You can watch the Staffing Summit on which the following story is based here.
As the home care industry continues to struggle with recruitment and retention, providers are rising to the challenge of developing creative mitigation strategies.
One of the most important solutions is the use of artificial intelligence (AI).
“One of the biggest changes we’ve made in the last few years is moving into AI, and I’ve been really into figuring out how we can apply AI to all aspects of our current work. Aaron Sinykin, founder and CEO of Devoted Guardians, said last week during the Home Health Care News virtual workforce summit. “In recent years we have started to make inroads into this sector, along with the robotic process automation capabilities there.”
The Phoenix-based home care company implemented an AI employee recruiting system that, for example, allowed the company to connect with potential applicants 24/7.
“The moment someone contacts us on one of these platforms, we have an AI system that goes back – answers every question and really gets them to set up interviews – to address the ghosting issues that “We have to really contain it.” “I’ve seen everyone in the last few years,” said Sinykin.
Sinykin has found that the 24/7 aspect of Devoted Guardians’ AI employee recruiting system is crucial as more applicants apply at night and on weekends.
“Before, if they applied for a job at night or on weekends, they would wait for a response on Monday morning,” he said. “It was more of an expectation: ‘I know, I’ll apply after hours.’ I know most people aren’t working, and I’m waiting for a typical answer.” I think that’s really changed during COVID. We realized that people just weren’t as patient anymore. They wanted an outcome when they wanted it, and I think that’s just a general reflection of where everything is now. We need to be able to meet everyone’s general needs and wants.”
In addition to Devoted Guardians’ use of AI tools, the company has also implemented an employee reward system.
The system works by pulling data points from the company’s EMR software. These data points included things like hours worked points, perfect EVV usage, and meaningful customer health change reporting.
These data points are assigned a star rating. The star rating then corresponds to a financial package on the company’s rewards page.
“The feedback that came in really opened my eyes – they were really hungry for it,” Sinykin said. “When they saw it, they were really excited and motivated.”
Since launching the rewards program, Devoted Guardians has seen its customer retention rate increase from 40 to 70. Sinykin noted that the cost of sales was between $2,000 and $3,000, so the program is also a cost-cutting measure for the company.
Ultimately, he believes home care providers work in a slightly more positive home care work environment.
“On the nursing side, we’re having a lot more success,” Sinykin said. “I would say our lowest point was in 2022 when it was really difficult to find someone who was really willing to work. We hire around 40 carers every month, so we are actually starting to see positive changes here.”
However, Devoted Guardians is not seeing the same improvement in the job market in the home health care sector.
“We have a very difficult time finding clinical staff, so I think we see a pretty big difference between the two different sectors,” Sinykin said. “I think a lot of nurses got a little burnt out from COVID and took a short break, and we’re seeing some of them come back into the market. We have seen many clinical staff simply leave the entire industry. It has left a huge gap in the overall market, [in the ability] to hire clinical staff.”