Staff recruitment
Emerging stronger: recruitment during Covid
Glenn Milton, head of talent acquisition at Sunrise Senior Living UK and Gracewell Healthcare, explores the experience of the care provider’s recruitment team during Covid and the lessons it is taking forward
There is a universal consensus that those who work and dedicate their careers to care for others are the lifeblood of the care home sector. That extends beyond those who provide direct care to residents, and out into the entire tapestry of team members that make care homes what they are. From chefs to housekeeping teams,
the role of each and every care home team member is vital to ensuring residents are able to live safe and comfortable lives. Yet the Covid-19 pandemic created an environment that put immense strain on existing team members, necessitating a response by care home recruitment teams to alleviate these challenges and protect the wellbeing of residents.
A challenge like no other For those of us who work in care home recruitment, we are reminded of the value of each team member at our care homes on a daily basis. Every vacancy we fill has to be taken by compassionate, caring and
dedicated individuals. Yet being up against strong competition while always operating in a labour market where there exists substantial vacancies is an acute challenge, even under normal circumstances. The pandemic set this test alight, with added responsibilities requiring additional hands to fill the gaps. Absences created by the pandemic compounded this situation, with many exceptional team members having to stay away from work to self-isolate for the protection of themselves or others. Responding to this new normal in recruitment, our team adapted many of our recruitment practices and launched new initiatives to keep a steady flow of
Perhaps buoyed on by the new-found appreciation for key workers, many candidates who would have previously not considered a role in care homes understood that they could embark on a new and rewarding journey with us
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talented team members into our care homes as and when required.
Expanding job seeker horizons Although some have been fortunate enough to have avoided a direct encounter with Covid-19, this cruel virus still affected every single person and industry in the country. By single- handedly creating one of the worst economic downturns on record, many millions of people lost their jobs or faced extended periods of furlough with no guarantee of work in the long run. In the care home sector, our story
was different – we urgently required additional team members to contribute to our efforts in protecting some of those most vulnerable to the virus. Recognising this asymmetry, we engaged with those businesses in sectors who had been particularly damaged by the pandemic, notably retail, hospitality and leisure to raise awareness of our vacancies with their teams. At Sunrise and Gracewell, we believe
that while the core characteristics of compassion, dedication and professionalism cannot be taught, many of our roles only require on-the-job
www.thecarehomeenvironment.com • August 2021
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