Editor's note: Our valued partners at AxisCare have broken down four key things care agencies need to know about incentivizing caregiver retention and acquisition. For a deeper dive of these insights below, check out this webinar recording, hosted by AxisCare and Caribou.
In the fast-paced and deeply human-centered field of home care, the challenges of attracting clients, retaining staff, and ensuring high performance are constant. Implementing rewards and engagement programs is a proven way to elevate care agencies to world-class employer status, keeping caregivers on the team for longer and boosting recruitment efforts. What’s more, these programs also help move the needle on critical business priorities, like Electronic Visit Verification through igniting behavioral changes within the workforce.
Below, we outline four topics in recognition and rewards every care agency should know about as they begin their journey.
1. The Power of Gamification in Workforce Management
Gamification turns mundane tasks into engaging challenges, making it a good tool in your belt to drive favorable behavior in your agency. By applying game-design elements in the home care context, agencies can incentivize behaviors that directly contribute to the company's success. For instance, offering rewards for on-time arrivals, acceptance of short-notice shifts, and exceptional performance not only motivates staff, but also aligns their actions with the agency's goals.
2. Tying Rewards to Value Drivers
Focusing rewards on tasks or initiatives specific to operational success ensures that incentives are strategically aligned with the agency's priorities. This encourages behaviors that boost the overall quality of care, operational efficiency, and staff morale. For instance, rewarding caregivers for high EVV performance can enhance compliance, claim submissions, and service reliability, critical factors in client satisfaction and regulatory adherence.
3. Cultivating a Culture of Recognition
A culture of recognition is paramount in the human-centric field of home care. Recognition that is immediate, consistent, and unbiased not only fosters a positive work environment but also strengthens the emotional and professional bonds within the team. By automating the recognition process, agencies can ensure that staff appreciation remains a priority without adding to the administrative burden.
4. Leveraging Staff Referrals for High-Performing Talent
Caregiver recruitment is a hurdle agencies have faced for years with little to no reprieve. However, you may have access to an untapped talent pool right in your office by leveraging staff referrals. Referred caregivers are not only more likely to be hired but also have a higher sense of camaraderie, causing them to stay longer and perform better. By incentivizing referrals, home care agencies can tap into this underutilized reservoir of qualified candidates, fueling growth and enhancing service quality. Family Resource Home Care, a customer leveraging both AxisCare and Caribou Rewards, was able to generate 70+ hires in 60 days after launching their referral program, which over 80% of their total staff participated in.
Takeaways
The home care industry, with its integral role in the care and well-being of many, demands innovative solutions to its workforce challenges.
Caregiver reward platforms offer a proven avenue for addressing these challenges head-on.
By gamifying recruitment, retention, and performance, agencies can not only meet their operational goals but also create an empowering and rewarding work environment.
Automating the recognition process ensures that it never falls down the priority list
Staff referrals are the most effective way to sustainably and efficiently grow a high-performing team
In doing so, they not only ensure the sustainability of their own operations but also contribute to the broader mission of delivering compassionate, high-quality care to those in need.
In the end, the success of a home care agency hinges on its ability to attract, retain, and motivate its caregivers. To learn more about AxisCare’s integration with Caribou and our tools to strengthen your workforce and retain your staff, book a demo.