We all want more great carers in our teams. But how do we attract new ones, especially from outside of the sector?

Try talking about it.

Why?

To attract carers from other sectors, we must change the image of care from a job for people with no other options, to a rewarding career with great prospects. Everyone in our profession can help educate people about this.

Like me, you'll have seen many instances where carers have given clients their active lives back. Potential carers are out there, and they need to know the truth about what care can achieve, from people who know: that's you.

Talk in person

Whenever people ask what job you do, or the opportunity arises to tell them, be positive about it.

Chat about the rewards of care to your family, at local shops, clubs you attend, the gym, your place of worship, or to other parents at the school gates. Offer to speak about your job in colleges, schools, or the local WI.

Consider setting a target to talk to, say, three people daily about care careers.

Word of mouth costs nothing and reaches new people who have not worked in care before, who may never consider looking at online care vacancies.

Candidate recommendations from people in your area may be more trustworthy than applications from people you know nothing about.

Ask people for help

Ask people for help or advice in finding new carers. People love being asked for advice and will often start thinking about how they can help. The response may not be immediate but they may come back with ideas next time they see you, or on your phone. You may well get more care recruits as a result, and pick up more clients at the same time.

Good things to mention

• Care offers a chance to make a huge difference to people's lives.
• You don't need experience, and get free training and qualifications.
• Any experience in caring for people, including in your own family, will help new candidates get jobs.
• It can be very flexible work, so it fits around varied lifestyles.
• Pay is above the National Living Wage and once you progress to care manager you can earn around £40,000. (Put in the relevant figures for your area).
• Demand for care workers is strong now and in the future.
• Care work provides valuable experience for people considering nursing or other medical careers.

Encourage your teams to talk too

Brief them on what to say. Consider offering rewards to team members who introduce candidates who are subsequently taken on and stay.

Care professionals can sell the care career in a way that no job ad ever can, dispelling the myths and highlighting the rewards – a great way to attract new recruits. 

Now keep them

Care can be a big change from other careers. Pair up a new recruit with a more experienced carer to help them adjust and to answer their questions.

Get to know them individually, talk to them about their lives and families as well as work issues.

Offer them training, which boosts retention. Celebrate their birthdays, and offer social activities like pizza nights, where staff get to know each other. Create a workplace culture that has a reputation locally for prioritising the happiness of carers, so that they stay.

It's all about people

Care is a people business, and that extends to recruiting and caring for new staff, as well as clients. Don't just rely of online recruitment to bring in staff from other sectors. Talk to people instead.

Amrit Dhaliwal will be discussing this topic further at the Care Management Show on 26 June at NEC, Birmingham.