Caregiver Agency Hiring and Onboarding

A caregiver is a highly skilled, trained and dedicated individual who is caring for someone else in their home. They often work under the supervision of a registered nurse and follow a care plan set by a doctor.

Agencies also offer additional benefits such as backup care, bonded workers and insurance including liability and worker’s compensation. This is in contrast to a registry provider which hires as independent contractors.

1. Have a clear job description.

Regardless of how you hire, you must have a clear caregiver job description. This document describes the duties, responsibilities, qualifications, and reporting relationships for a particular job. It is a key component of an effective hiring process.

A professional caregiver must have a minimum of a high school diploma or GED and experience providing care for others, which is usually acquired through previous work. Caregivers also need a clean background check. They may have advanced certifications, such as home health aides or certified nurse assistants.

A family who hires directly can find a qualified independent caregiver through a registry or online search. However, working with an agency often offers advantages: Prescreened workers. Agencies have experienced employees that you can interview, and they can quickly provide backup if a caregiver is sick or a planned care visit is canceled. Agencies handle payroll and withholding taxes, and they insure their workers against on-the-job accidents. These benefits can offset the costs of an agency’s service fees.

2. Have a streamlined application process.

Agencies should make their job application process as easy and simple as possible. Many applicants use a mobile device, so an agency should make sure the application is designed to work on these devices. This will help to increase the amount of applicants that successfully complete it.

The way an agency writes its job listings will also influence the number of caregivers that apply. A well-written listing will attract the right candidates and quickly weed out those who are not qualified or do not fit the agency’s culture.

The time it takes an agency to review applications should also be kept in mind, as this metric is one of the first indicators of hiring velocity. The best agencies extend an offer within 9 business days, which allows them to get their new caregivers up and running as soon as possible.

3. Have a thorough screening process.

In the home care industry, a quality caregiver is the backbone of an agency’s services to seniors. Agencies must vet each applicant thoroughly to ensure that a new hire is a perfect match. Using an ATS is an efficient way to screen applicants and identify the top candidates for an interview and hiring.

caregiver agency hiring should set themselves apart from the competition with well-written job postings that attract top-fit caregivers and convey their agency’s values. They should also make applying for a job as easy as possible, ideally through a one-click process on their careers page. The right caregivers are more likely to complete the application and be hired if they experience a streamlined but thorough process from the start.

A thorough screening process includes background checks, references interviews, and physical exams. Agencies should also consider a referral program that offers an effective and economical way to build their caregiver pool. Highly regarded caregivers often recommend their peers for positions, and building an employee referral program helps to grow an agency’s talent pool in the long-term.

4. Have a post-screening process.

After a caregiver has been hired you’ll need to make sure the right paperwork is signed and that the new hire is on board with your agency. This includes creating a care plan that details the specific duties and frequency that your agency expects the caregiver to handle and an employee orientation with trainings on safety, client relationships, and more. Onboarding can also be a good time to highlight your company culture and show the new caregiver that you value them. 69 percent of employees who had a great onboarding experience were still with the same employer three years later.

Caregivers are in high demand during this pandemic, so having a strong bench of ready-to-work caregivers will help you quickly serve clients with urgent needs. To attract this type of caregiver, agencies should focus on attracting and retaining their top talent, which includes offering incentives like hazard pay or last-minute shift bonuses. Agencies should also track their hiring velocity, which is calculated by the number of applicants reviewed and the total amount of time spent reviewing.