Atlanta employment attorney William Vail offered some basic advice Wednesday to National Association for Home Care and Hospice members struggling to recruit and retain workers.
“Keep the ones you’ve got and attract the ones you need. It’s not rocket science,” Vail said during a webinar on employment law issues.
Still with a U.S. unemployment rate at relatively low 5.4% and a pandemic sidelining many workers, it is becoming increasingly harder to attract and keep good workers. In a recent Home Care Pulse Benchmarking survey, approximately half of respondents said the caregiver shortage was having an extremely negative or very negative impact on them
While Vail admitted these are challenging times for home care agencies, he offered simple tips that could help them compete in the market for talent.
He advised NAHC members to take full advantage of all social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Tik Tok. Vail also said employers need to make sure their application and onboarding processes aren’t cumbersome.
Vail also suggested home care companies think creatively about where they can find good employees. One option is reaching out to former workers who left on good terms or those who might have been passed over during the interview process.
“Eighteen years ago, my wife got the job she still has today after having interviewed for a different position. She wasn’t the right candidate for that job, but they called her back a few weeks later and said they had another opening,” Vail explained.
To retain valuable workers who might be working for multiple agencies, Vail advised NAHC members to consider offering those employees additional hours of work.
“If they are working for you at so many hours per week, they may not have the time, energy or inclination to work elsewhere,” Vail said.
Vail also suggested performance bonuses, small perks and frequent positive feedback to help employees feel valued. He said agencies must create a culture of inclusiveness that values staff from the top to the bottom
“People who talk to your field staff regularly are going to be incredibly important in setting that tone. Making sure your caregivers and skilled staff have that experience will make you the employer of choice,” Vail said.
