods aren’t turning out results, you may want to try making a fun video that shows off your company culture. Videos provide an engaging way to show potential applicants what they can expect from working with you. It’s a perfect way to highlight what you’re all about and to emphasize your Employer of Choice award and other distinctions.
Word of Mouth
When you meet someone in any job (e.g. waiters, cashiers, store clerks) with a personality that fits your agency, ask them to apply. You don’t have to be in a professional setting to look for candidates and to see characteristics that fit your needs. Keep your eye out for potential applicants wherever you are, and don’t be shy about asking people to apply. Let them know that their personality is a great fit for caregiving, and tell them how to apply. Everyone likes to be wanted, and even if they don’t apply, they may recommend you to friends. Encourage your caregivers to also stay alert to potential hires, and reward your caregivers when they find someone. You can find quality candidates in the most unexpected places.
Before you can retain quality caregivers, you need to recruit them. Brainstorm new methods and track your results. As you diversify your methods, you’ll be able to pin down the best methods and create a steadier flow of quality applicants.
Great article.. you know there is another site, http://www.wellbeyondcare.com, that offers a great way to get both part time and full time caregiving jobs. What is neat about it is you can choose your wage and who you want to work for. Just an FYI