For homecare providers, a quick and efficient caregiver onboarding process isn’t just nice to have, it’s essential. A streamlined process does more than just create a better experience for caregivers — it can have a profound impact on staff retention.
Here, we’ll explore how providers can optimize the onboarding process— starting even before a hire is made.
Approximately 57% of caregiver turnover occurs within the first 90 days of employment, resulting in lost money for agencies due to their investment in onboarding and training. When caregivers resign earlier than expected, agencies must also spend more to recruit, hire, and train replacements, further raising costs. To avoid this issue, it’s important to recruit the right candidates from the beginning. Effective recruitment is the foundation of the onboarding process, and getting the first step correct can influence the success of the stages that follow.
Caregiving positions are some of the toughest vacancies to recruit for in the healthcare job market— and they’re needed now more than ever. A report by CareerCast, a job-searching site, ranks home healthcare workers and personal care aides as the third- and seventh-toughest jobs, respectively, to fill. In today’s highly competitive landscape, attracting the right candidates during the recruitment process is crucial to ensure the delivery of exceptional patient care.
One way to do that is by creating clear requirements and roles for the position. This will make an agency’s openings more appealing to jobseekers. Caregiving is a unique job with duties and demands that can vary by agency and members’ needs, so it’s critical to communicate clearly with potential hires and new employees. Starting out with a straightforward description that comprehensively outlines caregiver job responsibilities, expectations, and the nuances caregivers may encounter during a typical workday can increase the likelihood of finding a qualified new team member that stays for the long haul.
An uncomplicated application designed for ease of use can have a big impact on the number and quality of candidates attracted to a position. An application serves as an introduction to a candidate as well as the first impression an employer makes on a potential new hire. A well-crafted application enhances the chance that a high-quality candidate will apply for the job, and highlights an applicant’s experiences and qualifications, simplifying the review process.
Managing applications internally can be another challenging part of the recruiting process. Thankfully, there are some great application management and tracking software that providers may find helpful. For example, Bolt.Healthcare’s platform features online application & application tracking that allows caregivers to apply online by completing and signing the entire application remotely from a mobile device or computer. This also allows recruitment and HR teams to view dashboards, customizable checklists, and real-time alerts while providing access to a follow-up system that can help manage all potential caregivers prior to hire.
Once an agency has successfully made it past the recruitment phase and hired a new caregiver, they will need to create a caregiver profile to securely store all their personal information, preferences, documentation and records. It’s important to have this information for reference as no two people are alike, and not every caregiver is the right fit for a member. Including information such as gender preferences, pet allergies, and languages spoken will help optimize patient-caregiver pairings when it comes time to schedule.
Creating these caregiver profiles requires sorting through a lot of information, and often involves tedious data entry. Through utilization of HHAeXchange’s electronic storage capabilities, agencies benefit from data retrieval and entry efficiency, streamlining the profile creation process significantly.
With the right hires in place and profile creation complete, it’s time to think about compliance. There are multiple caregiver compliance requirements including, onboarding and training requirements, medical compliance requirements, HR requirements like I-9 forms and criminal background checks, and exclusion list compliance. Thankfully, there are some great tools available to help agencies stay on top of these requirements during onboarding.
On the Caregiver Profile in the HHAeXchange system, there is an HR Compliance module that allows providers to upload and manage all HR related documents such as:
HHAeXchange’s solution keeps providers organized while prioritizing compliance. The platform’s electronic storage capabilities allow for a streamlined, digital approach to vital documentation management of files like caregiver certifications and client records. In addition, it provides tools for monitoring requirements and deadlines, allowing providers to create caregiver-specific compliance notifications.
Juggling all HR tasks related to onboarding can be challenging; however, using the right tools can help lighten even the heaviest workload. With HR programs offered by our partners like ADP, providers can gain access to unmatched expertise, insights, and solutions. Such platforms often include options like time-saving automation, benefits enrollment management, administration assistance, and payroll compliance.
Caregiver training is a compliance requirement and a critical part of the onboarding process that cannot be overlooked. A homecare system is only as effective as its people, and it starts with a thoroughly trained workforce. According to the 2023 HCP Benchmarking Report, homecare agencies that offer more training hours generate significantly higher revenues. Specifically, agencies providing over 8 hours of orientation and more than 12 hours of continuous training reported a $681,672 higher median revenue than those offering 3 or fewer hours for orientation and 4 or fewer hours for ongoing training.
In today’s digital world, employees should have on-demand access to training materials that are compatible with any device. eLearning programs for caregivers expedite training and allow them to tend to patients sooner.
Agencies can create effective eLearning programs by first conducting a needs assessment. Consider which goals and objectives each caregiver should meet when training concludes and whether increased engagement will be required throughout the process. As part of the assessment, research which eLearning mediums are most effective (i.e. auditory, visual or kinesthetic instruction), and integrate those courses into agency training protocols.
Through our Partner Connect Program, HHAeXchange customers directly connect their HHAeXchange platforms with, industry-leading eLearning solutions to provide caregivers with access to high-quality educational resources.
Onboarding isn’t just a series of boxes to check off; it’s a necessity that can make or break a caregiver’s experience at an agency. Caregivers are the heart and soul of any homecare business. An efficient and thorough hiring and onboarding process is crucial in creating an enjoyable journey for caregivers, and, in turn, an exceptional experience for clients.
Learn more about how HHAeXchange can help create a streamlined and effective onboarding process by requesting a demo today!
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