22
The Home Care Association of Florida
FEATURE
because they’re ready to “slow down” and
get away from the demands of the hospital.
They want a position with more flexibility and
less stress. Now, we all know that’s not what
it’s like in this space, but many professionals
don’t know that. The biggest problem I have
with that unfair image is not with the nurse
that’s looking to slow down, but with the ones
looking for a challenge. If they’re looking at
home health as a second tier, un-challenging
and non-progressive segment of health care,
they won’t even consider it as an option. The
talent pool is too small to lose out on these
candidates. Providers must address that in
their recruiting messages and in their office
environment. Show these candidates that this
industry has advanced tremendously and that
it is the wave of the future. Give them a reason
to be excited and proud to work in this space!
Positives
There is some room for optimism as well. Since
I began focusing on this industry in 2005, I’ve
never seen the volume of candidates that are
exploring this space. More and more quality
professionals are open to the idea of working
for home care and hospice organizations. This
is a positive sign, but it’s the way in which we
look at these candidates that will determine
our long term success. There is an interesting
statistic in the HR world related to training and
developing your own staff. Talent that is brought
in from outside the industry and then trained
or developed -- stay with their organization an
average of three times as long as those recruited
from within the industry. So, if your average
tenure is two years, someone you bring from
outside our industry and develop would likely
stay with your organization six years. I know
we’d all love an average tenure of six years!
In summary, the fact is that there are enough
health care professionals to create a sustainable
workforce for our industry. There is significant
talent and many young professionals that
recognize that this space is the future. That
said, these candidates must be recruited
diligently and given a message consistent with
the opportunity they’re looking for. Home
care and hospice organizations must think
globally when considering their competition
and must invest in developing their own talent.
Those that do will enjoy success for many
years. Remember, the home care and hospice
industry is a “people” business. Invest in the
ways you attract and retain your staff.
HCAF
Eric Scharber is President and Founder of Exact
Recruiting, a leading recruiting and executive search
firm for the home care and hospice industry. Thank
you to Exact Recruiting for being an active supporter
of HCAF. For more information and to thank them for
their support, visit exactrecruiting.com.
