You Can’t Grow if You Can’t Staff: Marketing to Today’s Caregivers

It doesn’t matter how good your marketing is — if you can’t staff the care, you can’t grow the business.

Whether you run a home care agency, senior living facility, or hospice organization, the staffing crisis is no longer a back-office issue. It’s a front-line growth blocker. And yet, most marketing teams still focus more on client acquisition than caregiver attraction.

It’s time to shift that.

Why Caregiver Recruitment Is Marketing

• Job seekers are consumers.
• Your employer brand is a funnel.
• Every open shift is a missed revenue opportunity.

According to Home Care Pulse, 57% of agencies cite caregiver shortages as their #1 threat to growth.

Marketing isn’t just about bringing in leads. It’s about ensuring your operations can fulfill them.

What Today’s Caregivers Want

Before we talk about campaigns, let’s talk about mindset. Today’s caregivers are:

• Time-strapped and tech-native
• Skeptical of “flexible hours” that aren’t truly flexible
• Looking for purpose, stability, and respect

They’re comparing you not just to other agencies, but to Amazon, retail, and fast food jobs that offer predictable hours and faster hiring.

Where Most Agencies Get It Wrong

1. Bland, Generic Job Ads

"Now hiring caregivers" doesn’t cut it. These ads blend into every job board and Facebook group.

Fix it: Write ads that speak directly to their pain points: childcare juggling, burnout, or wanting to make a real difference.

2. A Website That Sells to Clients, Not Applicants

Most agency sites are designed for families. There’s no real content or path for applicants.

Fix it: Add a "Work With Us" page with videos, testimonials, FAQs, and a simple application process.

3. One-and-Done Job Posts

If you only post when desperate, you’ll always be behind.

Fix it: Treat recruitment like lead generation. Run evergreen ads. Retarget past applicants. Automate re-engagement.

5 Strategies That Work in 2025

1. SMS-Based Applications

Let caregivers apply in under 60 seconds via mobile.

2. Culture-Forward Ads

Show your team culture in real photos and social posts. People want to see the environment they’re stepping into.

3. Hiring Events with On-the-Spot Offers

Speed matters. Host pop-up hiring days where caregivers can interview and walk away with a job offer.

4. Referral Incentive Campaigns

Your best hires often come from your current team. Promote structured referral rewards — and actually pay them.

5. Retention Storytelling

Use blog posts, emails, and social media to spotlight your longest-serving caregivers. Show why people stay.

RaisedCare’s Take

Growth and staffing are two sides of the same coin. At RaisedCare, we help senior care businesses design marketing strategies that support both sides of the business — census and caregivers.

Because until you can staff consistently, you can’t grow sustainably.

Sources

• Home Care Pulse. "2023 Benchmarking Report."
• PHI. "State of the Direct Care Workforce."
• Indeed. "Top Trends in Healthcare Recruiting."