Attract & Retain More Direct Support Professionals.
Save time and money by attracting better DSP applicants without increasing hourly wages.
How many times have you thought...
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We're competing with places like McDonald's. They pay as much (or more) and have far less responsibility.
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I'm wasting a lot of time and money training new DSPs that quit in 6 months or less.
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Our overtime costs are at an all-time high.
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Our good DSPs are burning out from having to cover extra shifts.
Are you tired of posting your job openings online and getting few responses?
Being a Direct Support Professional is for people who want to impact people's lives.
But it's not for everyone and it's not easy.
So how often have you wondered...
How do we get off this hamster wheel of finding, hiring, and then losing staff?
Early in 2017, Resident Home Association of Greater Dayton found us in their search for marketing help. During our conversations, we learned about the challenge to find and retain Direct Support Professionals.
Working with them has been one of the most meaningful experiences in our careers. We knew we wanted to do more to help. So we reached out to a wide variety of DD organizations to learn about how they're facing these challenges.
During these conversations we heard "we're competing with McDonalds" and "we're losing thousands of dollars training new people who leave in less than six months" over and over.
Numerous people have been kind enough to share their insight and we want to return the favor.
Before we share how we can help, let's take a close look at some misconceptions we'd like to challenge.
Misconceptions
1. Budget
"We don't have the budget to increase DSP wages."
2. Competition
"We're competing with McDonald's, Target, and anyone who will pay $10/hour."
3. Online Applications
"People can apply on our website, fill-out the PDF application, or apply on Indeed."
4. Time
"I'm juggling a lot of different things within our organization."
Do these sound all too familiar to you?
Introducing:
DSP Magnet® Program
How You Can Attract & Retain More Direct Support Professionals (DSPs).
What This Is:
We start by creating an applicant-centered communication strategy that you can use everywhere (your website, DSP Ohio, Indeed, etc.) to attract more DSPs.
What This Is Not:
This is not a replacement for an HR department—we're here to help make them even better.
It's not an employment service or automated tool.
We're not consultants who lock you into a contract and disappear once we have your money.
What You Get:
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Communication Strategy
We'll create your plan to communicate and motivate more great people to apply for jobs.
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New Ideas for Retention
A path you can follow on your own to improve retention without increasing DSPs' hourly wages.
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Break the Status Quo
We will work as part of your team to improve your staffing challenge. We offer three levels of ongoing support.
"Before we worked with Craig and Scott, almost no one applied on our website. Thanks to their process, we came up with an approach that produced more online applications than we could handle!"
- Peter J. Roll, Executive Director of Resident Home Association of Greater Dayton
How We'll Start Work Together:
Month 1:
Attract more applicants & stop costly recruiting:
- You'll get a new job post to motivate more applicants.
- Work to reduce your cost per applicant on Indeed and others and stop recruiting sources that wasting money.
Month 2:
Start retention on day 1 & keep people near quitting:
- Making easy changes to give new employees a better start.
- Creative approaches for when an employee says they're ready to quit (they're really asking for help).
Month 3:
Jump starting referrals & make applying online easier:
- Promoting your referral program to get you more.
- Guidelines to make your online application system easier for applicants so they're more likely to apply.
- We'll discuss your ongoing needs.
FAQ
Are you competing with OPRA and DSP Ohio?
No. In fact, we're partnering with OPRA on several endeavors. OPRA and DSP Ohio are primarily generating attention about DSPs and how they help and change people's lives. We're working with them and individual organizations on getting more applicants and improving DSP retention.
Aren't you just duplicating what our HR person is doing?
We're no substitute for HR. We're focused on helping HR's efforts with proven marketing and communication tailored for your organization and hiring process.
How much time will this take?
A minimum of three months with options to meet monthly and provide ongoing help.
About Craig
Although I spent my early career in manufacturing, I have been active in marketing and fundraising for nonprofits for more than 30 years.
My first exposure to DD was in college doing student teaching and designing recreation programs for children with DD. My wife, Sara, spent 30 years working in adult workshops and community employment services for DD, and currently volunteers for Project Search.
I love being around people passionate about their mission and find working with nonprofits personally rewarding.
About Scott
When I was a kid, my mom, Sara, worked for t he county board of developmental disabilities. Hearing about her work and meeting some of the people she helped had a big impact on me.
It opened my eyes to how challenging life could be for people.
For a long time, I searched for a way to use my design, marketing, and entrepreneurial skills to help. But sometimes the opportunities to help find you.
Obviously, there are many challenges surrounding DSPs. I see a way that marketing and communication can help with some of those.
Are you ready to find more people that will make great DSPs?
What to expect:
- Craig or Scott will confirm the meeting the next business day
- we'll ask questions and listen
- it's free
Still not sure?
Socialize with us on:
DSP Magnet Updates:
