Six marketing tips guaranteed to support your recruitment process

Wagada Digital, a marketing agency helping a range of clients in the care sector improve their online presence, are offering marketing tips and advice on how to improve recruitment and retention efforts.

by Gemma Lloyd
Recruitment

As the UK’s population continues to age, the demand for care services is skyrocketing. Yet, the care sector continues to face a significant recruitment and retention crisis that is threatening the quality and availability of care for those who need it most. 

According to new data, an estimated 430,000 extra workers are needed to fulfil the rising demand for adult social care by 2035.

Wagada Digital say marketing your business is now “critical” when trying to recruit and retain talent. “You need to have a strong employer brand to show you are a good employer…”

Key challenges facing the care sector

  • Ageing population: The UK’s growing elderly population is increasing the demand for care services faster than the sector can supply.
  • High turnover rates and competing sectors: Care roles often suffer from high turnover due to demanding work conditions, insufficient pay, and lack of career progression opportunities. Sectors such as retail and hospitality offer similar pay for less demanding work.
  • Skills shortage: There is a significant shortage of qualified care workers, making it difficult for providers to maintain quality services.
  • Perception of care work: Misconceptions about the nature and value of care work deter potential candidates. Media coverage of care home scandals and the impact of COVID-19 on workers reflects negative public perception.
  • Workforce morale: Current staff are often overworked and underappreciated, leading to burnout and further exacerbating retention issues.

So, how can the care sector work on their recruitment and retention issue? Whilst there are key factors such as pay, working conditions and perks to consider, the way in which care homes market themselves to the general public is an important point to consider. 

Six marketing tips to improve recruitment and retention

  1. Develop a strong employer brand

Invest in building a reputation as an employer of choice. Highlight your company’s values, employee benefits, and commitment to staff wellbeing. Consider creating a dedicated careers website or section that provides comprehensive information about working for your organisation. More importantly, be a good employer, offer your staff free meals for night shifts, ensure their wellness is a priority and have regular check-ins. 

  1. Highlight career progression opportunities

Develop and promote clear career pathways within your organisation. Create marketing materials that showcase success stories of employees who have advanced from entry-level positions to management roles. This approach can attract ambitious individuals looking for long-term career prospects rather than just a job.

  1. Utilise employee advocacy

Encourage current employees to share their positive experiences both within their social circle and online. You can develop an employee referral programme with incentives and create social posts for staff to post online.

  1. Emphasise the rewarding nature of care work

Focus your marketing messages on the meaningful impact care workers have on people’s lives. Use testimonials from current employees and care recipients to illustrate the emotional rewards of the job. This can appeal to individuals seeking purpose-driven work and help counter negative perceptions of the sector.

  1. Leverage social media for targeted recruitment

Utilise platforms like Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn to reach potential candidates. Create engaging content that gives insight into daily life as a care worker, showcasing the positive aspects of the job and your company culture. Use targeted advertising to reach individuals with relevant interests or educational backgrounds.

  1. Create content that is engaging for your audience

Whether it’s current staff testimonial videos, blogs about life as a care worker or social media posts, demonstrating how your current staff feel about their roles can really help when trying to recruit new people. Having this content both on your website as well as used in job ads online can lead to more applications. 

Implementing these strategies can significantly enhance a care home’s recruitment success by helping attract more qualified candidate. A focus on marketing will help build a strong employer brand in the very competitive field of social care.