According to a recent parliamentary report, 48% of care workers leave within a year of starting their role. With an ageing population, increasing demand on social care services and funding cuts affecting health and social care employers nationwide, there has never been a better time for employers to think about how to attract and retain their staff.

Finding and keeping workers can be challenging but there are several ways you can make it easier on yourself.

first step to staff retention: hire the right people.

As you know, the health and social care sector attracts workers from a wide range of backgrounds but if there is one thing they have in common it’s their passion for caring. This is the passion you will need to show not only if you want to find the right people but to also find candidates who will provide high standards of care to your service users. The way to do this is potentially take a values-based approach to recruitment.

A values-based approach to recruitment can help. Some of the ways you can implement this include:introducing candidate visits so that candidates can come and have a look at where they could be working.
Distributing advice within your application packs which can inform and equip potential candidates which will help them understand what is required for the role.
Training your employees to become your ambassadors. With many media channels spinning out negative news stories of the care sector, your employees could be the ones changing the face of this whilst helping you to catch the eye of hidden candidates.

Overall, the key message hidden behind this approach should be your organisation’s values - the values that will resonate with the candidate’s own values.

fulfil the learning needs of your workforce.

Putting a focus on the learning and development needs of your staff doesn’t need to be expensive. Start small and support your team to understand their role and support them on a day to day basis to help them unlock their potential. To ensure your staff hit the ground running and feel welcomed into the team, review your induction process and ensure that you have a insightful induction that covers everything your new staff need to know.

First impressions are important in any situation and it is no different in a recruitment process when a new starter joins you as a good first impression could be the one thing that helps them remain with you for the longer term.

create a positive work environment.

Saying thank you when a task has been done well and recognising achievements is essential to make your employees feel valued. Something easily overlooked, yet pivotal in the success of your staff is the environment in which they work. Always review your workplace culture and question whether it is one that can set you apart from other employers. It could be as simple as involving employees within decision-making through to offering progression opportunities.

At Randstad Care, we appreciate that recruitment and retention may be only a small part of your role yet a very essential factor in the quality of care your service users provide. That’s why we like to ensure the candidates that we place into roles are not only the right fit for the role but the right fit for your organisation. Speak to your local specialist teams today to see how we can help you attract and retain the best staff, up-skill your current workforce with our bespoke training packages or simply discuss potential candidates we have ready and available for work immediately.

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