ProsperCare

No New Math in Hiring

We’ve heard for years that ‘new math’ can bring fresh insights into how we can arrive at answers to age-old problems. When struggling to solve any math challenge, it helps to have the correct inputs as we work to solve the equation. To solve the problem of staffing for frontline roles, success requires ‘new math’ awareness of two key factors; low hiring manager control combined with low commitment candidates.

In fast-paced settings where time is precious, any process step that relies on the hiring manager to take steps within a given time frame is prone to failure. Roles in ‘low control’ face-to-face settings such as healthcare, hospitality or technical services yield natural time pressures. By no fault of their own, these low control managers are faced with constant hiring expectations which run up against realities of fulfilling duties of their day-job. At the end-of-the-day (literally), they must prioritize mission-critical job realities.

When it comes to staffing for roles in these environments, the second key factor is reliability and predictability of the applicant pool. The skill level and corresponding wage rates of frontline jobs attract candidates who have demonstrated one consistent trait; low commitment. From the time of application through an accepted offer and then beyond into the pre-hire process, candidates are nearly as likely to no-show at each stage as they are to complete it and advance. These low commitment candidates strain the resources invested by the company, which must account for significant wasted time and people-effort to yield one successful hire.

To create a sustained competitive advantage in hiring, those companies who solve for ‘low control + low commitment’ will win the war for talent. By having as little people-time devoted to uncertain outcomes, the hiring company can spend valuable resources when and where it matters most, with qualified and committed candidates.

ProsperCare eliminates ineffective hiring processes to allow hiring teams to spend valuable time focused on their critical day jobs. From scoring candidate pre-interview behaviors, to bringing predictive hiring measures, ProsperCare exists to help companies make better offer decisions and increase retention with the right candidate fit, for longer tenure and reduced turnover.

Frontline Recruiting Defined: Vicious

Vicious – adj. “to be deliberately cruel”

Hiring has become a vicious cycle–especially as we willingly give away our future.

All of us have experienced this negative feedback loop: one person quits, so the remaining team members work longer hours and more shifts to pick up the slack. This leads to frustration, burnout and more resignations. The team and their managers then must take on more shifts and subsequently, longer hours to fill the gap, which compounds frustrations and eventually leads to more resignations.

Layer on anxiety and concern for the wellbeing of others in the world around them, and it’s a recipe for disaster. Health care workers have especially strong feelings around “changing safety protocols, low pay and a general sense of being disposable.” The antidote to a sense of being disposable? Feeling valued and cared for, with a bit of added personalized attention. This is no doubt exactly what your organization says it strives to offer to your residents, clients or patients–does this sound all too familiar?

In his book The Dip best-selling author, business and social commentator Seth Godin highlights the concept of knowing when to quit, and when to stick with solving a problem. He asks, “If we audited your day in six-minute increments, what would we find?” This question challenges us to assess the best use of time within our current processes, or to rethink new answers to solving critical challenges.

The take home point? “Quit the wrong stuff. Stick with the right stuff. Have the guts to do one or the other.” When it comes to hiring managers filling high turnover frontline roles, now is the time. Quit wasting their daily effort and emotional energy chasing applicants, who then no-show for interviews, or don’t respond after an offer is made. Worse yet after spending valuable resources, many fail to show up for day-one on the job. Is there any more critical “right stuff” for our focus today than solving for staffing in the Care Economy?

Godin’s summary: ”When we give away our day, we give away our future.”

If retention and recruitment are two sides of the same coin, how does management best prioritize? Don’t give away your future time on recruitment that would be better spent on retention of quality candidates. Retention efforts require time and energy, which are locked in a constant struggle for time spent by the same people needing to recruit new candidates or backfilling vacated positions.

Savvy leaders who have dedicated themselves to providing life sustaining and life saving care to millions every year, owe it to their communities to learn this valuable lesson of how to “quit the wrong stuff.”

There are three important outcomes that Care Economy leaders gain with solutions which serve to “Quit” repeating the same old habits.

