How to Enhance the Home Care Staff Experience During COVID

Sandi Heintz, CEO of Right at Home Northwest Houston and Adam Lewis, expert in end-to-end recruiting and CEO of Apploi, shared valuable insights on recruitment and retention during a recently recorded webinar.

One of the most effective ways to attract right-fit candidates is by spreading the word about your organization's unique values. Especially right now, when anxiety caused by COVID is high, caregivers need to know that you not only get them - you are them. That you care about and value the same things they do. If they can relate to you, they are more likely to choose you, and in turn, they will be a better fit for your organization. 

Ways to ensure they get the message:

• Shine a light on the values that make you stand out: Are you a faith-based organization? Faith and Service could be two values that help you stand out in job postings and through word of mouth. Are you a long-time trusted and loyal community business? Signaling your commitment to the community could be just the thing that prompts long-time locals to respond to reach out.
• Right from your first interaction, describe how your business "walks the walk": If your business values Exceptional Service above all else, let them know that you not only hire people who are committed to delivering exceptional service, you are personally committed to ensuring that your caregivers receive exceptional service and support by the leadership team. Share stories about the ways you go the extra mile to delight your team. If your business values Kindness, tell a story about the small kindnesses you demonstrate and celebrate on your team. These details will be what candidates remember after the interview and what they share with their families and friends over dinner.
• Continually seek ways to celebrate and reinforce your company values: Find ways to celebrate inspiring examples of caregivers demonstrating your values. Did someone on the team go above and beyond to ensure a client had a wonderful day by wearing their favourite sport's team's colours on an important game day? Share a spotlight post on LinkedIn or Twitter that lets their community know how special they are. Not only will they feel a sense of pride and belonging, it will let others who are thinking of applying know that people just like them are valued by your business.

For Sandi Heintz, it is clear to her team and her community that Right at Home Northwest Houston's dedication to delivering high-quality care and improving the lives of those they care for is directly tied to their commitment to their faith: 

“ Our mission is to improve the quality of life of those we serve to the glory of god, all of us believe we serve first, that is our heart and our passion. ”

Sandi's clearly stated and lived values have been one of the key reasons she is able to attract and retain such wonderfully talented and exceptional team members. Say it loud and proud! That's how you pique the interest of great-fit candidates.

Demonstrate that you respect their time by keeping the application process simple:

• Put it all online: Paper is oh-so-slow, requires printers or travel, and, yes, it can be the one reason a job seeker applies to another company instead of yours. Move the process online.
• Optimize for Mobile Users: The healthcare worker demographic is more likely to use smartphones, than computers, and not all online services are optimized for mobile experiences. Make this important and your applicants will be grateful. 
• Don't make them hunt: Make sure your ideal candidates can access your application in just one click. With the right tools, this is possible and requires no additional work for your team. 
• Automate your forms: No one likes having to add the same information to multiple forms. Making the form-filling process simple demonstrates that you respect a candidate's time. Make this something you look for when you assess online options.
• Get creative with non-traditional job channels: The best online recruiting solutions can even pull candidates from social media channels like Facebook!  
  
  

Knowing how healthcare workers use technology to communicate is so important. Adam Lewis, CEO of Apploi, has valuable insights to share that could be the difference between getting a quick response or none at all. For example, who would have guessed that healthcare workers have over 90% open rates with text messages compared to less than 15% on emails?

Once they have said yes to your offer, it's important to show your new hires how much their ongoing experience as a team member matters to you. One of the easiest ways you can reinforce this message is by giving them a secure but mobile way to communicate with the office, provide peer support to each other, and to share the ways they are delivering exceptional care experiences to your clients and their families.

The right care team technology augments your operating system:

• Simplifies communications with the office

• Gives your team a way to collaborate and be supported by their peers

• Empowers team members to share and receive updates with families

• Provides access to details about how to delight clients and families while personalizing the care experience

• Gives you endless examples of exceptional performance to shine a spotlight on

• Provides you with a simple way to monitor, remotely support, and coach your team

“ We have two clients - our care team and our clients. If we don't give our care team what they need to succeed professionally and personally, then we have failed. ”

- Sandi Heintz, Chief Executive Officer and Franchise Owner at Right at Home Northwest Houston

To gain a sustained competitive advantage in challenging times like these, home care companies that have placed the highest priority on the care team experience are the ones that are standing apart when it comes to recruiting and retention. Compelling, consistently communicated values, a streamlined application process that reflects the way applicants use technology, and a demonstrated commitment to helping care team members succeed while staying connected, are the three most powerful ways you will attract and retain high-quality, values aligned staff. 

For the full webinar recording, visit here