Home care recruitment is facing threats from other industries now more than ever before. Fast food and retail, among others, are actively targeting the direct care workforce. Many of these jobs boast higher pay or better benefits, but new research shows the biggest threat these industries pose to Caregiver and CNA recruitment: 80% of Caregivers prefer to work for one company if they can get the hours they want. They also report it’s easier to get desired hours in retail and fast food. Recruiting in home care has always been challenged by the fact that guaranteeing hours is more difficult than in other industries. This new data shows the impact those challenges are having on the industry.
One thing to consider evaluating is your agency’s ability to accommodate Caregiver’s hours. Any steps you are able to take to provide your care staff with their desired schedules will improve not only your ability to recruit Caregivers, but also to retain them. The agencies who are winning in the battle for top talent are consistently able to match Caregivers with the hours that best suit them.
A reality of the home care business is that hours fluctuate. For smaller agencies especially, it can be nearly impossible to match all of your Caregivers with cases that meet their preferences. Being able to recruit, even with this added challenge, becomes vital. While it’s still important to make every effort to match schedules, know how to sell on other aspects of working for your agency. Highlight the benefits of working in home care as opposed to other industries, and sell the candidate on those aspects. Recruiters who are most adept at selling the benefits of working in home care are the ones having the most success hiring Caregivers and CNAs.
In order to survive long term, agencies are going to have to find a way to win the battle for labor not only among other agencies, but outside industries too. If you aren’t already utilizing the competitive matrix from our post Recruiting Caregivers: #1 Strategy to Learn What Your Competitors are Offering, now is a great time to start. Build out a long-term Caregiver, HHA, and CNA recruitment plan to attract top talent to your corner of the world by finding ways to offer the things they value most in their job search.
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