How Home Health Providers Can Make The Most Of Hiring In A Virtual World

The emergence of the pandemic has dramatically changed our world forever. For home health care providers, Spring of 2020 was the beginning of a sharp drop in demand, as well as higher employee turnover rates as caregivers looked to limit their own exposure to the virus. By summer, many of you saw demand begin to steadily increase. Unfortunately, that increase in demand wasn’t necessarily met with an immediate increase in staffing.

As the vaccine continues to rollout across the country and hope for life beyond the pandemic is on the rise, it will still be several months before providers will be able to safety conduct the number of in-person interviews that they did in a pre-COVID world.

Here are some key steps you can take to ensure your virtual hiring efforts are effective in helping you secure top talent.

Expand Your Reach

Unemployment remains high across the country, making it more important than ever to cast the widest net possible when looking for your next great hire. Talent acquisition software can help you effectively and efficiently post to the most popular job boards with just a few clicks. That way, you can spend less time posting positions, and more time focused on your candidates.

Additionally, make sure you are promoting open positions on your social media channels and ask your current employees to share them with their networks. And finally, reach out to local health systems, including hospitals and medical centers. Many have had to layoff staff due to limitations on elective procedures, etc.

For more on reaching staff during this time, including tips for adjusting your job postings to better catch the eye of those new to the industry, check out our Hiring & Recruiting Toolkit.

Make It Mobile Friendly

A growing number of candidates are searching for jobs on their mobile devices. Don’t miss out on your next great hire due to a complex application that is cumbersome to complete from a tablet or smartphone.

Having a mobile friendly career portal on your website, as well as a mobile friendly application, can help reduce the likelihood that candidates will abandon the application before they hit submit.

In addition to making your applications accessible from a visual and functionality standpoint, make sure to keep them concise. The longer the application, the less likely someone is to complete the entire thing, particularly if they are using a mobile device.

Not sure if your application process is too long? Pretend you are a candidate and go through the process of filling it out. If you’re frustrated by the experience, it’s likely your applicants are as well. Make adjustments to ensure you have the vital information you need to qualify candidates without going too in depth.

Keep It Personable

The home health care industry is a very personable group. And that shouldn’t stop just because you are conducting things in a virtual setting.

Make sure every connection you have with a candidate, from the first acknowledgement of their application to the initial phone screen, to any virtual “in-person” interviews are given that personal touch.

Always use the candidate’s name in any communications. Make sure the tone of your messages coincides with the tone and values of your organization. Show candidates that you are open to their questions and be prompt to reply to any concerns a candidate may have throughout the hiring process.

OnShift Employ, our talent acquisition software, can help you streamline candidate communications and even provides automated reminders to recruiters and applicants when it’s time to follow up.

Finally, remember that many candidates may not be familiar with many of the virtual meeting platforms available today. Be sure to provide clear instructions as to how they can access the interview, as well as key troubleshooting questions, including what to do if they are having an audio issue or how they can turn their camera on once they enter the meeting. Be patient with candidates and put them at ease if they run into any technical issues. 

Establish A Set Process

As you ramp up your hiring and recruiting efforts, it’s vital you have a set process in place that both HR and your hiring managers are following. Otherwise, a great candidate could easily slip through the cracks.

Have clear guidelines in place for key hiring milestones, from application submission to phone interview to “in-person” interview. It’s also important to establish timeframes around each event in the hiring journey. For example, respond to new applicants within one day, saying that you have received their application and will follow up within the next three business days.

Having this process outlined not only helps HR and hiring managers be more efficient, but allows them to provide the candidates themselves with much desired transparency throughout the hiring process. Again, a talent acquisition system like OnShift Employ can help you store these processes and modify them for each position you hire.

Bring Onboarding Online

An organized, efficient onboarding process is the cherry on top of a great candidate experience. A TAS can help you capture, organize and collect legally required and organization-specific paperwork virtually, before an employee begins.

Many talent acquisition systems can also be integrated with your HRIS and payroll systems, allowing you and your team to spend less time manually entering information and more time on making your new hires feel welcome.