REPLAY – Designed to Hire: New Data on How A Better Caregiver Experience Drives Better Hiring
Designed to Hire: How a Better Caregiver Experience Leads to Faster Hiring
Augusta Webinar with Jen Waldron (Augusta) and Connor Adams (Homecare Pro)
What if the key to hiring more caregivers wasn’t attracting more applicants, but creating a better experience for the ones you already have?
New research from Augusta and Homecare Pro, analyzing more than 20,000 caregivers, reveals a meaningful connection between the caregiver recruiting experience and onboarding success. Caregivers recruited through Augusta were more likely to complete onboarding and finished their onboarding tasks approximately one day faster than caregivers recruited through other sources.
In Augusta’s latest webinar, Designed to Hire: New Data on How a Better Caregiver Experience Drives Better Hiring, Jen Waldron, Co-Founder of Augusta, sat down with Connor Adams, Founder & CEO of Homecare Pro, to explore how thoughtful software design, streamlined processes, and a caregiver-first approach can help home care agencies hire more effectively.
A Better Recruiting Experience Leads to Better Onboarding Outcomes
The caregiver hiring process doesn’t end when an applicant accepts an offer. From initial application through onboarding, every unnecessary step creates another opportunity for a qualified caregiver to drop out.
Homecare Pro analyzed a sample of more than 20,000 caregivers onboarded during the first half of 2026, comparing those recruited through Augusta with caregivers from other recruiting sources.
The findings were compelling: caregivers recruited through Augusta were 12 percentage points more likely to complete onboarding and completed their onboarding tasks approximately one day faster on average.
Because both groups used the same Homecare Pro onboarding platform, the results suggest that the experience caregivers have before onboarding can make a meaningful difference in their likelihood of completing it.
For home care agencies, this highlights an important opportunity: improving the recruiting experience can help more caregivers successfully move through the entire hiring funnel.
Remove Friction from the Caregiver Application Process
Caregivers are often applying to multiple jobs at once. Complicated applications, unnecessary account creation, repetitive questions, and unclear next steps can quickly discourage even highly qualified candidates.
A better caregiver experience starts by making it as easy as possible to apply, without sacrificing the information recruiters need to make informed hiring decisions.
Augusta’s mobile-first Smart Application is designed around this principle. Applicants don’t need to create an account or navigate a complicated process, yet 96% of applicants complete more than 20 screening questions about their experience and qualifications.
This gives recruiters the information they need to identify strong candidates while making the process simple for caregivers.
The same design philosophy extends to interview scheduling. With Augusta, 70% of qualified applicants immediately self-schedule their interviews, eliminating unnecessary back-and-forth and helping agencies connect with promising candidates faster.
The goal isn’t simply to make applications shorter. It’s to remove unnecessary friction while collecting the right information to move qualified caregivers forward.
Onboarding Is an Extension of the Recruiting Funnel
One of the biggest takeaways from the webinar was that onboarding shouldn’t be treated as a separate process from recruiting.
Even after accepting a job offer, caregivers may still be considering other opportunities. A confusing or time-consuming onboarding experience can cause agencies to lose candidates they’ve already invested time and resources into recruiting.
Homecare Pro addresses this challenge with a mobile-first onboarding experience that allows caregivers to complete required tasks directly from their phones, without downloading an app or navigating multiple disconnected systems.
Automated reminders, clear instructions, and a centralized onboarding process help caregivers understand exactly what they need to do next. Meanwhile, agency managers gain visibility into each caregiver’s progress without having to manually follow up on every task.
By connecting Augusta’s recruiting platform with Homecare Pro’s onboarding automation, agencies can create a more seamless transition from application and interview to onboarding and work readiness.
Software Built for Home Care Makes a Difference
Home care recruiting and onboarding come with unique challenges, from identifying qualified caregivers to managing industry-specific documentation and compliance requirements.
Generic recruiting and HR software often requires agencies to adapt their processes to fit the technology. Augusta and Homecare Pro take the opposite approach: designing technology specifically around the needs of home care agencies and caregivers.
That means prioritizing mobile accessibility, eliminating unnecessary logins, providing clear next steps, and automating administrative tasks wherever possible.
For caregivers, this creates a simpler, more intuitive experience. For recruiters and agency operators, it means less time spent chasing paperwork, coordinating interviews, and managing disconnected systems—and more time building relationships with qualified candidates.
