In 2030, baby boomers will outnumber children in the US for the first time. The demand for medical hospitality is high and continues to increase year on year. The market for caregivers recruitment is one of the most certain industries in an evolving digital world. The medical hospitality sector is expected to expand as staff will always be needed to provide companionship and the human touch.

 

But running a medical hospitality agency has its challenges. In particular, the recruitment and retention of staff in this sector. In this guide, we share some of the most powerful tools for caregivers recruitment available.

 

Why is it hard to recruit caregivers?

Caregiver salaries remain some of the lowest in the country. A median wage for a caregiver is just over $20,000 per year, with hourly pay from less than $10. Most people won’t consider wages this low. Instead, they’ll get a job at an Amazon warehouse or Walmart. At least they’ll get $15 an hour there, which is a more realistic wage to try to survive on.

 

Along with the loss to retail and manufacturing sectors, care work is not seen as an attractive option. The last thing most people want to do is deal with the daily needs of an older person. Add to that the fact that clients can be demanding, hours can be long, and conditions in care homes can be tireless.

 

So recruiting for medical hospitality staff is not easy.

Committed caregivers are a different breed. They could surely benefit massively from increasing their wages from 20 to 30K by taking that job at Walmart. And yet they stay, at a tremendous personal sacrifice, to care for their clients.

If you run a care agency, you’ll perhaps realize that you are probably in the company of angels.

 

 

Know your caregiver

As a recruiter, you are motivated by money, yet the care workers shunning of the almighty greenback can be a little unnerving. Caregivers are paid in thanks and gratitude from their clients.

Medical hospitality staff knows they are doing good and have helped someone that day, so they ignore their hardship. As much as you may like to increase the salary of every care worker on your books to $15, that’s not going to happen soon.

Knowing what motivates your homecare staff will help you to incentivize, recruit, and retain them.

In essence, it’s not so difficult to recruit a care worker but to recruit a good care worker that will stay is an entirely different thing.

As a result, good care workers can have the pick of the agencies to work from.

There are plenty of people around capable of homecare work. But few applicants make the ideal caregiver. Choose your staff poorly, and you’ll spend all day chasing your tail, dealing with client complaints and staff absences. What you need is a caregiver that has enough initiative to get to and from work and enough social intelligence to fit in. What you don’t need are people that need their hand held every step of the way.

There’s a limit to how many hands you can hold. And to run a recruitment desk when the average wage is $10 per hour means you’ll need a lot of workers out working for you.

 

So how do you go about recruiting home care workers?

Medical hospitality recruitment is not a numbers game. Clients don’t want care workers continually replaced; they want continuity and familiarity. If you can supply the best and most loyal staff, then your reputation will supersede you.

And your caregiver’s recruitment strategy will be made simpler by excellent workers wanting to join your agency. The last thing you want to do is to recruit someone who went on to mistreat a patient. And who would have been far better suited to working in a warehouse.

 

Tips for recruiting caregivers

Your best care workers are motivated by recognition, not money. So why not recognize them?

Many agencies run an employee of the month award. It’s a remarkably inexpensive way to thank the staff. You’ll also engage staff and get the best out of them. A small award of $100 will still be gratefully received along with the thanks and a certificate on the office wall.

One of the best ways to recruit, with the highest retention rates is through employee referral schemes. It is a far more effective way than other methods such as Indeed or other job boards such as Monster.

You should always offer an employee referral scheme with a good incentive of $100-$200. This is usually payable after the family or friend referred has completed around three months or 500 hours.

 

Employee referral programs can improve retention and decrease hiring costs.

 

You can even arrange a recruitment evening for caregivers to allow them to collect awards. Invite staff to bring family and friends that may also be interested in care work. Word-of-mouth referrals have the highest retention rate, with ER schemes coming a close second. So, spending a little time getting the word out is always a good thing.

Caregivers face an uphill struggle in life they bear resourcefully. To increase their hourly wage, they need to gain further certification, which can be costly. Qualifications are more of a compliance issue than genuine training. Working with clients to help fund qualifications for caregivers is always a big bonus for caregivers. This will drive medical hospitality staff to your agency and is also a benefit for clients.

 

More caregivers recruitment ideas

Your medical hospitality staff is in it to make a client’s day a little brighter, more manageable, and meaningful. But they still don’t have much time or money.

Low wages mean that care workers will work long hours but often won’t have their own transport. Getting the subway and the bus early in the morning and late at night eats into more of your care worker’s time.

The biggest game-changer you can offer to medical hospitality staff is connecting them up to a carpool. You can offer up a small transport bonus to the driver who picks up another three or four workers. Being dropped off to their home after a back-breaking day by friends can make all the difference to a care worker. And the driver can get a little money to help them with the cost of their car and gas.

This can certainly take some organizing and recruiting, but it also has a positive effect on attendance rates. When a caregiver connects with others in the agency, then it can feel like more of a team rather than separate assignments.

 

How to retain caregivers

If you treat medical hospitality staff at your agency like second class citizens, then the majority will move on. Your care workers are your most valuable asset. Replacing care workers, again and again, is an exhausting and counterproductive strategy. Being friendly and supportive as well as respectful to your care worker will not cost a thing and will slash your staff turnover rates.

Genuine medical hospitality staff is committed to their profession. They are generally consistent types that tend to move to other jobs less.

Make sure you are known as the most refreshing, friendliest caregiver recruitment agency in town. But with professional standards.

While retaining a professional distance, make friends with your staff and let them know that you are there for them. Be sure to make it clear you are on their side without taking sides so much. Grab your best medical hospitality staff coffee yourself, and ensure they feel you are less of a boss and more of a confidante.

In an industry that relies on the sale of information, talking to your top workers can be a game-changer for you. It can help you in improving day-to-day frustrations and allocating work.

 

How am I doing?

The industry average retention rate for caregivers recruitment is just 55%.

You ought to be hitting that or higher, and if you aren’t, you are doing something wrong.

A robust recruitment and retention strategy will help you achieve this. With a reliable and committed workforce, you’ll have more free time. Use this to concentrate on your core role of business development and expanding your desk.