Hiring and retaining dedicated caregivers can be a challenge right? We’re living in fast-paced historic times with no signs of slowing down! It’s more important than ever to meet caregiver demands and keep up the pace. By implementing relevant tools, techniques, and strategies you can do just that!
Here are ideas to make sure your business is the leader in your Home Care Market - making sure caregivers and those they’re caring for are more than happy.
1. Recruit right, Not Fast
Hiring is expensive, time consuming, and has to be done right. On average, a new caregiver hire is $2,600! When you get it right, the right people create positive word of mouth and results in lower turnover and lower acquisition costs for future hire. Don’t be in a hurry to recruit because building a strong reputation is hard to do! Hiring too quickly is more expensive and can jeopardize your company’s reputation. You want positive word of mouth circulating - it’s much more cost effective.
2. Invest in a User-friendly Scheduling Software to Make Their Jobs Easier!
Any scheduling software worth it’s salt has a user-friendly smartphone app so your caregiving staff can stay connected with your agency, access all relevant information about their clients, and submit timely and accurate documentation to your agency. Teaching your Caregivers how to use this app at orientation, and continuing to support them for the first few shifts, until they get the hang of it, will empower them to be the ultimate professionals you want on your team.
Make sure your software system has the following:
An online application that you can link to your company’s website - so your applicants don’t have to fill out tiresome paperwork, and you can skip the data entry!
An easy to use smartphone app for Caregivers to manage schedules and accept client shifts
“Geo-fencing” capability, so that staff must be near the clients’ homes before clocking in and out
Communication capabilities - so you can send out messages through the software system and get feedback from staff
3. Stay Connected and Solicit Caregiver Feedback
Creating a way for caregivers to provide and document their feedback is a differentiator among agencies and provides a way for caregivers to present their needs.
“Connecting regularly with caregivers and soliciting their feedback is a powerful retention tool for home care agencies.”
Soliciting Caregiver Feedback through regular or random Caregiver Satisfaction Surveys is a fabulous way to let them know that you care about their opinions. Go the next step and follow up on each and every suggestion, recommendation and lower-scoring aspects, so that your staff know you’re interested in their happiness too - not just clients’!
4. Train→ Educate→ Empower
These are powerful retention methods and turnover reducers for home care agencies. Keep your caregivers trained with a user-friendly training program to serve clients in the best possible way. These options can be done online, on their smartphones or tablets, and even sometimes in person.
Improved caregiver training is the top method for driving employee retention. Now, with all of the advances in technology and apps, this can be accomplished more efficiently with services like the QuireApp. They train and track your caregivers to unlock their full potential. Check out the site and see how this app can take your business to the next level! Schedule a live demo while you’re there.
5. Remember This! Your Caregivers are Priceless!
Without them, you literally have no business, no product, no service to sell!
They're a valuable asset! According to the annual Home Care Benchmarking Study, 57% of turnover happens in the first 90 days! You can prevent this by grabbing their attention. Advertise flexibility and benefits, communicate, and build rapport.
When you’re circulating your job postings, you have to stand out from other home care agencies for sure since you also are competing with senior living communities, retail establishments, etc. Why should caregivers work for your home care agency versus another business? How effective is your communication? How do you handle schedules?
One of caregivers top complaints is lack of communication. If you focus on communicating and getting to know your caregivers, operations such as scheduling have a better chance of falling into place.
6. Appreciate, Recognize, and Reward
It’s normal to want to be appreciated for hard work! Around 65% of employees in any organization report that they will find another job if they continue to feel unappreciated. Showing your appreciation is just the right thing to do. After all, when retention is the goal it only makes sense to show your appreciation, recognize great work, and even reward!
These are creative and unique benefits you can provide:
Employee recognition program, like Caregiver Rewards and Certifications
PTO - Accrued - with parameters - is a benefit that caregivers LOVE - and deserve!
Discounts and Vouchers for things they need, like oil changes, scrubs, etc.
For more insight on Recruiting and Retention, click the button below to watch a short video.
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