WR Health during Covid-19: A message from the Founder
At WR, we believe that communication is critical during the current crisis, and keeping people in the loop and engaging with audiences is critical. Therefore, we are doing our utmost to ensure that we offer as much help as we can to candidates and clients throughout the pandemic. Here’s what Lewis Richards, our owner and founder, had to say to health workers and employers this week:
First and foremost, I hope you’re all safe and well. I wanted to write to the WR network with an update from our team during these testing times. At WR Health, we are doing our bit during the Covid-19 pandemic and continuing to give clients the help they need.
The team is working remotely and are just as capable as ever of identifying and engaging with the very best talent. Just like every other business, the current world we are working in has provided us with challenges and our applicants are quite rightly asking us new questions. As an employer, there are a number of considerations you should factor in to your hiring processes during these unprecedented times to ensure they remain both efficient and effective.
WR Health: Some things to consider for hiring during COVID-19
1)Interviews:
Many of our clients are conducting interviews using technology that they may have become very accustomed to over the past few weeks, such as Houseparty and Zoom. Facebook or WhatsApp video calls work equally as well. When setting up a video interview, it’s advisable to test the platform you’re using prior to an external call. Try testing the software with a colleague or family member beforehand to make sure you’re comfortable with the platform and can answer any technical queries the candidate might ask. It’s also important to consider things such as background, lighting, and how the colours you are wearing come across through video apps. Here are some further tips on how employers can best conduct video interviews.
2)Keeping candidate experience front of mind:
Candidate experience has always been a priority and it’s arguably more important now than ever before. Individual’s need to feel at ease during a video interview, especially if they’re not used to this particular format of engagement. Making every step as simple and user-friendly as possible will have a huge impact on the experience of the user, so consider how they will interact with any new processes you’re implementing. For instance, don’t assume candidates have experience with the platform or software you’re using. Send instructions ahead of the call and let them know what to do if they struggling getting on, and if they express a preference for a particular platform or time of day to suit their home life, be as accommodating as you can. Communication is key when developing new relationships with candidates, so ensure you have an open two-way dialogue where individuals can receive timely responses to queries.
3)Staff & resident protection:
Safeguarding staff is an issue that has been highlighted in the press over the past few weeks, and will obviously be a concern for any new hires as COVID-19 continues to dominate the news. If you’re hiring, it’s crucial that you widely and clearly communicate the actions your organisation has taken to protect staff and residents. Try to be as active as you can on social media and other communication channels to firmly get across the fact that you are taking every precaution against Coronavirus.
4)Cultural fit still remains a priority:
Of course, ensuring there are enough people on the front line is critical, but there’s still a need to give applicants an insight into the working environment that they will be entering. Remember that candidates are facing the prospect of making career decisions without being able to physically visit the location of their intended work. So, if you’re hiring for a permanent position, consider how you can demonstrate the culture of the care home. Why not complete a short two-minute video to show potential new hires around the work location, introduce them to the team, and give them a chance to see your personality?
We hope the above tips will help employers continue the great work they are doing during the current pandemic, and ensure that the recruitment process can provide a steady pipeline of talent to help in the fight against Covid-19.
Thank you
Finally, I want to say a massive well done and thank you from WR Health to everyone working in the care sector for the amazing work you are doing taking care of the vulnerable and elderly in what is no doubt the most challenging time in everyone’s career.
My grandmother spent her last nine years in a nursing home and I know first-hand just how much of an impact the staff and community within the home can have. The fact she was so well-cared for made things far easier for our family, extended our time with her and gave us many wonderful memories.
Recognising the impact
At WR Health, efforts will continue to go into not only helping care services with their recruitment needs but also to highlight the incredible work that nurses and care staff are providing during Covid-19. Therefore, we will continue to share our insights and views on what an amazing impact a career in health and social care can have in a community.
If you haven’t seen last week’s blog, where we looked at all the great freebies and offers available to nurses and care workers during the lockdown and gave our own view on how we think they should be recognised – feel free to check it out here.
We are looking to showcase any individual efforts of care staff and providers on our social media platforms and other outlets to help praise those that are going above and beyond in their roles. Already we have heard of carers moving into nursing homes, leaving their families at home, so they can continue to provide much needed time with the residents. If you have any staff that you want to give thanks to, please don’t hesitate to share them with us, – we would love to include them in our weekly good news bulletin.
As always, our Health team is still working and providing the same high level of service as ever. All of our consultants can be reached via their landlines, email, and social media profiles, so if you’re looking to support the UK demand for nursing and care staff, why not reach out to them today?