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Home Health & Hospice Week

Recruitment & Retention:

7 Tips For Better Recruitment, Retention

Published on Thu Oct 23, 2003

Recruitment and retention of home care workers is a huge challenge in today's job market, and you need all the help you can get.

"There are all kinds of ways to be very creative in developing your recruitment and retention bonuses and strategies," advised consultant Betty Gordon in a recent teleconference sponsored by Eli. "Your existing employees can give you a lot of ideas about things you can develop. Just seeking their input and asking what makes them tick goes a long way," said Gordon, with Simione Consultants in Hamden, CT.

Here are some ideas that can help you fight high turnover and recruit quality employees:

  • Point system. One of Gordon's clients developed a point system for home health aides, where they were awarded a certain number of points every time they had an achievement. For every "praise call" from a client, every good supervisory visit, every time they turned in paperwork on time, etc., they received points.

    At the end of the year, those employees with the most points could choose from items in a catalog. Also, top point earners would be rewarded with an educational trip to a conference. The program, which was very competitive, "has been so successful in this agency," Gordon related.

  • Recruitment bonuses. Offer your existing employees bonuses if they bring on other employees, Gordon advised. You're likely to find the most loyal employees this way, and their relationships with your existing employees will increase their satisfaction with your company.

    Just be sure to put a stipulation in the bonus, ensuring the new employee must work a certain number of hours for a certain period of time before the bonus kicks in, Gordon cautioned.

  • Public recognition. Giving praise and recognition to employees publicly exponentially increases the impact of the message. Giving a shout-out to top employees in newsletters, on bulletin boards, by designating employees of the month or of the quarter, etc. is a smart move, Gordon advised. Distributing symbols of the recognition that employees can display, such as pins, is very popular.

  • Meals. Periodic breakfasts, lunches or dinners can help field staff combat the isolation that is common in the home care setting. It also gives a forum for public recognition of stellar employees.

    Just make sure to vary the days and times of the meals so you can include all employees at some time, regardless of what hours they work.

  • Notes. While public recognition is much appreciated, you won't have time to single out every employee, every time. Individual messages praising and cheering on workers can boost morale.

  • Time off. While not as inexpensive as some other retention techniques, offering time off as a reward is also not as pricey as straight-up cash bonuses, Gordon noted. Both vacation and sick time are prized rewards for most employees.

  • Longevity rewards. When employees know they will gain rewards if they stick it out at your company, it can be a powerful motivator to stay on. Bonuses can range from salary, time off and benefits to something as small as a uniform allowance, Gordon offered.

    The key is to try out all different sorts of rewards and incentives, and find out what works best for your employees, Gordon counseled (see Eli's HCW, Vol. XII, No. 31, p. 242). Then you can focus on providing what matters most to your workers.

    "The more you can make those employees feel valued and part of a team, the longer they will stay with you," she said. And once you have reward programs in place, you can use them to "sell" your agency to recruits.

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