The best recruiting technology doesn’t just automate existing processes. It makes those processes better for everyone involved.
The Big Takeaway for Home Care Leaders
Improving caregiver hiring isn’t always about generating more applicants. Sometimes, the biggest opportunity is removing the obstacles preventing qualified candidates from becoming work-ready employees.
As the new Augusta and Homecare Pro research demonstrates, the experience caregivers have during recruiting can influence what happens long after they submit an application.
For home care agencies looking to improve hiring outcomes, start by asking: Where are qualified caregivers dropping out of our recruiting and onboarding funnel? How many unnecessary steps or logins do they encounter? And how quickly can we move a candidate from interview to completed onboarding?
By simplifying the caregiver journey, automating the right steps, and creating a seamless experience from application through onboarding, agencies can convert more qualified applicants into work-ready caregivers—without simply increasing recruiting spend.
Questions and Answers
How does the caregiver application experience affect hiring success?
A simple, streamlined application process helps home care agencies convert more applicants into qualified candidates and hires. Removing unnecessary steps, simplifying screening questions, and enabling immediate interview scheduling can reduce applicant drop-off. Augusta's Smart Application achieves a 96% completion rate for applications containing more than 20 screening questions.
Does a better caregiver recruiting experience improve onboarding?
Yes. Research from Augusta and Homecare Pro analyzing more than 20,000 caregivers found that caregivers recruited through Augusta were 12 percentage points more likely to complete onboarding and completed onboarding tasks approximately one day faster than caregivers recruited through other sources. These findings suggest that a positive recruiting experience can contribute to stronger onboarding outcomes.
How can home care agencies reduce caregiver applicant drop-off?
Home care agencies can reduce applicant drop-off by simplifying applications, removing unnecessary logins, automating interview scheduling, and clearly communicating next steps. Mobile-friendly recruiting tools like Augusta help qualified caregivers move through the hiring funnel without unnecessary delays or administrative obstacles.
Why is caregiver onboarding important for home care recruitment?
Caregiver onboarding is a critical part of the hiring funnel because accepting a job offer doesn't guarantee a caregiver will become work-ready. Complicated paperwork, unclear instructions, and slow communication can cause candidates to disengage. Streamlined onboarding software helps agencies keep caregivers engaged, complete required tasks faster, and reduce administrative work.
How do Augusta and Homecare Pro help home care agencies hire caregivers faster?
Augusta and Homecare Pro streamline the caregiver hiring process from initial application through onboarding. Augusta automates applicant screening, qualification, and interview scheduling, while Homecare Pro simplifies onboarding paperwork, compliance tasks, and administrative workflows. Together, they help agencies reduce friction, improve conversion rates, and move qualified caregivers toward work readiness faster.
What is the best way to improve caregiver recruiting conversion rates?
The best place to start is by identifying where qualified caregivers drop out of the recruiting funnel. Home care agencies should measure application completion, interview scheduling, interview attendance, and onboarding completion rates. Improving the candidate experience at each stage can help agencies turn more existing applicants into hires without increasing recruiting spend.
About the Speakers
Connor Adams
Founder & CEO, Homecare Pro
Connor Adams founded Homecare Pro to help home care agencies spend more time focused on clients and caregivers by automating and streamlining HR admin. By working closely with agency leaders and integrated with other home care tools, Homecare Pro manages caregiver onboarding, credentialing, and HR compliance for leading agencies across the U.S., saving managers countless hours and enabling agencies to grow their caregiver bench without growing their team.
Want to learn more about Homecare Pro? Book a meeting with Connor here!
Jen Waldron
Co-Founder, Augusta
I began my career as a caregiver and personally experienced “pulling a double.” This gave me firsthand insight into the challenges and opportunities for senior care.
I went on to scale some of the industry’s most impactful companies—helping grow IPCed and OnCourse Learnings’ post-acute care division to $10M+ ARR (acquired later by Relias). And, drove CareAcademy’s revenue from six figures to multi-millions as SVP of Sales and Business Development.
Now, as a co-founder of Augusta, I am tackling one of the biggest challenges in home care: caregiver recruitment. Augusta helps agencies find and interview top-tier caregivers to fuel business growth.
I’m passionate about data-driven solutions that transform caregiver hiring and retention, delivering measurable business results for home care agencies.
