High turnover is one of the top challenges of running a care home or social care business. Vacancies in the sector are at record highs, with 165,000 vacant posts, an increase of 52% from last year. Rapid turnover of staff can impact the profitability of your business, increasing recruitment and training costs. But it also has a trickle down effect, reducing the effectiveness of patient or resident care and causing staff morale to suffer. Poor morale and high levels of burnout amongst social care staff have led to one in six health and social care workers seeking to leave the profession.
Why retention is a vital part of attracting new staff to social care
One of the ways businesses and HR managers within the sector can address this issue is by focusing on staff retention. Addressing the reasons behind high turnover not only helps improve retention rates but it goes a long way to:
- Attract employees from new talent pools
- Reduce recruitment costs
- Improve patient care
- Build employee morale
- Support a positive workplace culture
Whilst base pay can be an important factor in retention, it is not the only way of improving turnover rates. Offering benefits your employees can use and focusing on making good hiring decisions are both important steps.
5 Tips to attract and retain the best in social care
If you are struggling to recruit care staff these tips can help you tap into new or overlooked talent pools, generate a wider awareness of the field and promote social care as a welcoming, rewarding profession. Which will all help you attract and retain health and social care employees.
1. Recruit locally
Social care businesses are a vital part of the communities they serve. While job boards or online-focussed hiring can fill roles quickly, they can leave you disconnected from the local community. Use them in tandem with maintaining a presence in the community. Offer taster sessions to community groups, advertise in local newspapers or online groups, and join in local events. Referrals from current employees and word-of-mouth are also great ways to connect with new talent.
2. Skills are important but so are values
When we hire, we tend to focus on choosing the person with the skills and expertise that best match the role. But skills can be taught. It can be worth looking deeper and selecting candidates whose values and behaviours match those of our business. Value-based recruitment can improve morale, create a better, healthier work environment, and improve productivity.
3. Emphasise the rewarding nature of social care
Younger social care employees have higher turnover rates, with over half of those under 20 leaving the sector in less than a year. However, research by YouGov has found that 49% of Gen Z (under 25s) want to work for employers who can offer them a sense of purpose. So by emphasising the rewarding, caring nature of social care work and the relationships that can be developed, you can appeal to new demographics.
4. Ensure your recruitment process meets the needs of applicants
Periodically reviewing your recruitment processes can help you better meet the needs and requirements of today’s applicants. Writing brief, to-the-point job descriptions, reducing unnecessary admin for applicants and prioritising good communication can all help improve the candidate experience and attract high-quality applicants.
5. Shout about the benefits!
Are you doing enough to promote the benefits you offer while recruiting? Bonuses, travel allowances, flexible shift patterns, enhanced pension or holiday allowances, funding for training or well-being initiatives should all form a major part of your recruitment marketing. Social media can be a great way to emphasise these benefits throughout the year. Use these channels to shout about the successes and growth of your team members and promote your business as a caring place to work.
How Vetro Care can help you attract and retain social care superstars
At Vetro, our dedicated consultants have years of experience working in the social care sector to draw on. This means they are well placed to give you guidance and support when it comes to attracting and retaining talented health and social care professionals.
Learn more about Vetro Care or contact a consultant to discuss your hiring needs.
