Top Tips for Recruiting the Care Workers of Tomorrow
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It’s no secret that the care sector is in urgent need of care workers; the industry has an above average turnover rate, with 32% of registered nurses and 27% of care workers leaving their roles in 2015-2016, compared to a national average in other professions of 15%. So how can care providers recruit and retain the next generation of care workers, who we rely on to look after a growing elderly population, expected to reach 15.5 million in the UK by 2030?
In a mobile-first world, recruiting through social media is important. Care providers must target Facebook users who are looking for social care jobs, or graduates who may be considering a variety of career options and are open to suggestions. Using social media as a recruitment tool creates a bigger pool of candidates. Recruiters must be prepared to respond to comments and questions from users; it’s important to stay engaged if you want to stand out from competitors.
Next, think seriously about your business’ unique selling point and make sure you amplify it in the recruitment process. Cera found that candidates have been particularly impressed with our technology credentials and ability to automate many of the tedious day-to-day tasks they’ve faced in previous roles. We have a number of services, ranging from medication and food delivery to on-demand transport partnerships with Uber and Gett, that allow our care workers to focus on caring for their client rather than running errands. Digital care records also make a care worker’s role easier, allowing them to update logs on-the-go and focus on care delivery. At Cera, we’re in the process of building an AI assistant who can support care workers’ decision making by flagging up any potential health problems that the platform proactively identifies from care reports.
Training care workers requires time and money and the average remuneration for their working hours can be poor. Too many social care companies foist extra costs on care workers, including making them pay for their certificates on completion of training, or their own insurance and uniform. Most care providers can pay as little as £7.50/hour while still expecting carers to cover added costs, but at Cera we pay our care workers on average £16/hour through savings made by digitising back-office tasks, which is 50% more than the industry standard. We also cover up to £5 million worth of insurance per care worker. Sufficient pay not only attracts care workers to us but results in higher staff retention than other social care providers.
Being aware that care workers are sometimes expected to provide services at unsociable hours, including overnight stays and live-in care, we encourage them by giving them the flexibility to manage their own schedules. This practice enhances care workers’ work/life balance, they are happier at work and the quality of service they provide improves. Digitising the scheduling process is key, as it allows them to manage their time more effectively and ensures everything is logged in a central place to avoid confusion.
Remember, make recruitment personal. At Cera, we not only ask interviewees about their work history but encourage them to show their personality; this places value on them and also means we are able to match them with the most suitable clients.
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