On Friday March 17^th, WisCaregiver Careers, a workforce training development program designed to address the CNA shortage in Wisconsin nursing homes, hosted guest speakers from partner employers with the highest levels of CNA trainees across the state to share their challenges and successes in the webinar: Keys to Employer Success: Strategies, Tips, and tricks from WisCaregiver Careers’ Most Successful Employers! Participants learned from our presenters as they shared valuable first-hand insights on:

• CNA recruitment strategies,
• Marketing of WisCaregiver Careers
• Implementation of a CNA training program,
• Navigating establishment of CNA training partnerships,
• CNA retention, mentorship tips, resources, and more!

A big THANK YOU to Mark Cochrane from Brewster Village, Shawn Oestreich and Alison Prochaska from Rennes Group, and Ashley Gudis from Dove Healthcare for sharing your time and wisdom with us! We included some helpful highlights below:

1. Take it Slow: Take the time to understand the program and your recruitment process. Work with WisCaregiver staff. They are there to help and support you. Once you start, you can build on recruitment from referrals.
2. Consider Alternatives to In-House Training Programs: Local technical colleges or third-party providers can make great partnerships. Check out the list of DHS-approved training providers here. Additionally, new students might have barriers such as lack of reliable transportation, so an online-based training program like Ready CNA would let students take the course online and at-home. This can also help interested candidates that need to work a different job while training too.
3. Partner in Your Community: Partner with your local high schools, and local CESAs.
4. Be Honest and Flexible with Applicants: Being a CNA is a job that comes with fulfilling rewards, but it is also a HARD job. Many applicants are going to be brand new to healthcare, so you will want to make sure they know what the job fully entails. Let the market dictate scheduling for applicants and work with candidates to find schedules that can work.
5. Prepare Current Staff for the Arrival of New Staff and Students: Employees tend to stay longer when they feel comfortable and accepted at work, so make sure to create a welcoming environment that a new student or CNA will be excited to meet right on their first day.
6. Invest in Your Trainees: The Risk is Worth the Reward: Once you hire a new trainee, invest in them financially and with your time. Have constant check-ins with the trainees about their readiness for the exam or pay them an hourly wage for the training. This will show you care about their success and want them to stay with you!

If you were not able to make it to the webinar or want to hear more of what these fantastic presenters shared, you can find a recording of the webinar on our employer website here!

Questions and/or need assistance? Please email us at info@wiscaregivercna.com or call us at 1-833-315-CARE (2273).