#1) Quit wasting valuable time spent on recruiting and recapture that time to allow a focus on a hiring manager’s day job. With repetitive tasks of recruiting now under control, these managers get the payoff of more time to engage with new hires to reduce turnover.

#2) Quit ignoring the realities of recruitment waste that are lost six minutes at a time, in every hour of every day.

#3) Quit enabling the deliberately cruel and vicious cycle where we began this discussion.

Seems there’s never been a better time to Quit!

Time to Quit

In his book The Dip, author and business commentator Seth Godin focuses on the concept of when to quit and when to stick with solving a problem. He asks, “If we audited your day in six-minute increments, what would we find?” This question challenges us all to assess the best use of time within our current processes, or to rethink a new answer to our approach.

Godin’s take home point? “Quit the wrong stuff. Stick with the right stuff. Have the guts to do one or the other.” When it comes to hiring managers filling high turnover frontline roles, it’s time. Quit wasting daily effort and emotional energy chasing applicants, who then no-show for interviews, and don’t respond after an offer or worse yet, fail to show for day-one on the job. It’s time to start with the right stuff.

ProsperCare solutions “pick up the slack” so hiring managers can quit wasting their valuable time and focus on their day jobs. From scoring candidate pre-interview behaviors, to bringing predictive measures, we help these busy hiring managers make the right offer decision. Godin’s summary says it all: ”When we give away our day, we give away our future.”

Ikigai or Hedgehog?

When each of us considers what creates a fulfilling work experience, it is usually reduced to a few key factors that when combined, make for “the right” fit. As Covid-19 moves from pandemic to endemic in our communities, many have taken some time to reflect on their work and what they truly desire from that part of life. Whether making a big change, or just a shift, many workers have considered what may be needed next, for them to make a jump in their career progression toward greater fulfillment.

In his book “Good to Great,” Jim Collins put forth the Hedgehog Concept–that is, where does each of us have an overlap of passion, talent and an engine for adding value? Collins’ approach was originally focused in the business context, but he has since adapted it to the general makeup of people. It mirrors, in many ways, a Japanese theory and the elements needed for purposeful living known as “ikigai,” –translated; reason for being. Aren’t we all interested in this deep concept? The challenge is putting it into practice as a guidepost for living.

Many searching for “their next” step would benefit from a way to quickly understand and better predict a match for fit, when it comes to their next career choice. By employing “matching criteria” at the point of apply, ProsperCare works to determine that “fit” for both the candidate and their prospective hiring manager–in fact, it happens instantly! We think we’re the “Hedgehog” who works hard to quickly match candidates with great jobs that fit. We love to help those we serve–that’s our “ikigai.”

Truth #5: Flexibility: the Way of the Future

5 Truths of the Hourly Workforce, part 5

As we look ahead to the light at the end of this COVID-19 tunnel, a ‘next normal’ is emerging. Organizations and employees are pushing for attention to mental health and impactful self care. The desire to live with a balance between work and life is rising to the top of our collective priority list. In a world where there are more jobs than people to fill them, employers of an hourly workforce can’t afford to NOT adjust to some version of employee-first flexibility. But what does flexibility mean in a world where remote work isn’t an option?

While it may not be possible for a grocery store clerk to man the register from home, it may be possible to revisit shift scheduling, including a view of part time roles. Little Spoon, a Baby food delivery company, began offering easy rescheduling of shifts. This simple pivot for their customer service employees–many of whom are parents–helped increase the company’s retention and productivity. The business has to plan more strategically around surges in customer service requests, but in those cases, they can call on higher level managers to pitch in. This has not only led to increased flexibility, but has resulted in many hourly workers transitioning to full-time roles.*

Affording flexibility, begins with the hiring process. In the current hiring climate, organizations are not only competing to attract talent, but also facing the challenge of holding onto candidates throughout the recruiting process. Allowing the candidate to select their interview day and time, determine how soon they can interview and how quickly the can start in their new job put greater control in their hands. From their first interaction with your organization, they experience that key sense of flexibility and control.

