Q: What tips do you have for attracting talent to our home care agency?
The home care industry is projected to see a shortage of 151,000 paid care workers by 2030, meaning businesses in the industry need to put in extra effort to attract top talent. Many factors contribute to this expected shortage, including a record-low unemployment rate and few job seekers interested in home care careers.
Most job seekers have the misconception that all home care workers are overworked and underpaid, and that there are limited opportunities for career growth. But by changing this perception and showing job seekers the opportunity your home care team presents, you can get prospective applicants excited about joining your team. Here are some tips to get started.
Build a Strong Employment Brand
Up to 97% of caregivers would be open to another job opportunity and across industries. But given the competitive job market, your home care business needs to sell job seekers on the true opportunity your open roles present-or risk losing talent to other job opportunities. Today's job seekers have the flexibility to be highly selective when considering new career opportunities, so your employment brand should include job descriptions that answer the "What's in it for me?" question for job seekers. In your job description, focus on what your team has to offer-such as your benefits, training opportunities, and awards. And though home care-related positions require certain certifications, your job description should also highlight preferred competencies, rather than specific required experience in order to get the top candidates to apply for your open role. For example, let job seekers know you're looking for caregivers with personality traits such as compassion and level-headedness.
In addition to great job descriptions, your business needs a strong career site, as the most engaged candidates apply through career sites. Your career site should include details on the workplace culture, career progression, and overall benefits to help top candidates see the opportunity your team offers.
Define Your Career Paths
A top misconception in the industry is that home care employees are underpaid and there's limited room for career growth. But today's top job seekers aren't simply looking for an exchange of time for money. Rather, one of their top priorities is a clearly defined career path and opportunities for long-term growth.
Your career site is the ideal place for you to change the perception of a home care career by outlining specific career paths. Your team might offer career progression from homemakers to personal care homemakers to home care aides. Or if you have roles open on the administrative side, the career path might range from administrative assistant to office manager. Highlight all possible paths on your career site to encourage top talent to apply and help them understand the long-term career growth potential on your team. And to encourage job seekers further, highlight success stories and testimonials from employees who have risen through the ranks on your team. This will help job seekers imagine their own career growth with your home care business.
The competition for top talent-both in home care and across industries-is only expected to get fiercer in the coming years. By maintaining a strong employment brand that includes clearly defined career paths, you can encourage quality job seekers to join your team, which will ultimately lead to increased productivity and profitability.