It Starts with Recruiting
The Cambridge Caregivers Difference
When people ask Chief Operating Officer Ernie Cote what makes Cambridge Caregivers different, he’s quick to answer: “It’s how we treat our people. It starts with recruiting and continues with every touchpoint—in the ways we hire, train, and manage our Caregivers.”
Cambridge Caregivers is a concierge caregiving agency, offering a higher level of service than many competitors. Concierge in-home caregiving agencies implement quality assurance processes to ensure every client receives reliable, high-quality care. This commitment, Cote says, is reflected in every interaction with the caregiving team at Cambridge Caregivers.
“We are a people business,” Cote said. “We thrive when we hire the best, most caring, and competent Caregivers possible. We’ve put measures in place to ensure we do that consistently.”
The Concierge Difference
Some in-home care agencies act as matching services, maintaining a roster of contractors scheduled for shifts as clients request care. At the other end of the spectrum are premium caregiving agencies like Cambridge Caregivers, which employ ongoing quality assurance measures starting well before a Caregiver visits a client’s home.
“We take steps to ensure that every Caregiver is reliable, professional, and appropriately skilled,” Cote said. “Bringing a Caregiver into one’s home requires a significant level of trust. We do everything possible to earn that trust.”
This trust is built through rigorous processes for vetting, hiring, training, managing, and scheduling Caregivers.
Vetting and Hiring
State laws dictate the basic checks in-home care agencies must conduct before hiring a Caregiver. For example, Texas requires checks with the Department of Public Safety (DPS), the Employee Misconduct Registry (EMR), and the Nurses’ Aide Registry (NAR), which flag individuals with histories of abuse, neglect, or misconduct.
As a concierge level caregiving agency, Cambridge Caregivers conducts additional checks, including a national criminal history search, Social Security number trace, and screenings via the Global Watchlist and Sex Offender Registry.
“And we don’t just ask for references—we check them carefully every time,” Cote said.
These extra steps can be crucial. For example, a recent candidate cleared the required Texas background checks but failed a national check, which revealed a conviction for larceny in Oklahoma. Without the additional screening, this individual could have been hired.
“Most professional Caregivers are genuinely caring people,” Cote said. “But we use every available means to get to know our staff personally.”
Interviewing and Training
Every prospective Caregiver undergoes an in-person interview with both a Recruiter and a Scheduler. During this process, candidates’ skills are tested. For example, those claiming experience in client transfers must demonstrate their abilities in Cambridge’s training room.
Once hired, every Caregiver completes a mandatory half-day training session, which serves as both skill reinforcement and an opportunity to observe Caregivers in action.
Careful Onboarding
The first time a Caregiver visits a client’s home, he or she is accompanied by a Marketer—a liaison who knows the client and their family. The Marketer walks the Caregiver through the home and reviews the client’s routine and care needs, ensuring the Caregiver is set up for success.
Employees, Not Contractors
Cambridge Caregivers hires W-2 employees, not contractors. This employment model provides Caregivers with benefits such as health insurance, retention bonuses and ongoing training.
“Our Caregivers have access to the same health insurance, 401K match and paid time off (PTO) that I do as an executive,” Cote said. “We know that taking care of our employees enables them to care for our clients.”
Consistency of Care
No client wants a revolving door of new Caregivers. Yet consistency is a challenge in an industry with high turnover. The 2023 Home Care Pulse Benchmarking Report shows a median caregiver turnover rate of 77% in 2022.
Cambridge Caregivers’ turnover rate is less than half that. The agency’s retention strategies include twice-yearly bonuses to encourage full-time work and long-term commitment. Additionally, much of the company’s recruiting happens through word-of-mouth.
“Our Caregivers recommend us to friends and family because they’ve had good experiences,” Cote said. “When we retain our Caregivers year after year, we’re better positioned to provide consistent care.”
For unavoidable transitions, Cambridge Caregivers schedules “shadow” shifts. For example, if a long-time Caregiver, Martha, is going on vacation, her replacement, Sally, might work a shift alongside Martha to learn the routine at the client’s home. The cost of this extra training is covered by the agency.
A Caring Relationship
At the heart of Cambridge Caregivers’ business is a culture of respect. Everyone—from the CEO to the newest Caregiver—is valued and supported.
“We take good care of our Caregivers so they can take good care of our clients,” Cote said. “That’s how we ensure premium care every time.”