As stated in previous weeks, the social care sector is under a lot of pressure when it comes to recruitment and retention. According to the Skills for Care 2020/21 report there are 130,000 vacancies left unfilled in the sector. This paired with the 35,000 – 70,000 redundancies predicted in the sector due to the vaccination legislation coming into place on the 11th November, means the sector is likely to be left even shorter than ever.

“We need to create long-term solutions for a thriving workforce and part of this involves changing perceptions, developing routes for career progression and reinforcing the fact that opportunities in the social care sector are accessible.” Julia O’Connor, Recruitment Specialist on behalf of Care Management Matters.

If we are to come up with a creative long-term solution for hiring within the sector, it is important that as a collective we get better at becoming more inclusive when it comes to hiring processes. Things like simply stating a minimum amount of experience in a job advert may deter many applicants who may not directly fit the bill, but may have a whole range of transferrable skills that could be extremely valuable for working in Social Care.

In turn, out-of-the-box thinking is required to include considering potential applicants of all ages, backgrounds and abilities.

According to Neil Eastwood’s research, there are a recurring set of traits and characteristics that are cited by care providers to describe why a member of staff is so good at their job. These include: a mature outlook, patience, empathy, sensitivity to others, a strong work ethic, reliability, honesty, compassion, ability to follow the rules, tough-mindedness, determination, resilience, introversion, problem-solvers and a ‘calling’ for the work.

So what groups of people could make high performing care staff?

• The primary breadwinner and/or single parent – their focus is often on financial reward because of their circumstances which can make them very committed and successful workers.
• Under 25’s or Generation Z – engage with younger people and give them access to on-the-job training and learning setting them up for a long-term career in care. Use things like social media to connect with this demographic by giving them insight into different types of roles, and showcase positive messaging from team members.
• The homemaker – they are often settled down and seek flexible work that is local to them, it is important their work fits around their lifestyle and other commitments. This demographic often needs to feel appreciated for the work they do as recognition is very important to them.
• The active retiree – older people make high performing care staff because they; have more maturity and life experience, require less supervision, have lower job mobility, have fewer financial needs, have lower expectations, have greater investment into the job, and are motivated to help others and give back to their community.
• Those changing careers – the pandemic has caused a shift in what people want out of their job and purpose has now become a key driver. It is important to engage with these people who are looking to change direction and part of this involves highlighting life experiences that people can bring to the sector, rather than focusing on qualifications.

Now is the time to focus on short and long term strategies for recruitment and retention. Working with recruitment agencies has a lot more to offer than just covering short-term requirements or filling current roles. We can be your recruitment partner and work with you on succession planning, offer salary guidance, and share our connections to other local business and education providers.

Let’s raise awareness of the diverse range of careers on offer in social care, be more inclusive of all demographics and reinforce how rewarding a career in care is.

If you would like to discuss the above, or about how we can collaborate, please let us know. To get in touch, email recruitment@ajrecruitment.com or call us on 03305 552233.

As a specialist, family-run recruitment business, we provide a proactive and consultative approach to recruitment within Social Care. We help organisations to target issues such as continuity of staffing, reducing spend where you have a high volume of agency usage and supporting those who have specific talent requirements or are in hard to fill locations. We can help with any immediate staffing requirements or longer-term recruitment projects to ultimately save you time and money on agency spend.

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