Social Jobfindr appreciates the challenge that people and care organisations can face when trying to recruit, and fill, vacant roles in the industry. Due to the increasing demand of recruitment in adult social care, we have put together a few pointers to ensure your recruitment process is efficient and effective as desired.
Getting the job ad right
When posting a vacancy for a role, it is important that you are clear on exactly what the job is, and all information that could be helpful and insightful to applicants. All necessary details of the vacancy should be present on the job advertisement to prevent applicants from applying for a job that they either don’t want to work, or are not qualified for.
When writing the job description, you should consider the following points and ensure they are addressed within the advertisement:
- A thorough and detailed description of what the job exactly is, and what the role entails
- Location and hours of operation are clearly visible
- Any special requirements that the applicant may need – do they need to hold a full drivers licence, or are they required to work through unsociable hours?
- The required qualifications that may be needed
Spreading the word of the job advertisement
Posting a job ad can be a tedious process, especially if the applications you are receiving aren’t quite right. When advertising a vacancy, you should look to bring as much attention and awareness to the open position as possible.
Utilising your digital presence online should be something you do when recruiting for adult care staff – social media channels and your company’s website can be great places to shout about the vacancy, and should be used accordingly. Additionally, printed materials can also be useful to help gain traction about a role you may be recruiting for. These can range from posters that are visible in your establishments, or even advertisements in job centres and local community centres.
When recruiting in the adult social care industry, you should also take advantage of online job boards. Posting on boards that are outside of the healthcare industry will help promote the idea of working in the sector and can attract those who may not have considered it in the past.
Offer clear career progression and development opportunities
There is a high number of people who have highlighted that the lack of clear career progression, and chances to personally develop, are factors that can drive them to look for a career outside of the adult care industry. Therefore, you should consider and discuss the channels and chances that your vacancy can offer in terms of progression and development.
Value based approaches
When recruiting for care workers, you should aim to adopt a value based approach to the recruiting process. This can be achieved through scenario-based questions in the initial recruitment stage, which will ensure that you are able to identify the people who are value driven and invite them to the next stage of the process. Or, you could consider hosting group assessment days where you invite applicants to take part in value-based activities or situations.
Consider the values
Speak with your current employees, or people who you know work in the adult social care industry, and try to identify what they value most as workers. When posting a vacancy it is important to highlight the rewards and benefits that you can offer as a company, so getting opinions and insights firsthand from actual adult social care professionals will allow you to post a credible and valued job vacancy.
By following these simple but effective steps, you will be able to tailor your vacancies and get the most out of your applicants.
