As the demand for care in the home continues to rise, employee recruitment and retention are top of mind for many agencies involved. The 2023 HCP Benchmarking Report highlighted, “Care Professional recruitment and retention program” as the number one growth opportunity in 2023.
While some ambitious agency owners dedicate extra effort to familiarize themselves with their staff members, others are laser-focused on growing their bottom line and may not have the capacity to do so.
In both cases, agency employees play a crucial role in maintaining and improving these businesses while delivering high-quality care to clients. We are often left wondering how to truly pay them back.
The Role of Caregivers in Home Care
Building a team of committed caregivers is essential for the success of home care operations. Satisfied caregivers not only maintain the business but also contribute to expanding the workforce by referring qualified candidates. According to Home Care Pulse, Indeed.com emerged as the primary referral source in 2022 followed by employee referral programs and word of mouth.
Motivating and Engaging Employees
As you recruit, take the time to learn about your employees’ career ambitions and communicate clear expectations with them. Learn about their motivations for joining the field, nurture their ambitions, and provide ongoing education to help them progress.
How often have we had dead-end jobs where we felt we were ‘stuck in place’? Creating a positive and ambitious work environment will keep your staff feeling motivated, preventing them from feeling stuck in their roles.
Incentivizing Employee Performance
Once you understand your employees’ motivations and goals, incentivize their efforts. Have your caregivers shown up for their last 10 shifts on time? How many partners has your marketing team recruited within the past few months?
Take note of this and act accordingly. There are numerous rewards software companies such as Caribou Rewards who focus exclusively on incentivizing employee performance and have found this to be particularly successful. Recognizing and rewarding achievements is crucial.
According to Caribou, “90% of caregivers state they feel more appreciated since their employer launched Caribou Rewards.”
The Impact of Technology on Employee Retention
Finally, conversations with agency owners and employees frequently reveal frustration with technological limitations.
Is your HR employee manually submitting your claims every week? How many hours are dedicated to accomplishing this?
Often, agency owners are tasked with marketing, networking, and building the framework to ultimately, grow their businesses. Agency owners often wear multiple hats which is why back-office automation is pivotal for agencies looking to scale. We always recommend investing in an Agency Management Platform (AMS) and a billing platform at the very least.
As you evaluate these systems, inquire about Research and Development (R&D) efforts, investment in product enhancements, and their ideal customer profile. This proactive approach ensures you choose systems that align with your agency’s growth goals and contribute to better employee well-being.
Seeking Guidance from Paradigm
For further insights into how Paradigm addresses employee retention, book a call with us to connect with our Regional Provider Specialists, and they will guide you in the right direction.
About the Author: Kaliah is originally from Northern California but is now proudly based in Houston, TX. With a passion for healthcare, she’s dedicated the last decade of her career to this field. While she initially started in Sports Medicine, her transition to home care two years ago has been incredibly rewarding, and she has cherished every moment of it.
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