Most businesses spend time working on their marketing funnel. The marketing funnel is a visual representation of the steps it takes to turn leads into paying customers. When it comes to recruitment, it isn’t too different. With the hiring process, we try to turn recruitment leads into new hires. Hence, the term “Hiring Funnel.”
In these times of caregiver shortage, home care agencies must have a deliberate process to find the right caregivers to support the growth of the business. They need a hiring funnel.
As a “system person”, I visualize the recruitment process as a series of steps. When working with my clients, we always start with reviewing and defining their hiring funnel.
The recruiting funnel is composed of three segments:
1. Attraction – At the top of the funnel, we start with people who might be interested in caregiving. They start the application process. Leads become applicants when they respond to an online job positing, or they inquire about jobs on the recommendation of friends or family.
The objective of an effective hiring funnel is to attract a sufficient number of quality applicants from which to select new caregivers.
2. Selection – Once leads become applicants, the formal selection process starts. This is the best known part of the hiring process. My clients always have an established selection process involving several steps and decision points.
For example, agencies perform a screening interview over the phone to check basic qualification and availability. Larger and more sophisticated agencies have started to develop an online app performing the same function. The selection process always involves at least one face-to-face interview with agency representatives. Many will perform a brief skill assessment focused on the Activity of Daily Living (ADLs). A few also ask candidates to complete a personality assessment.
The objective of the selection process is to identify the right caregivers for your agency. What makes the right caregiver is often a blend of attitude, abilities and potential.
After a successful selection process, candidates receive a job offer. Many consider the job offer the end of the hiring process, but it is not. At this point, the candidate is not an employee yet. If you don’t complete the hiring process in its entirety, the investment made in the selection effort might be lost to a competitor. The selection process only ends when the job offer is accepted and orientation is scheduled.
3. Onboarding of new hires include the welcome, the HR paperwork, and the initial training. If handled well, your onboarding process will make your agency stand out from the crowded marketplace of home care employers because few pay attention to it.
The objective of onboarding is to ramp up caregivers so they have the skills and confidence to perform their best work. It plays a critical role in retention for the first 90 days on the job.
A solid onboarding process includes a short orientation focused on the essentials of your agency. Don’t overwhelm new hires with hours of lectures and tons of paperwork. Think about sharing your story, make it interactive and demonstrate your culture of caring. It starts with your employees on Day 1.
Schedule your 20-minute Recruitment Fitness Test today to enhance your recruitment and onboarding process.
