Having a recruitment plan is the difference between recruiting in crisis mode (“I need to find someone today to staff this case tomorrow”) and building a consistent flow of caregivers to support your growth. A solid recruitment plan rests on a 4-legged stool.
Here’s what I mean:
1. Online presence. Job boards have definitely made recruitment easier. It has also made it lazier. If you expect to hear the phone ring every time you post a new add on Craig’s List or Indeed, you will be disappointed. To be successful online a distinctive presence targeting specific caregiver populations and a way to keep your message fresh.
Practical tips: Select 2 or 3 online job sites where you will post. Schedule several posts a day. Use different visuals and verbiage on a rotating basis.
2. Employee referrals: Incentivize your existing caregivers to refer family and friends who might be interested in professional caregiving. Generating “word of mouth” recommendations from employees is a powerful endorsement. It means they consider you a great employer. Most referral programs offer a financial incentive for a successful hire. The amount varies widely. I hear anything from $25 to $300 for a referral bonus.
Practical tips: Remind employees of the referral bonus frequently, not just during orientation. Communicate the news of a successful referral in your employee communications, both the new caregiver and the referral source. Make it easy to make a referral with technology.
3. Community events: This is where testing really helps define the right venues for your agency. Look for job fairs with a health care bend. Consider faith-based activities. Look for ethnic communities who are a good source of caregivers. Approach the workforce development agency. Engage those potential partners.
Practical tips: Ask potential community partners whether home care agencies have worked with them in the past. Try to understand what happened. Network with your industry peers and learn what they consider their best bet for community recruitment.
4. School recruitment: Find caregivers where they get trained. CNA training programs are usually found in community colleges or in private technical schools. Avoid programs where local health systems are heavily present. You want to find a “white space” where employer involvement is new and welcome.
Practical tips: Don’t limit your involvement to posting your jobs on the school career office or website. Meet the faculty. Meet the career office personnel. Offer to create a partnership where you have direct interactions with students.
Pull it together – Do your homework. Identify the local events and locations where potential employees are likely to congregate. Schedule activities for each leg of the “recruitment stool.” Establish accountability for each area and for the events in the calendar. Follow-up and measure outcomes in terms of the number of applications received, interviews held and even job accepted.
Now, you are on your way to the life of better caregiver recruitment because you are building your presence as an employer of choice in your community. Want to learn more about the caregiver recruitment system? Contact me today to explore the possibilities in a 1:1 call.