ProsperCare has proven that speed equals trust from “apply-to-offer” for high volume hiring. Its solutions and services reduce process friction to yield instant candidate matches to interviews. ProsperCare buys time for employers to focus on engagement with their teams, to promote career pathing and to reduce turnover.

* https://www.inc.com/rebecca-deczynski/increasing-shift-worker-productivity-hourly-incentives-advice.html

5 Truths of the Hourly Workforce, part 4

Truth #4: Adapt to Win the War for Talent

The pandemic has taken a toll on many industries, but none more than with healthcare professionals. According to a recent report by Morning Consult, health care workers who say they disapprove of the way their employers have handled the pandemic “cited poor communication around changing safety protocols, inadequate personal protective equipment, low pay and a general sense of being disposable.* The cure to someone feeling disposable? Showing care, respect with personalized attention whenever possible. Exactly what the employer hopes is being offered to those in their care.

The desire to feel cared for and respected–as a human being and an employee–is universal. Columbia Business School professor Adam Galinsky claims an organizations’ responsibility of compensation, needs to expand the definition of the word. Individuals want to feel a “sense of status and gratitude,” in addition to taking home a paycheck.** Projecting this feeling, from the time a candidate ‘applies’ and through the initial months in a new role, can inspire that critical sense of connection and camaraderie. It costs little and requires intentionality, but can make all the difference in the world.

Inspiring loyalty runs both ways between the candidate, for an employee and with an employer and extends far beyond the job and time clock. Never underestimate the connection with people on a human level. In turn, they may be more willing to take on increased activities or challenging shifts and work longer hours in times of need. Winning at this level demands an investment mentality, starting with new candidate recruitment, but will return significant dividends in the battle against turnover. There is no better way to ensure the battle can be won than truth #5, flexibility.

* https://morningconsult.com/2021/10/04/health-care-workers-series-part-2-workforce/

** https://www.inc.com/rebecca-deczynski/increasing-shift-worker-productivity-hourly-incentives-advice.html

Truth #3: Resume ≠ Qualified

5 Truths of the Hourly Workforce, part 3

Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic continue to ripple through society, leaving nearly no aspect immune to some degree of impact. Year 2021 brought the emergence of a new phenomenon: The Great Resignation. People left their jobs in droves, with an all-time high of 4.5 million employees quitting their jobs in November.* Particularly in retail, but in other sectors, the urgent need for employees forced them to look long and hard at job requirements.

Across the US, many organizations are making the choice to remove application prerequisites like degrees, years of experience, background checks and even drug tests. Leveraging learnings from a Sept. 2019 open hiring pilot program where they removed nearly all candidate requirements, retailer The Body Shop found that the “rate of performance-related terminations of people hired in the pilot program has been about the same as the rate among people hired through the routine screening process.”**

These results beg the question: have employers spent too much time focused on the wrong candidate attributes? After all, according to the Harvard Business Review, the idea of hiring for attitude and minimal skills and then training for skill has proven successful in the corporate world.*** Why shouldn’t it apply to those in hourly roles? It can, but it may require a shift of resources and greater focus at onboarding on the part of the employer. This fact highlights the importance of truth #4, adaptation to win the war for talent.

* https://www.bls.gov/news.release/jolts.nr0.htm

** https://www.wsj.com/articles/help-really-wanted-no-degree-work-experience-or-background-checks-11636196307?mod=Searchresults_pos16&page=2

*** https://hbr.org/2011/02/hire-for-attitude-train-for-sk

5 Truths of the Hourly Workforce, part 2

Truth #2: Hiring Requires Resilience

Every hourly employer knows this experience: an employee reaches out, asking for a time to meet. They sit (or stand) in person and begin sharing some of the reasons their role isn’t working for them. They air frustrations and, perhaps, offer words about the leadership they’ve experienced. Eventually, they share the news: they’re resigning. That’s the best case scenario. Most often, they simply stop showing up. Now the organization must begin the arduous process of recruitment–the hamster wheel starts again.

