Retention in social care - storm brewing?

Retention – the perfect storm that is brewing…

Recruitment. It’s been a challenge for the sector for as long as we have been waiting for reform, and the issue surrounding retention in social care is no different. For years, we’ve been doing our damned hardest to fix the “leaky bucket” and we have news which might not come as a surprise. It’s likely to get worse.

At Cohesion, we deliver recruitment and workforce solutions for care providers right across the sector in various settings. One thing many of us have in common – we welcomed new talent over the past 12 months and we’re now all asking that magic question; will they stay?

The reality is some will, many won’t. But we hope our evidence-based recommendations will help the sector to strive for the former.

Amanda Marques, Director and Owner of Cohesion has reflected on our ‘hot half dozen’ current issues for the social care sector. No surprises, retention is a major one of those six.

We know that ‘Covid times’ have been unprecedented for all sectors, and we welcomed applications that were made for a variety of reasons; perhaps as jobs in hospitality and retail were put on hold or perhaps due to increased interest in making a difference and helping the sector. Hospitality and retail joiners may consider going back to their original careers as restrictions continue to ease.

So what are our top tips in making them sticky (and our existing care talent too)?

Ensuring a positive employment experience can support retention in social care – find out what is important to your staff. Is it flexibility, salary, career development? How can you best support them in their role? (HINT – flexibility and work life balance are big topics in the current market.)

Have a plan to meet and talk with new starters. This should include formal and informal conversations and involve different members of the team.

If you don’t already, consider STAY interviews – an opportunity to build trust and engage with new starters. They’re similar to retention interviews but they specifically focus on understanding what is going to make someone stay with you.

Conduct Exit & Retention Interviews and apply the information you receive for the good of your workforce.

Our next online webinar on 1^st July at 10am delves into the realms of retention further. As well as hearing from a range of guest speakers from the sector, we will be sharing our findings from thousands of retention interviews. You can sign up below.