Business owners in all industries struggle with employee retention at some point. In senior home care, keeping caregivers employed for the long haul is especially important to maintaining relationships and providing great care to patients. To avoid constantly hiring caregivers, here are a few tips for franchise owners to increase retention among caregivers:
Maintaining caregiver retention starts in the hiring process. You want to make sure you are hiring caregivers that have a strong commitment and career aspirations, not those looking for just any job. Senior home care requires dedication and is not for the faint of heart. When hiring caregivers, you want to make sure they possess attributes such as determination, kindness, compassion, and patience that allow them to thrive as a caregiver.
As you work to hire caregivers, you are more likely to attract exceptional applicants if you have a strong company identity and culture. As a franchise business owner, you set the standard for your company as a whole. Likewise, you should be promoting professionalism, respect, and integrity in the workplace. This will attract caregivers who are trustworthy and less likely to quit after a short time.
After you hire great caregivers, you want to keep morale strong and accommodate schedules as much as possible. Make sure that caregivers are working with patients that they feel comfortable. This way both the caregiver and patients have a level of compatibility that prevents any setbacks. If possible, give your caregivers the flexibility to not have to commute too far and set their hours. This gives them the ability to create their schedules, which shows you trust them.
Caregivers spend most of their time with patients, so feeling as if they are part of a larger team may be difficult. When caregivers feel like they are connected to a larger group and recognized for their work, they are less likely to leave. Giving recognition and rewards is a great way to acknowledge the work each caregiver is doing. It also allows your caregivers to see that there is a face behind the franchise business. This can be anything from a gift card to a bonus and even a pay raise if it seems fitting. Since caregivers may only have the chance to see other team members during meetings and training, these recognitions prove that their work is not going unnoticed.
Senior home care, like all healthcare services, requires a lot of compassion. You want your caregivers to carry this attribute into their work. However, it is just important for you to have that level of compassion towards the caregivers. Their work can be demanding and stressful. Having an equal level of understanding is perhaps the most redeeming quality to increase caregiver retention because the business’ attitude as a whole will be superior.
A Better Solution in Home Care is a senior care franchise with many locations across the U.S. To see if you qualify to start a franchise business, visit us online. If you are a business owner looking for your next adventure and are passionate about senior care, A Better Solution may be your next big career opportunity. You can learn more by calling +1 (877) 585-9011 to discuss franchising opportunities.
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