By Adam Robinson
The home health care industry is rapidly growing, with the demand for home health and personal care aides projected to grow 41 percent to more than 4 million jobs by 2026. But despite the growth in job openings, home health care agencies across the U.S. face significant challenges when it comes to attracting and hiring quality talent.
Between a record-low unemployment rate, baby boomers retiring at a rapid rate and few job seekers interested in home health care careers, the industry needs to rethink people operations to attract top talent for the increasing volume of open roles.
A unified hiring process is key to turning your employees into a source of competitive advantage and operating a successful home health care agency. Here are three effective strategies to attract quality caregivers at your agency.
1. Build a Strong Career Site
The most engaged, qualified candidates tend to apply through career sites, as they take the extra time to learn more about your business and open roles before applying – rather than simply clicking “apply” on a job board. According to Hireology data, although career sites only drive about 20 percent of traffic compared to job boards, around 80 percent of eventual hires will originate from a company’s career page.
To attract top talent, your career site should include details on career progression and overall benefits to help top candidates see the opportunity your team offers. Call out such benefits as health care coverage, retirement plans, flexible hours, opportunities for ongoing training, and more. Hireology data found that a career site is 15x more cost-effective than job boards when it comes to attracting quality candidates. Doing so will excite top talent to apply to your open roles and join your team.
2. Write Compelling Job Descriptions
Given the record-low unemployment rate, today’s job seekers can be much more selective when applying for and accepting new roles. Because of this, your job descriptions need to answer the “What’s in it for me?” question for job seekers.
In your job description, focus on what your team has to offer employees – such as the benefits outlined on your career site. And while home health care-related positions require certain certifications, your job description should also highlight preferred competencies, rather than specific required experience. For example, let job seekers know you’re looking for caregivers with personality traits such as compassion and level-headedness.
3. Create a Seamless Candidate Experience
Efficiently scheduling interviews is just one step when it comes to creating a seamless candidate experience. From the moment applications are submitted, your team needs to make sure the entire candidate experience is as engaging as possible. Your home health care agency should respond to job applicants as soon as possible and continuously to communicate throughout the process.
Hireology data found that it can take up to 10 days to review and respond to applicants, which can lead to losing top talent to the competition. By engaging with prospective caregivers before the competition, you’ll already be at an advantage for securing top talent for your open roles.
Beyond reviewing and responding to applicants in a timely manner, continue to communicate with candidates throughout each step of the hiring process. To keep candidates engaged, outline each step of the hiring process so candidates know what to expect and when. And consider implementing technology to make the hiring process easier on candidates, such as text messaging to streamline interview scheduling or automated reference and background checks. Any extra step your team can take to meet the expectations of today’s job seekers can help you secure talent even at a time of record-low unemployment.
The home health care industry is projected to experience a shortage of 151,000 paid care workers by 2030, so hiring challenges in the industry show no signs of slowing down. By focusing on an applicant-first hiring experience and truly selling talent on the opportunity of joining your team, you’ll stand out from competitors in the industry and build your best team. This will lead to improved patient care, and increased productivity and profitability.
Adam Robinson is CEO, Co-founder and Chief Hireologist of Hireology, where he’s on a mission to help business owners succeed by building exceptional teams and workplace culture. He’s a nationally recognized keynote speaker, author of The Best Team Wins: Build Your Business Through Predictive Hiring, host of The Best Team Wins Podcast, and a columnist for Inc. Magazine.
Adam is a two-time finalist for EY Entrepreneur of the Year (2017, 2018), and named a “Top 25 HR Industry Game Changer” by Workforce magazine. Under his leadership, Hireology was ranked #94 on the Inc. 500 list of America’s fastest-growing private companies in 2016 and #332 in 2017. Hireology has twice been recognized nationally as a “Top 50 Best Workplace” by Inc. Magazine, and was named a “Top Company Culture” by Entrepreneur magazine. Hireology has been named a “Best and Brightest Company to Work For” in Chicago each year since 2015.
Adam graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and received his MBA from DePaul University. He’s a member of the Economic Club of Chicago and lives with his family in Chicago, Illinois.
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