8 Reasons Why A Happy Office Staff Is Critical to Your Home Care Company’s Growth
With all of the talk about the infamous “caregiver shortage,” it’s easy for home care business owners to lose focus on their office staff. But even though these team members don’t get as much media attention, they’re incredibly important to an agency’s success. There’s simply no way for a home care company to remain successful without positive and productive office workers!
Here are 8 great reasons why home care leaders should work hard to keep their office staff happy:
1. Office Staff is the “First Impression”
Let’s face it… home care is a very unique service when compared to other healthcare offerings. The main reason is quite obvious to industry professionals. Simply put, the high out-of-pocket costs mean clients demand top-notch service.
There’s no room for rude office staff in a home care agency. And unhappy workers will not present as “nice” or “personable.” Agencies receive calls from prospective clients and referral sources every day, so every interaction matters!
2. Internal Employees Set the Company “Tone”
While office staff often provides prospective clients with a “first impression,” caregivers are the ongoing “face” of a home care agency. These workers are in client homes every day, and it’s critical that they stay happy and positive.
Since caregivers report to office staff and managers, they’re likely to mirror the “tone” of the office. Therefore agencies with toxic work cultures usually suffer from negative caregivers.
3. Referral Calls Demand Energy and Positive Thinking
As discussed, office workers often provide prospective clients and referral sources with a “first impression.” But more specifically, they also field highly-critical “referral calls.” These are home care service inquires that usually come unannounced.
Anyone who answers the phone may find herself engaged in an impromptu sales activity. These calls demand positive energy and genuine empathy for the caller and potential client. An unhappy office worker simply won’t be able to “fake it” and will likely lose the sale.
4. Home Care is a Tough Business!
Let’s face it…working in home care isn’t easy. Office employees have a tough enough job as it is and must tackle caregiver and client issues on a daily basis. The least an agency owner can do is work to ensure a happy work culture.
Some events can’t be controlled, but leaders have many tools available to encourage their teams. While all businesspeople must balance expenses with revenues, certain investments are well worth their costs. That $500 staffing software solution or telephone system may be worth a second look if it dramatically improves an office manager’s job satisfaction!
5. Caregivers Say “Yes” When they Like the Office Team
One of the toughest jobs in home care is serving as a “staffer.” These folks often work long hours and often make hundreds of calls every day while working to fill urgent shifts. Caregivers who say, “Yes,” to assignments make their jobs much easier!
Simply put, the whole enterprise becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. Happy staffers and office workers create happy caregivers who are more likely to accept shifts. In turn, staffers are less stressed and happier. It’s a cyclical response that can snowball in either direction, for better or worse.
6. Competitors constantly try to “Poach” Great Workers
It’s no secret that the job market is very hot right now. But healthcare workers—including home care office employees—are even in more demand. Agency owners must always remember their competitors are constantly trying to woo their team members.
Data suggests that happy workers are less likely to leave for “greener pastures.” While home care companies are hyper-focused on caregiver recruitment and retention, the costs of office worker turnover are also very high. Plus, agencies risk a loss of trade secrets and intellectual property with every resignation!
7. Nobody Wants to Work in a Negative Environment
Retention and recruitment are two sides of the same staffing coin. As discussed, unhappy employees are more likely to quit their jobs. But prospective candidates are also less likely to accept jobs with unhappy teams.
Home care agencies require a steady stream of great employees, both internal and external. Even companies with the best marketing and sales teams in the world will fail if they can’t maintain a stable workforce.
8. Worker Culture Rumors Spread in the Community and Online
Today’s connected world means employers can no longer keep negative work culture under wrap. While toxic office environments have always been harmful to business, they’re even more detrimental in the days of Glassdoor and social media.
If an agency is staffed by unhappy workers, the larger community will find out. Obviously, rumors spread at a hypersonic speed online, but they’re also transmitted the old fashioned way across hospitals and nursing facilities. Basically, an employer’s bad reputation can harm both recruitment efforts and referral streams.
Conclusion
In all fairness, the truth is most home care agency owners are incredibly busy people. They must manage large teams of office workers and caregivers while also focusing on operations, business development and larger industry trends. But it’s important that leaders not overlook the needs and concerns of office workers. Ultimately, their job satisfaction is critical to business success!
If you’re a company owner seeking home care-specific marketing expertise, be sure to talk to the industry’s leading marketing agency today!
