In your quest to attract the best and most dedicated employees, talent development innovator The Muse suggests you project an employer brand that reflects the 3 Ps:
- People: How you celebrate your staff. How you create a feeling of belonging.
- Path: How your company supports continued learning.
- Purpose: The meaning behind the work. How your company, and the available position, make a difference, how they make the world a better place in the big picture.
In a previous blogpost, we offered strategies for projecting the People side of your employer brand. We also posted about Path, ways to show respect for your caregiver’s knowledge and help them continue to learn and grow professionally.
In this blogpost, we will look at Purpose.
Eldercare is full of purpose
Compared to many entry-level jobs, eldercare oozes purpose. Where else can you make such a profound difference in a frail individual’s quality of life? Something as simple as a favorite food or a pleasant outing can make a bad day into one that lightens the spirit. A kind word, an enabling hand, a compassionate ear, a reassuring touch. These all contribute to making each day the best day it can be.
“I Made a Difference” stories
Encourage your caregivers to share their successes. Note these in your newsletters, Facebook, or blog. You cannot name names or conditions or share pictures without written consent from the client. But you can share a short description of a quality of life victory. For instance:
- “Mrs. T told me about the time when she as a child came in from the cold after ice skating all afternoon and her mother gave her hot cider and oatmeal cookies fresh out of the oven. One chilly day, after we got back from an appointment, I did the same thing. Those cookies smelled so good! You should have seen the smile on her face.”
And if you want to show a photo of your client, all you need is a simple signed consent, assuming, of course, that the client is competent enough to sign such a form.
Share educational insights
Facebook or LinkedIn updates that share posts from respected sources show that you are in the know and take eldercare seriously. Examples of sites to share include the Alzheimer’s Association, the American Heart Association, even Next Ave. blogposts about aging.
Better yet is to write blogs or educational articles yourself. Post short, 300-word articles for caregivers that show insight and offer tips for addressing the challenges of providing care at home. A focus on family caregiving serves double duty to impress adult daughters and sons—key health care decision makers for your service—and potential employees, since home care employees face many of the same challenges and have to deal with family caregivers regularly. Publish these articles once a week on LinkedIn or on a blog on your website. You not only position your company as a thought leader, but you also keep people on your brand rather than sending them away to someone else’s website.
Stand out to referrers AND potential employees
Educational blogposts on your company blog or LinkedIn do more than impress families and future employees. They also impress key referrers. Did you know that 97% of attorneys are on LinkedIn? These trusted advisors are critical referrers in the private-pay landscape. And they often turn to LinkedIn for a credibility check if they hear about you and want to learn more. Your Professional Profile is, after all, your online resume. Is your profile active? Do you regularly showcase your expertise and the knowledge and commitment you put into your work? Nothing says purpose-driven work better than regular attention paid to current research and best practices.
Don’t have time to write?
We can help. We have educational blogs, newsletters, and social media services that give you once-a-week, evidence-based and timely articles.
None of your local competitors can license these resources.
Learn more at ElderPagesOnline.com or email me at tasha@elderpagesonline.com.
