Pioneering a New Approach to Caregiver Recruitment
Pioneering a New Approach to Caregiver Recruitment
Published:
November 1, 2017
Earlier this year, we faced a new, but welcomed, challenge: We were receiving too many caregiver applications!
Word had spread about Commonwise’s industry-leading wages and our caregiver-centered approach, and interest began flooding in from caregivers looking to join our Care Teams.While we were delighted by this challenge, we also wondered how we could effectively process all these new applicants without compromising our standards. Too often in this moment, agencies simply hire anyone who passes a background check.Of course, this approach flies in the face of the Commonwise ethos. So we asked ourselves: How can we focus our time and resources on those applicants who truly have the capacity to excel in the difficult role of caregiver?
Pioneering a solution
We elected to look at the issue in partnership with a leading industrial organizational psychologist. Together, we conducted a rigorous job analysis, which included a multi-month evaluation of our highest-performing caregivers.Our goal was to better understand the skills and personality traits necessary to provide exceptional home care. Through numerous caregiver shadow sessions and focus groups, we gained real insight into the competencies of successful caregivers.We then mapped these competencies against an evidence-based screening tool. Now, every Commonwise applicant takes a pre-employment survey that provides an important data point in assessing how successful they will be as caregivers. Those who pass the screening are also taken through our customized, in-depth, in-person interview process.
Our proprietary methodology
The study, combined with the evidence-based screening tool, has yielded a proprietary recruitment model, which empowers us to focus on candidates who demonstrate the competencies we believe personify our core values.Learn more about what sets our caregivers apart.