Turnover is at a staggering 79%, with 72% of staff experiencing burnout monthly. Based on insights from home-based care experts, here are five actionable strategies to strengthen employee engagement, loyalty, and retention.
1) Prioritize pay and payroll accuracy
Why it matters: pay remains the number one motivator for care staff, with 75% citing higher pay as their top priority. But frequent payroll errors (reported by 81% of admins) break trust and cause dissatisfaction.
Action steps:
- Ensure pay accuracy by leveraging healthcare-specific payroll technology that can handle complexities like shift differentials and overtime.
- Maintain transparency by giving staff clear visibility into their pay calculations.
- Advocate for higher reimbursement rates at state and federal levels to enable competitive wages.
2) Foster trust and emotional connection
Why it matters: turnover often stems from transactional relationships. Care staff thrive on empathy and recognition.
Action steps:
- Regularly acknowledge and appreciate staff efforts, both privately and publicly.
- Encourage open communication between administrators and staff to create stronger alignment and trust.
- Fix systems or processes that erode trust, such as inconsistent scheduling or communication lapses.
3) Provide career growth and professional development
Why it matters: 21% of care staff identify professional development as a key motivator, and agencies that offer clear career paths improve retention.
Action steps:
- Implement small but meaningful career path programs (e.g., caregiver → team lead → scheduler roles).
- Offer training, certifications, and mentorship opportunities that connect professional development with higher pay.
4) Enhance scheduling flexibility and workload balance
Why it matters: many care staff experience burnout due to heavy workloads, with 72% feeling burned out monthly.
Action steps:
- Offer more flexible scheduling options to help staff manage personal responsibilities.
- Use workforce management technology to balance caseloads and prevent overburdening specific employees.
- Actively seek staff input on scheduling to give them greater autonomy.
5) Optimize technology and reduce administrative burdens
Why it matters: tech fragmentation and manual processes cause inefficiencies and errors that frustrate care staff.
Action steps:
- Audit your current tech stack and eliminate redundant or outdated systems.
- Implement integrated solutions for payroll, compliance, and scheduling to streamline operations.
- Leverage automation to reduce paperwork and free staff to focus on patient care.
Ready to reduce turnover in your home-based care agency?
Discover how Viventium’s payroll, HR, and compliance solutions are purpose-built for healthcare and proven to help agencies improve retention and engagement. Schedule a demo today to see how we can help you support your care staff and grow your business.
This information is for educational purposes only, and not to provide specific legal advice. This may not reflect the most recent developments in the law and may not be applicable to a particular situation or jurisdiction.