Recruitment Reality Series: Your Caregiver is Your Uber Driver- Embrace It!

According to the 2019 Home Care Benchmarking Study from Home Care Pulse, 28% of caregivers report that caregiving is no longer their primary source of income.

According to the 2019 Home Care Benchmarking Study from Home Care Pulse, 28% of caregivers report that caregiving is no longer their primary source of income.

How can you support caregivers who also drive for Uber or Lyft?

In her new “Recruitment Reality Series,” Caregiver Training Advisor Victoria Brown explores the reality of caregivers who are juggling multiple jobs.

She says, “Don’t fight it. Embrace it!”

With the current unemployment rate holding steady below 4%, caregivers definitely have options for multiple sources of income. While Amazon may be stealing your caregivers, you’re certainly sharing some of your staff with Uber or Lyft.

There are already millions of ride share drivers in the United States. They simply need a driver’s license, a vehicle with insurance, and be 21 or older. These requirements are often easily met for a caregiver, making the transition to ride share driver relatively seamless for them.

We so often hear of your struggles recruiting and retaining your caregivers; when it comes to your caregivers’ side gig, you have but one choice – embrace it!

How can you be supportive? Try these 3 tips:

1. Partner with a local insurance agent to offer them discounted car insurance.

Caregivers, especially those working multiple jobs, are very busy and even more-so stressed or exhausted. Analyzing their finances isn’t necessarily something they may think to do. They will appreciate your effort to try to save them money on an expense you know they all share.

2. Offer car detailing as a reward.

We’ve already described the need for a rewards system to increase both retention and recruitment. A local detailing service may offer you a discount, but, even if they don’t, this is an easy way to show your appreciation with something they may never have done for themselves. Everyone loves that clean car smell!

3. Ask if they need to be scheduled around their ride share peak times.

According to Ridester.com, the best times to drive for a ride share service are Monday and Friday mornings. Local trends may be different, so it is important to ask your caregivers if they would prefer a schedule that allows them to take advantage of peak times. Local festivals and events may also be a good opportunity for them. Let them know you want them to maximize their profitability as a ride share driver, and you’re willing to support them as much as possible.

You can do it!

You know it isn’t realistic to expect your caregivers to earn a living from your agency alone. Be supportive, communicate your understanding, build loyalty and trust, and begin to chip away at the monumental task of caregiver recruitment in 2019.

Want to Learn More?

Need more tips on supporting your team? Download 38 Ways to Motivate Your Caregiver Team. In it you’ll learn 38 things you can do to keep your caregiver team loyal, energized, and motivated.

Don’t forget, training is an essential element in your recruitment effort. Contact me today to learn more about training solutions available to you!