Recruitment and Rentention
“The care we provide on a daily basis really must come from our hearts. We have to love and take care of our people. We have to go the extra mile.”
When it comes to recruitment, we have to be cognizant that this is not just a job. The services our direct care staff provide are things that no one else will do. They love people that can sometimes seem unlovable. Every single day they come to work, they are doing amazing things. This is something that a lot of people can’t say about their job. This job is so much more than a standard rate of pay or benefits, it is about having a mission mind. The care we provide on a daily basis really must come from our hearts. We have to love and take care of our people. We have to go the extra mile.
In recruiting, we want to make sure that having a mission mind and genuinely caring is reflected in our process. There’s not a way to test if someone really cares for people or really strives to make a difference. These characteristics can only be proven through actions.
Most of our caregivers come with a long history of caregiving. We have some who have been providing care for 30 years. They have been taking care of someone in some capacity for their entire lives. Those who have experience in healthcare are a great fit because they already have a medical care sense and are already accustomed to rotations and clinicals
Sometimes we have people with non-medical backgrounds that are interested in being a caregiver. Retired teachers are usually a good fit because they have developed a caring mindset from teaching and caring for children over the years. Military spouses have a different set of obstacles that they have to overcome, but we are a good fit for them because we understand that they might not be here for long and we can usually find a new place for them to apply wherever the next duty station is.
Our new recruits receive extensive training and then they are placed in the field with experienced caregivers. Similar to a mentor program, we will place them with several different kinds of clients. Through this we can see if they are reliable, if they follow the rules, and if they can do their job efficiently. This process helps us to get to know them and allows them to learn more about us as well.
We are a great employer. We care about our people and we are interested in more than just where an employee can work. We are interested in their lives and we welcome them as a part of our family and our team. We strive to offer as many benefits and life-sustaining opportunities to our caregivers as possible.
Our caregivers also receive continuing education for areas such as chronic disease processes. This ensures that they are prepared to recognize symptomology in diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and CHF. Often, continuing education is in response to events that are currently taking place in the community, such as the coronavirus. With these new events, we immediately begin receiving information from the CDC. We provide infectious control training, provide gloves, and we will pay for a flu shot if they choose to get one. We continue to educate our staff so that they are confident and prepared to provide the best possible care to our clients.