When home health care agencies should hire and what mistakes to avoid

As home care agencies grow, hiring help is essential. There comes a point in a business’s life when the administration can no longer wear the hats of multiple roles within the agency and staff experience work overload. With the demands of running an agency spanning financial (growth projections, budgeting, investment), technological (tools evaluation and acquisition spanning caregiver devices, home health software, emerging tech), and personnel,  taking the next big step in hiring help with the heavy lifting of home care agency operations can be daunting. After all, agency owners and administrators have put their heart and soul into their work and who else could be as dedicated to the success of the business? When is the right time to hire help? How do home care agencies mitigate the risk of bringing in new employees?

When to hire help and common mistakes to avoid

As home care agencies grow, hiring help is essential. There comes a point in a business’s life when the administration can no longer wear the hats of multiple roles within the agency and staff experience work overload. Taking the next big step to hire help with the heavy lifting of home care agency operations can be daunting. After all, agency owners and administrators have put their heart and soul into their work and who else could be as dedicated to the success of the business? When is the right time to hire help? How do home care agencies mitigate the risk of bringing in new employees?

Indicators to Hire Help

The right time a business needs to hire help is muddy, leaving home care agency administrators at a crossroads in decision-making. Being aware of common growth indicators can give a clearer picture of the right time to take the plunge to hire help.

Indicators demonstrating a need to expand and hire additional employees can include:

• Metrics are being met, which includes evaluation of the rate of client acquisition, the rate of financial growth and cash flow. These numbers are foundational to gauging the health of the company.
• Evaluate if the agency can afford the help. Projections evaluating the cost of an employee(s) over time are essential to the sustainability of the employee(s) within the company. Can the company afford negative working capital? Scrutinizing the current and projected liabilities and assets will uncover the answer for sustainable growth of new hires. Hiring a trustworthy business financial analyst well-versed in home care agency operations can support decisions to hire help.
• Is the agency turning away potential clients? A clear sign of the ability to support new hires for the home care agency includes increased demand in current services.
• Does the agency desire the ability to offer a new homecare service? The ability to keep ahead of the competition includes continually evaluating the needs of current and potential clients and taking adequate risks. Offering new services may necessitate hiring an outside consultant or new team member.
• Is the agency administration, or employees within experiencing staff or caregiver burnout? Often sandwiched between feelings of uncertainty and overwhelm, agency administrators need time to step back and evaluate the agency’s alignment (or misalignment) with the bigger mission and vision of the company. Are agency administrator(s) only able to perform day-to-day tasks and put out fires for the business vs. spend time planning out the next steps to grow the company? Are multiple staff reporting a feeling of being overwhelmed due to workload? If the answer is a resounding “YES”, it’s time to hire help.

Mistakes to Avoid when Hiring Help

Good things take time. Unfortunately, time is what a home care agency is often short on when in need of hiring help. Though it may not be easy to find the right staff to hire immediately, making a quick decision to hire someone who isn’t the right fit can put the company at risk. Utilizing proven homecare agency growth strategies to put the right people in place means more success for the company. Common mistakes include:

• Not checking references to confirm claims made on a resume and gathering more information about the candidate’s ability to fit into the role desired.
• Ignoring a candidate’s lack of soft skills (time management, teamwork, creativity, work ethic, emotional intelligence, listening ability).
• Failure to evaluate the ability of the candidate to work well with the existing team.
• Placing value in years of service over quality of work. A candidate with more experience does not always equate to doing a better job. If the candidate does have extensive experience, how have they demonstrated growth in their previous positions?

Continued Growth of the Agency

The culture of a home care agency depends on its employees no matter how big or small the company is. They need to demonstrate the expected norms of their role in a way that supports the desired business climate of the company day in and day out. With agency expansion over time, how can home care agencies ensure employees are dedicated to promoting success?

Lead by example

Strong leadership from the top down is one of the strongest ways to influence others. Home care agency administration is wise to set the tone of dedication to the company’s mission and vision with all employees, and especially new hires. As the company grows larger, agency administration can become a name on paper, and it is challenging to remain present.  Using alternative means of communication to ensure visibility as administration is vital. Ideas include newsletters, regular email updates, forums, or chat sessions (including coffee, lunch or treats are always a hit), checking in at staff meetings, and simply building in time to have conversations with others (open door hours in the office).

Create a culture of compliance

Culture, habits, and procedures can create a culture of compliance within the company. Though easier said than done, it is essential to set foundational expectations that new hires will be required to comply with and continue to follow over time, through agency policies and procedures. Bringing employees’ attention to policy and procedure updates at regular intervals and having regular check-ins with new and existing employees can continue the culture of compliance.

Change is hard, but managing operations within a growing home care agency with limited staff is harder. Starting off on the right track with new hires and using a checklist of items to help decide on the right time to add employees can help support positive growth for the company.

Other blogs you might find helpful:

1. Home Health Certification Training – The key to exceptional staff building
2. Six keys to solving staffing issues in homecare agencies
3. Boosting job satisfaction to retain home health nurses
4. Home care agency work/life balance tips for clinicians
5. Top strategies for developing strong homecare teams
6. Is it time for a policy update in your home health agency?

References

US Chamber of Commerce- Company growth