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Thank you to my long-time supporters and a BIG welcome to the new subscribers. I appreciate you all being here. I am pleasantly surprised by all the attention this newsletter is getting. I hope to make it worth your time to read it each week. If you would, take this 1-minute survey to help me do that. I truly want to make this newsletter something you look forward to reading each week. Okay, on with the show…
In today’s edition:
- How may I help you today?
- Good times with Dover
- The History of Recruiting
- The Search for Solutions: Addressing the Home Healthcare Staffing Shortage
- This week’s comic: Ghost Jobs
- Thank you Sponsors
How may I help you today?
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And just in case you’re thinking, “Jim, I don’t want to click anything, just tell me what you do.” I can respect that. In a nutshell, I generate demand for HR tech companies with awesome content. The type of content I produce includes, but is not limited to, the following:
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I am taking on a limited number of new clients so contact me now while there is an opening. Chat soon.
Good times with Dover
I was a guest on the “How We Built Our Team” podcast. It was produced by the good folks over at Dover. I talked about how searching for talent is a lot like a marketing campaign – target those who have already expressed interest, then find those who don’t know you exist yet.
In retrospect, I probably should have not worn a t-shirt on the podcast, but whatever. Hopefully, you can overlook that and get something from what I said. So far, the feedback has been pretty good.
HOW WE BUILT OUR TEAM, EPISODE #1: AI, ChatGPT and Marketing in Recruiting with Jim Stroud
The History of Recruiting
I was very pleased to be a contributor to a project underway at Career Crossroads Foundation. They have launched a major research project called – The History of Recruiting. This is how Chris Hoyt, Co-Owner, described the work…
Discover “The History of Recruiting”: A New Resource by the CXR Foundation. We are pleased to introduce a comprehensive new online resource, “The History of Recruiting,” created by the CXR Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the improvement and advancement of recruiting professionals everywhere. This well-researched guide, designed as a work-in-progress that can always be enhanced and added to, covers the evolution of the recruiting industry from the late 1800s to present day, offering valuable insights (and even some colorful commentary) for both experienced recruiters and those who may be new to the profession.
Click here to review the history for yourself
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The Search for Solutions: Addressing the Home Healthcare Staffing Shortage
The shortage of home healthcare workers in the United States is a crisis that is affecting millions of elderly and disabled individuals who rely on these services to remain independent and receive the care they need. This dilemma was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has driven many workers out of the industry due to concerns about their safety or burnout.
The scarcity of this type of talent is a complex issue that has several underlying causes. One of the primary reasons is the low pay and lack of benefits that many workers in the industry receive. This has led to a high turnover rate, with many workers leaving the industry or choosing not to enter it in the first place.
The limited number of home healthcare workers is having a devastating impact on the elderly population. Many individuals are being forced to go without care or rely on family members who may not have the necessary skills or time to provide adequate care. This is not only a hardship for the individuals themselves but can also put a strain on their families and caregivers.
If you are dealing with this issue within your own family then you know what I’m talking about. For the uninitiated, let me share some data, courtesy of my friends over at Horsefly Analytics. Apologies, it’s a rather bleak and sobering chart. The blue represents the demand for home healthcare workers in the USA and the yellow shows the available talent supply.
How Can We Fix This?
In response to this crisis, some innovative solutions are being developed. For instance, there is a pilot program in Colorado that trains college students to provide in-home healthcare services. This program provides students with a valuable learning experience while also addressing the needs of elderly individuals who require care.
To address the shortage of home healthcare workers on a larger scale, however, more significant changes will need to be made. One potential solution is to increase pay for home healthcare workers to attract more individuals to the industry. This could potentially be achieved through government funding or financial support from charitable organizations. (The average salary for Home Health Care workers ranges $19K – $35k. Thanks again, Horsefly Analytics.) And if you were to supplement that salary with excellent health insurance benefits, you would retain workers longer. Why? According to the latest data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, approximately 181 million Americans receive health insurance benefits through their employer, which represents the majority of the country’s population that has health insurance coverage. This makes employer-sponsored health insurance the largest source of healthcare coverage in the United States. As the recession continues however, paying people with medical, dental, and vision insurance benefits may be enough to spark a deluge of applicants.
Now you may be thinking, “Jim, that’s all well and good, but I need to recruit talent now.” I understand and would like to offer a strategy, something of a quick fix. Let me share with you a conversation I had recently with ChatGPT. My initial query was “What skills are needed to be a good home healthcare worker?” In its explanation, it said someone who was patient, had integrity, strong interpersonal skills, gives attention to detail and tends to volunteer for social work. I followed up with a series of prompts.
- Think like a recruiter. I want to find candidates that are typically patient, have integrity, strong interpersonal skills, attention to detail and tend to volunteer for social work. What job titles would they probably have? Give me a list of 10
- The person I am looking for will be taking care of senior citizens. Consider that and produce a new list of 20 job titles.
- What is the typical meyers briggs personality type of a social worker?
- Of those options, which type is likely the strongest match for someone who would care for senior citizens.
- Give me 5 job titles associated with each of those personality types. Restrict the choices to people whose careers pay, on average, in the range of $19k – $35K.
- Of all the jobs listed, which 5 tend to have high emotional intelligence?
The 5 jobs with the high emotional intelligence were…
- Mental Health Counselor (INFJ)
- Social Services Assistant (INFJ)
- Certified Nursing Assistant (ISFJ)
- (Entry-Level) Paralegals (INFJ)
- Personal Care Aide (ESFJ)
If you take the salary range up to $30K – $45K, you get this…
- Social Worker Assistant (INFJ)
- Youth Counselor (INFJ)
- Rehabilitation Aide (INFJ)
- Medical Assistant (ISFJ)
- Certified Nursing Assistant (ISFJ)
With my line of questioning, I was trying to find passive candidates who had the basic competencies of a home health care workers. In other words, I was expanding the talent pool for my search. Hmm… Maybe I can talk them into the role? And if so, training them would likely not be a long process (presumably) as they had the basic skills needed; key among them, high emotional intelligence. Make sense?
Ultimately, the shortage of home healthcare workers is a crisis that cannot be ignored. It is essential that we take action to address this issue and ensure that elderly and disabled individuals receive the care and support they need to live independent and fulfilling lives. Whether through innovative programs like the one in Colorado or broader policy changes, we must prioritize the needs of our most vulnerable citizens and work to build a more sustainable and equitable home healthcare system. Just my two cents. What do you think? Please do let me know.
Ghost Jobs
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Until next time, see you in the funny papers.
Jim Stroud
