Referral program proves successful recruitment strategy
An employee referral program has been a successful recruitment strategy for a Umina aged care facility, despite a national shortage of aged care workers.
"For the first time in four years, we have virtually no unfilled positions and are now using referrals to fill holiday and relief positions," said Peninsula Village chief executive Mr Colin Osborne.
In the past 12 months, Peninsula Village has hired 40 personal care assistants, four registered nurses and 13 hotel service staff members.
"The quality of our referral hires is noticeably better than those from job boards, and our staff turnover is significantly lower than the industry average," Mr Osborne said.
"We've seen a substantial reduction in our recruitment as well as reduced agency spend and have been able to divert funds back to our staff through referral rewards.
"This program has enabled us to identify and retain local frontline and clinical staff quickly and affordably, ensuring our recruitment is stable and efficient," said Mr Osborne.
The program uses a phone app, Care Friends, "designed for the health care and social assistance sector ".
Using the phone app, existing employees can earn up to $400 and micro rewards by referring others to job vacancies.
"The Care Friends program has been instrumental in maintaining a high standard of care through our consistent staffing levels, directly benefiting our residents and enhancing staff satisfaction," said Mr Osborne.
He said the reduction in recruitment expenditure had fully covered the costs of the referral program, leading to a significant decrease in overall recruitment costs.
The organisation has reported an average of 30 new staff referrals per month, significantly contributing to its ability to meet the 200 care-minute target and a trajectory towards the 215-minute goal by October.
SOURCE:
Media release, 28 Jun 2024
Katey White, Brilliant Logic