Your caregiver job descriptions can have a significant impact in helping your healthcare organization attract and hire qualified talent. The goal of any job description should be to get prospective job applicants excited about the possibility of working for your team.
Given a spike in unemployment as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, millions of job seekers are now looking for their next opportunities. With effective caregiver job descriptions, you can reach top talent from both inside and outside the healthcare space.
To help your team write effective caregiver job descriptions, we’ve outlined some best practices for you to follow below. Reference this guide as a blueprint as you craft job descriptions for your caregiver roles or any other job openings at your organization.
Job Title
When writing your caregiver job descriptions, use shorter job titles with one to three words – such as simply “Caregiver” – as concise titles have the highest apply rates. Also avoid using language that references sign-on or relocation bonuses, as this may cause your caregiver job descriptions to be flagged as spam by search engines or job boards.
Company Overview
You should lead any job description with information about your healthcare organization and its core purpose. Explain why it’s a great place to work and for employees to grow their careers. Also, now more than ever given the uncertainties surrounding COVID-19, make sure to address your commitment to employee and patient safety either in your company overview or elsewhere in the job descriptions.
Here are some ideas for additional content to include in the company overview section of your caregiver job descriptions:
- Company history – When was your company founded, and what makes it unique?
- Company location – Where is your organization based and what does the travel schedule look like for caregivers visiting patients’ homes?
- Culture – What is it like to work for your team? How many employees? Are you family-oriented? Patient-focused?
- Awards – Have you been recognized as a top employer either by your industry or the local community?
- Community involvement – What kinds of charitable work does the company foster?
- Career growth – What types of career paths do you support?
Here’s an example of the company overview we share with Hireology candidates in our job descriptions and on our career site:
Hireology was founded on one simple (but powerful) idea: Hiring the right person matters.
In the past ten years, we’ve grown from a startup to a market-leading organization with 200+ team members and an award-winning culture that makes Hireology a truly amazing place to work.
Do you have the drive and determination to join one of the fastest growing companies to help redefine recruitment marketing software?
Benefits
Beyond exciting top talent through the company overview section of your caregiver job descriptions, it’s also important to answer the “What’s in it for me?” question for candidates with a comprehensive list of benefits. Your organization’s benefits might include:
- Insurance (medical, dental, vision, life insurance)
- Mileage and travel time reimbursements
- Discounts (on uniforms or other required supplies)
- Discounts on community events
- Volunteer opportunities
- Business partnerships (including gym membership discounts and wireless discounts
- Professional development you offer (paid training or other certifications for employees)
- Career paths and growth opportunities
- Vacation time
Responsibilities
Clearly define the role and its responsibilities in each of your caregiver job descriptions, as this section can further excite qualified talent, while weeding out some prospective applicants who aren’t a fit. As you’re writing, break out responsibilities into concise bullets. Successful job descriptions use bulleted lists for about one-third of their content.
See below for a sample list of caregiver responsibilities you can leverage for your job descriptions:
- Administer prescribed medication
- Help with ambulation and mobility around the house or outside (doctor’s appointments, walks etc.)
- Assist with personal care and hygiene
- Help with completion physical therapy and other recommended exercise
- Complete shopping or accompany community members when they shop if needed
- Perform light housekeeping duties that community members can’t complete on their own, including preparing meals
- Collect information about conditions and treatment plans from caregivers, nurses, doctors and family members
- Report any unusual incidents to nurses, doctors and family members
- Act quickly and responsibly in cases of emergency
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched areas, including changing bed sheets
Requirements
While some caregiver roles require certain certifications, you should also focus on preferred competencies, rather than simply direct required experience. Due to the increase in job seekers on the market, now is your opportunity to engage talent from outside the healthcare space, and with the right training, outside talent can end up being your next great caregivers.
Below, we’ve outlined some sample requirements for you to consider:
- Previous caregiver experience preferred but not required
- Current CPR (American Heart Association) Certification
- Willingness to adhere to health and safety standards, including those outlined by the CDC in relation to COVID-19
- Knowledge of housekeeping activities and cooking with attention to dietary constraints
- Must be respectful and compassionate with a good bedside manner
- Outstanding communication, time management and interpersonal skills
- Physical endurance to complete required tasks
- Access to reliable transportation
- High school diploma or equivalent
Equal Opportunity Statement
Before concluding your caregiver job descriptions, make sure to add an Equal Opportunity Employment Statement. Here’s an example: “We’re an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status.”
Simply including this statement at the bottom of your caregiver job descriptions and on your career site can help improve your search results and reach more qualified candidates as a result.
Additional Best Practices for Your Caregiver Job Descriptions
As you’re building out the content for each section of your caregiver job descriptions outlined above, keep the following job description best practices in mind:
- Keep your job descriptions short and concise – between 400 and 800 words is ideal.
- Add location, hours and salary information to the body of the job description instead of job title.
- In your company overview and throughout your job descriptions, include “you” statements, so prospective applicants can picture themselves as members of your team. For example, “As a member of our team, you will…”
- Make sure the language in your job descriptions is inclusive. For example, avoid using pronouns such as “he” or “she” so you don’t unintentionally overlook a big portion of your potential labor pool.
Job descriptions are a key piece to any effective hiring strategy. With the right caregiver job descriptions, you can attract and engage top talent, speed up your overall time to hire and get the right employees in place quickly to support top-notch patient care. For additional tips on writing effective job descriptions across roles at your healthcare organization, read our resource, “Top Job Descriptions in Healthcare.”
