By Stephen Tweed
What is one innovative way to hire more caregivers to grow your company?
I was going back through my “Keepers” from some of our previous Top 5% Mastermind Meetings and came across a great discussion we had about ways to improve recruiting. One of the topics several of our members talked about was “Employee Reactivation.” That means setting up a system to go back to previous employee who have left, and are re-hirable, and take steps to reactivate them.
In looking at the HCP Benchmark data, I noticed some data that we’ve shared in this post. It shows the list of recruiting techniques that companies listed as their top two most effective recruiting techniques.
While only 2.5% of companies prioritize Employee Reactivation as one of their top two techniques, it’s crucial to recognize that standing out from competitors involves examining their strategies and deliberately choosing a distinct approach.
What can you do to reactivate previously employed caregivers?
Four Types of Terminations
As we delve into this topic in our mastermind meetings, we’ve discovered some intriguing insights. We learned that there are four types of terminations of caregivers from your company:
Bad Fit – a new hire is not a good fit for the job or the company, and they leave either voluntarily or involuntarily. They are not re-hirable.
Voluntary Termination (Preventable) – this is a caregiver who leaves for a specific reason, and you could have prevented them from leaving if you had been aware of the issue. This person is re-hirable.
Non-Preventable Voluntary Termination – occurs when a caregiver leaves your company due to circumstances beyond your control. They moved out of town, were injured or developed as serious illness, or they quit working to care for a family member. This person is re-hirable.
Involuntary Termination – this is a caregiver who was terminated for cause because the did or did not do something. This person is not re-hirable.
Of the four types of terminations, two of them are people who you would be willing to re-hire if they became available again.
Setting up A Caregiver Reactivation System
Setting up a system to reactivate former employees who are rehireable is relatively simple. Here is our simple system for reactivation:
1. Identify all voluntary terminations. Keep a record of all employees in your software system who left voluntarily and who you consider rehireable.
2. Establish your Re-hiring Policy. Develop a specific written policy for how you will handle the process of reactivating former employees. This refers to how long they’ve been away before having to go through your entire selection and onboarding process again.
3. Set up a Communication System. Put in place a plan to reach out to former employees on a regular basis to find out if their situation has changed and they are available to come back to work.
4. Consider a “Re-signing Bonus.” You’ve heard of a “Signing Bonus.” This is a re-signing bonus. Explore options to give caregivers who are willing to come back to work for you a financial incentive – a “Re-signing Bonus.” Consider giving this former employee the amount of dollars you would have spent on recruiting new hires.
We’ve discovered that numerous caregivers who used to work for you are willing to return, but they hesitate to initiate contact They are afraid of how they might be received. If you reach out to your rehireable former employees on a regular basis to let them know they are welcome back, you may be pleasantly surprised at the reaction you get.
Looking for More Insights Like This?
If you are an entrepreneurial leader of a home care company and you are always looking for new, innovative ideas to grow your business, you may want to explore becoming a member of a Home Care CEO Mastermind Group. Since 2013 the Home Care CEO Forum has convened the top tier companies in our industry to share ideas, solve problems, and support one another.
We have an opening right now in our Top 5% Mastermind Group. If you are an independent home care company generating $10 million or more in annual revenue, you may want to visit this group.
If you are a home care company that generates $1.5 million in annual revenue, we have a group for you. Explore Home Care Mastermind Groups at:
Want More Data like This?
If you are an entrepreneurial leader of a home care company and you like making decisions based on facts and data, consider participating in the 2024 Home Care Benchmarking Study from HCP. This is a great way to learn more about your business and compare your own company data to national Benchmarks.
Download the Preparation Worksheet, gather your data, and participate in the annual Home Care Benchmarking Study.
