6 Reasons Why Employer Branding Is Fundamental to Marketing in 2023
Frontline workers are in high demand, and they currently wield the power in the job market. Home care agencies will have to find new ways to appeal to new talent and retain their current workforce.
Globally, hiring has slowed, but demand for qualified healthcare workers remains high. The labor shortage has put frontline workers in a comfortable position, and they have a lot of power in the job market.
Home care agencies recruiting caregivers in 2023 will have to make a strong appeal for why theirs is the agency to join—and stay with. Here's why.
1. Job seekers consider brand reputation before they apply
Employer branding is now vital regardless of industry: 82% of job seekers consider an employer’s brand and reputation before applying.
Because there is such a need for home healthcare workers, talent will have the luxury of skipping agencies that don’t have a favorable reputation, or a reputation at all.
2. The healthcare labor shortage continues, and home healthcare workers are among the most needed
According to staffing agency Robert Half, 54% of healthcare managers are hiring for new roles, 45% are hiring for vacated roles. Among managers looking for new hires, 89% say they’re having a hard time finding the talent they need.
In fact, licensed home healthcare nurse ranks fourth on LinkedIn’s list of the 10 most in-demand jobs of 2023. The competition for qualified caregivers is tight, and agencies will have to make a strong case.
3. In some ways, home care agencies will struggle to compete with other types of healthcare systems and providers
Healthcare professionals are increasingly looking for remote work. Forty-eight percent say they want a fully remote position, while 50% are interested in hybrid work. Only 28% of people working in healthcare say they want an on-site job.
Home care agencies will not be able to provide certain kinds of perks—like scheduling flexibility and remote work—that might be available to healthcare workers in hospitals and clinics, so they will have to compete in other ways.
Gartner encourages healthcare employers to find ways to provide equitable flexibility for frontline workers, and whenever possible, invest in the employee experience: “58% of organizations that employ frontline workers have invested in improving their employee experience in the past year. About a third of those who haven’t intend to do so in the next 12 months,” reads one Gartner article from earlier this year.
Employee experience begins with the job application and continues until they walk out the door, and it’s a core element of your employer brand.
4. Upskilling and career advancement opportunities are high priorities for workers in 2023
Employees want to know that the work they do and the training they get now will lead to better, higher-paying, and more satisfying work in the future. In fact, upskilling and career advancement rank in job seekers’ top five priorities in 2023.
Not only will investment in career development pay dividends in employee experience, it will also help you hold onto top talent. According to LinkedIn’s 2023 Global Talent Trends Report, employers that help employees learn skills on the job can expect a 7% boost in retention.
5. If you don’t have the staff, you won’t be able to grow
Few industries have felt the labor shortage as acutely as healthcare. If home care agencies want to grow—and the demand for home care is there—they have to attract and retain the talent that makes business expansion possible and therefore invest in their employer reputation.
6. The future of the home care profession depends on it
HR industry analyst Josh Bersin predicts a massive gap in “talent, skills, and people” for the healthcare industry. Healthcare has experienced major turnover in the wake of Covid, and fewer and fewer people are entering the field. As an example, “[The] US healthcare industry will be short 2.1 million nursing professionals over the next three years,” writes Bersin, referencing a recent analysis of HR problems in healthcare.
Home care providers have a responsibility to invest in attracting talent not just to their agency, but to the field. This requires not only an appeal to young professionals choosing a career, but also older career changers. Agencies will be wise to note the job security advancement opportunities, and the purpose-driven work in their recruitment marketing strategies.
Start shaping your online employer branding today
Looking for a website that represents your agency well? What about help with promptly and courteously responding to potential hires? Or, managing your reviews?
Home Care Marketing Pros' suite of digital marketing tools is here to do just that and lend a hand in shaping your agency's reputation. Find out more about what we can do here.
