Implement new hire retention tools as part of your agency’s homecare marketing outreach.
Guest blog post by Sterling Miles of Caregiver Jobs San Diego
You have put out a great job posting. Now the applications are rolling in. It appears as though your work is completed. But is it?
Receiving a large number of applications from a job posting is excellent. There is an exciting possibility in knowing that there are many qualified candidates who are considering working with your agency. Nonetheless, even when there is an abundance of applicants, implementing new hire retention tools as part of your agency’s homecare marketing outreach is critical to ensure that you do not lose well-qualified caregivers during the hiring process.
Many caregivers continue to apply to jobs even after getting an offer of employment. According to the Home Care Pulse Benchmarking Report, 67% of caregivers will leave an agency within a year of their hire date, and 57% will do so within their first 3 months. That means your agency needs to start retention work right away in order to get those caregivers to stay.
Top Tips to Implement a Retention-Focused Hiring Process
It can be enticing to write off caregivers who quit inside their first ninety days or who fail to even show up for their first day. However, this type of statistic could indicate an issue with your hiring process. Consider the following questions regarding your recruitment and retention efforts to determine if there is opportunity for improvement.
Have you been assuring applicants that they are ideal for the position? Starting a new role is intimidating for many candidates. If someone has been a professional caregiver before, this may not be much of an issue. For anyone new to the career though, some support may be needed. A number of people getting into the caregiving field have cared for members of the family, but never in a professional capacity. Others may have no significant care experience other than a desire to assist others. These individuals may feel unprepared or not qualified to be a caregiver. Assuring new hires that you offer in-depth training and supervision can enhance confidence and empower them to stay the course.
How effectively are you communicating after the offer of employment? Among the main grievances new hires have is the lack of communication following an offer. The reason being all too often employers do not have a communication plan set up between the hire date and the employee’s first day. This gap leaves new hires with many unanswered questions. Who do they report to? What’s the chain of command for questions? What do they need to bring for their first shift? Will training be provided before their first day or on the job? Communicate with new hires before their first day and ask if they have any questions or if there is anything they need from you. Let them know that you’re thrilled to have them on the team. This helps them feel supported and engaged with their new position.
Are you training early enough? Waiting too long to provide training is a recipe for unanswered questions and preventable mistakes. In addition, knowing how to do the job properly builds confidence that is key to retention. Provide new hires training prior to their first shift to get them accustomed to the ins and outs of the job. Allow them to practice clocking in and out if at all possible. Provide guidance for common caregiving scenarios. If you know which client they will be caring for, give them an overview of the client’s needs, personality, etc. Any information or training new hires acquire before or soon after their start date will set them up for success and create a feeling of loyalty with your agency.
Are you checking in? It is easy to send new hires out into the field and get sidetracked by the various other aspects of running your agency. Having said that, it is essential to check in on a regular basis with caregivers throughout their first 90 days to ensure retention. Establish regular check ins to make sure caregivers have an outlet for any questions or concerns that come up for them. By doing this, issues can be addressed early before caregivers make the decision to resign.
From posting a new job to making an offer, your caregiver retention efforts are a continuous process, crucial to the health of your agency.
About Caregiver Jobs San Diego
CaregiverJobsSanDiego.com allows families and care companies in the San Diego, CA area to easily post caregiver/RN/home health aide job opportunities and communicate with top candidates through a secure online messaging system. The company collaborates with a local network of CNA, HHA, medical assistant, and nursing schools, making it a magnet for qualified caregivers seeking employment in the San Diego area. Caregivers and care companies can register for free. To learn more or to register, visit CaregiverJobsSanDiego.com.
About corecubed
corecubed leverages industry expertise and experience to create unified, seamless and integrated marketing communications and sales strategies that support growth and profitability for in-home care providers. Contact us today at 800.370.6580 to learn how working with a team of knowledgeable homecare marketing professionals gives agencies an edge in a competitive market.