You may have seen media coverage in recent days saying that the over-50s are struggling to find work in sectors such as business and hospitality.
Ageism like this is sad and worrying, especially at a time when the country is so short of skilled workers.
This is a great opportunity for our sector to say loudly and proudly that the qualities that come with age and experience are highly prized within social care. If the over-50s are being dismissed and ignored by recruiters in general, we should actively target them.
To stand the best chance of reaching people in the mid-season of life, you’ll need to include social media in the mix. The best catch-all platform for this age group is Facebook. Facebook is the largest social media platform in the world and the over-50s make up a big chunk of this vast user base.
Facebook’s broad demographic includes people your service could potentially support, as well as their loved ones. Add to that the fact that many of your existing team members are already using it, and you have a great platform for recruiting within the care sector.
The over-50s in particular see it as a place to get useful information, view content, comment and share things, so if they see a job vacancy that looks interesting, they’ll share it with their friends or family. Some posts can reach very large numbers this way. In sum, if you’re going to use one platform to target this specific age group, Facebook could bring you some excellent results.
Top tips for using Facebook to recruit care staff
- The ‘about us’ section is your chance to describe and sell your company as a potential employer.
- Encourage people to contact you directly by using the ‘get message’ options.
- Grab your audience’s attention in the first couple of lines of every post.
- Engagement is key with Facebook – you’ll need to dedicate some time to interacting on the platform, responding to comments, and encouraging conversation.