Employers

Use pre-screening to reach caregivers faster

While other agencies wait for caregivers to finish applying before reaching out, get a head start by using pre-screening questions and reach out first

How to grow your business

If you're here, it means that you're serious about building better jobs and growing your business.

A great homecare agency is built on a great caregiver experience. And that starts well before new caregivers even work for you.

“To grow your agency, show prospective caregivers the respect they deserve: provide a quick, effective, and fair caregiver application process.”

One way is to make sure the caregivers on your staff are appreciated, happy, and engaged. Another is to ensure you have enough caregivers coming in to serve your growing client base. Build a better team of caregivers by creating a strong first impression on every caregiver who is interested in your agency.

A typical recruiting process requires a complete application—resume, professional references, and personal information—all before a recruiter contacts the applicant.

We recommend something different. Start with a quick form (usually 7 questions or fewer) on your website to assess whether someone is a high-potential candidate or not. In industry-speak, this is "pre-screening" an application.

What your application process can look like

  1. Candidate arrives at your company's careers page
  2. Before starting the application, they fill out the "pre-screening" survey
  3. They're prompted to advance to the application
  4. Recruiter reaches out to high-potential candidates
  5. Recruiter answers questions and walks the candidate through the rest of the application and schedules the live interview during the phone call or text conversation

Why does this matter?

Caregivers typically apply to as many as 5-6 agencies at any given time. Time to complete the recruiting process is one of the top factors when they decide to work with an agency. And a slow recruiting process is an immediate red flag.

The caregivers we work with tell us a consistent story:

“The agencies that pay attention to me when I'm applying are the ones who'll listen to me when I'm working.”

“The agencies that pay attention to me when I’m applying are the ones who’ll listen to me when I’m working.”

Regulations vary state-by-state and we are not advocating for incomplete HR files. But by setting up a process where your recruiters can get in front of high-potential candidates before they even begin other agencies' applications, you’ll put your team at a distinct recruiting advantage.

Typical questions to ask

Each business has different priorities, and nobody knows better than your recruiters when it comes to high-potential candidates. When helping our customers set up their pre-screening processes, the only required questions we ask are:

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  1. Name
  2. Email
  3. Phone number (+ text message, Y/N)
  4. Desired hours per week


That leaves 3 questions to assess whether someone may potentially be a good fit for your agency.  Experiment! Traits that work for one agency may not necessarily work for another.

Some questions we’ve seen successful agencies use include:

  • Why did you enter caregiving?
  • What do you least enjoy about caregiving?
  • When are you happiest?

Your recruiters know your local market and where your agency fits in the ecosystem. Empower them to make the best hires by setting up a process where they can get to applicants before the competition does.

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Closing the deal

Once your recruiter is in touch with the applicant, begin to tell the applicant about upcoming clients that may be a good fit for them. Of course, don't disclose any Personally Identifiable Information (PII), but give the applicant a sense of the clients they can expect if they join your agency.

This is a great way to establish trust with future caregivers. (Another way is by posting realistic job descriptions!)  Help them visualize what working at your agency can be like.

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Every other agency is simply a website and online application. Your agency is a human being (your recruiter) and a potential job that's already specially picked for them.

This initial touchpoint can also help troubleshoot any potential issues with the applicant’s paperwork (e.g., an out-of-date PPD, etc.), another opportunity for your agency to show why you're head and shoulders above the competition.

Accelerating the flywheel

The caregiver experience begins when they first hear about your agency.  Agencies with reputations for quick and pleasant applications processes have an advantage over agencies that don't.

Use the flywheel effect to your advantage. Invest in the changes that generate the biggest impact.

By setting up a pre-screening form and reaching out to applicants quicker, you start the relationship with your caregiver on the right foot, increasing your chances of getting more word-of-mouth referrals.

By making these little changes every day, your agency will operate on a higher level, with happier employees caring for happier clients.


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