No matter how many times it’s been done, or what efficiencies have been established, the painstaking reality of the recruitment process persists. Winning the recruiting war starts with overcoming the average application abandonment rate of 80%.* If successful, employers still have much at risk. ERE Media suggests that hiring and training an $8/hour employee can cost a company over $4,000.**

From start to finish, recruiting hourly workers is taxing and challenging to scale. Employers have to manage several applicants at one time: schedule screening calls, follow-up interviews and . Plus the time and effort required to onboard, train, and more. The question of how to simplify and standardize recruitment becomes crucial. That brings in hourly workforce truth #3: someone’s experience (or lack of) may not be the full indication of their ability. The key is knowing how much is the right amount?

*https://www.jobalign.com/en/the-race-to-attract-the-hourly-workforce/

**https://www.investopedia.com/financial-edge/0711/the-cost-of-hiring-a-new-employee.aspx

Truth #1: Focus on Retention

5 Truths of the Hourly Workforce, part 1

The life of an hourly worker looks drastically different at a supermarket than it does at a home care facility. The weekly struggles and challenges of someone working retail may be completely different than those faced by a food service employee. But there are a few truths of the hourly workforce that transcend industry, position and level. As the world of work continues to evolve, understanding these truths is crucial to successfully navigating as an hourly employer.

Truth #1: Focus on Retention

Anyone who has worked on a team comprised of hourly workers knows that losing team mates is a negative feedback loop: one person quits, so the remaining team members work longer hours and more shifts to pick up the slack. Which can lead to frustration, burnout and more resignations. Employees again must take on more shifts and subsequently longer hours to fill the gap, which leads to frustration and eventually resignation.

On it goes, with burnout and short-staffs pushing them to make the difficult decision to look elsewhere. Thus, retaining current employees should be every company’s first order of business. Is it easy? No. It requires dedicated resources and attention–which isn’t a luxury many employers have. Until there can be a focus on stemming the tide of resignations, more time and energy is required for recruitment and hiring of new candidates to keep up.

If recruiting efforts could be simplified to free up resources, a greater focus can be directed to retention and maintaining a sustainable headcount. That means that they can turn their attention toward the second truth: hiring requires resilience.

The Priority: Occupancy or Care?

Is occupancy or care the top priority? For those in the senior living industry, now more than ever, it can be a tough question to answer.

Financial success — or even just keeping the doors open — hinges on occupancy. At the same time, personalized care is crucial for positive outcomes in both short-term and long-term companion care. Add the complexities of medical needs with aging and the elderly, along with active lifestyles for the vibrant boomer, and we’re suddenly in a pretty complicated business. It can feel like trying to run a Disney Cruise Line with Florence Nightingale as the cruise director, while competing market leadership philosophies battle for the captain’s seat. The ripple effects of the pandemic have brought these struggles front and center, with the hard truth that the traditional system simply falls short.

While public confidence is moving toward an increasing sense of normalcy, including making decisions about the role of senior living communities in care, there are still challenges of low occupancy. With ranges in some locations as low as 30-50% and added health safety regulatory compliance, maintaining adequate staffing to provide resident care is a delicate balancing act.

In the nursing home world, the lens for problem-solving has always been “root cause analysis.” What is the root cause of this issue? It’s time to take a long, hard look in the mirror. Senior living communities are spending endless hours spinning their wheels trying to adapt current systems, when what is really needed is an entirely new outlook and updated processes. The answer to filling vacancies is not a resident market issue, but rather, a leadership and caregiver issue. The secret is partners and people. Now more than ever, survivors will be those who can think outside the box, while finding trusted partners to bring reliable resources with innovative solutions. Covid-19 has proven that traditional models and philosophies are simply not sustainable.

The state of today’s care industry begs the question: how are we recruiting, training and retaining the individuals who are key to delivering essential services? When the conversations around the leadership table prioritize a new perspective on workforce issues and begin exploring breakthrough solutions needed to elevate care roles, occupancy challenges can be put into their proper context.

Enter: ProsperCare. Our team spends their time working to save time for hiring managers and candidates interested in roles in care through people-first technology solutions. With 3x the number of interviews scheduled versus traditional recruiting methods, let ProsperCare smooth the friction for staffing your frontline.

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