If you run a caregiver agency, you know how important it is to hire the right people. Hiring the wrong caregivers can cause costly turnover and affect your agency’s reputation.

The good news is that a well-thought-out home care hiring process can help you find and hire the right people for your business. Here are some tips to help your hiring process run smoothly and keep you from making mistakes that can cost you time and money.

1. The Number of Open Jobs

As of May, there were more than 11 million job openings in the United States. That’s 25 percent higher than pre-pandemic levels.

At the same time, however, US employers are struggling to fill these open jobs. They’re not finding enough replacements, and the voluntary quit rate remains high.

Fortunately, there are ways to overcome these challenges. One is to focus on a strategic approach to caregiver agency hiring.

This involves writing listings that give a great first impression, attract top-fit candidates, and immediately weed out those who don’t fit the bill.

The best way to do this is by establishing a simple and efficient hiring process. This can include pre-screening applicants to determine their experience level, past employment, licensing, and why they’re interested in a job at your agency. Depending on the number of applications you’re processing, this may be done via phone or videoconferencing, or it can be automated through an Applicant Tracking System.

2. The Number of Candidates Received

Hiring the right caregivers is a complex and time-consuming process. Agencies with the best hiring practices are careful to attract, screen and select candidates who are a good fit with their agency’s culture, values, and clients/patients.

To find the right candidates, your home care agency needs to establish a clear and simple hiring process. This ensures that all candidates receive a positive experience at every step of the recruiting process.

The number of applicants received at caregiver agency hiring is largely influenced by the specific job requirements, how quickly you need to fill a post and your reputation in the market. Early career openings tend to receive more applications than very senior positions, for instance.

During the screening process, agencies typically request candidates to provide their name, address, and Social Security number. They also run fingerprints to verify names match and check credit histories. Some states also check driving records and minor traffic violations.

3. The Time It Takes to Review Applicants

Hiring a qualified caregiver requires a careful process to ensure a positive candidate experience. A home healthcare agency, home care agency or long-term care facility that follows an efficient hiring process enables staff to fill open jobs quicker, reducing the costs of lost applicants.

A home care agency can use a variety of tools to conduct pre-employment background checks on candidates. These can include criminal background checks, employment verification, and education verification.

In many cases, a criminal background check may reveal convictions or active arrests that would disqualify the applicant from working as a caregiver. This is especially important in states like California, where caregivers work closely with vulnerable individuals, such as elderly and dependent adults and children.

Most states do not permit employers to hire individuals with certain misdemeanor or felony convictions. These include sexual assault, robbery, elder or dependent abuse, and offenses that require sex offender registration.

4. The Time It Takes to Make a Hire

Hiring the right caregivers is critical to the success of your home care agency. The wrong hires can hurt your agency, lead to costly turnover, and even harm your reputation.

The best agencies understand that hiring quality caregivers requires a strategic approach to the process. They make sure the entire candidate experience is positive, from ad placement to onboarding.

Keeping the job requirements clear in your ad, for example, can help whittle your pool of applicants and increase your applicant-to-hire ratio. However, if your criteria are arbitrary or too rigid, it’s possible that your home care agency will miss out on quality candidates who would have otherwise qualified for the role.

Agencies that promote from within and allot time for training and career advancement also tend to attract better talent. They can also highlight career opportunities in their ad and provide testimonials from current employees.