How to recruit and retain the best talent in the care industry
According to recent figures, the number of vacancies in the UK is at a record high. The employers’ organisation the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) warned that staff shortages could last another two years.
This problem is particularly concerning in the care industry, with the number of job vacancies nearly doubling in the last six months – from 4,832 in January to 8,142 in August this year.
This problem could worsen once the government’s mandatory vaccination legislation comes into force on 11 November 2021, with one in four care home staff reported to disagree with mandatory vaccination. The government has predicted that 40,000 staff will refuse to have the vaccine and consequently lose their jobs, making it more important than ever to have effective recruitment and retention strategies in place.
Here at Citation, we know that care businesses pride themselves on their people. It is a demanding industry, so having the right people on board who can handle the unique challenges it presents is incredibly important.
So, we’ve summarised a few key things to help you recruit the right people for your business, as well as methods and tips to engage your employees to keep them happy.
- Tips for smarter recruitment
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- Consider the scope for internal development when hiring
- Recruit for attitude and values, train for skill
- Write clear and accurate job descriptions to get properly qualified applicants
- Design a well-thought-through interview process and questions to test ability
- Complete thorough reference checks
- Know how to avoid discrimination
For a more comprehensive look at how to action these tips, check out our free recruitment and retention in care guide here .
Employee engagement
Why focus on employee engagement?
Engaged employees are passionate, energetic, innovative problem solvers. They are loyal and motivated to go the extra mile. Who wouldn’t want a workforce that can be described in that way?
An engaged workforce can lead to:
- Enhanced job performance and productivity
- Increased innovation, ideas, and creativity
- Fewer accidents and safety issues
- Lower absence resulting from better levels of wellbeing
- Higher customer satisfaction, retention, and recommendation
- Improved loyalty and retention of employees
How do I engage my employees?
Knowing the benefits is great – but how do you properly engage your care employees?
Three tips for lasting employee engagement:
- Deal with staff issues quickly and sensitively
- Conduct exit interviews
- Good Line Manager relationship
Find out more
To find out more about recruitment and retention in care, including how best to recruit the right staff for you, how to identify low engagement, how to create a winning workforce with great engagement, and key behaviours to help boost engagement as a line manager, check out our free guide below.
Recruitment and retention in care
Your free guide to staff recruitment and retention in your care service
Building an employee contract for a care worker
Your FREE contract of employment template for care workers.
How can Citation help?
Our HR and Employment Law experts have many years of experience working with care businesses across the country, making them perfectly placed to understand the unique challenges the care sector faces today.
Citation also prides itself on the key relationships we’ve built with our care partners, including some of the largest associations in the industry, such as Care England, Scottish Care, UKHCA and over 25 regional care associations, so you can trust that we know the sector.
If you’d like hands-on support with tackling the current recruitment crisis in care, please call us on 0345 844 1111 to find out more about how we can help. Or, fill out your details in the form on this page and one of our friendly team will be in touch to chat through your needs.
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