Philadelphia Corporation of Aging (PCA), facing critical staffing shortages in highly demanding roles, partnered with Xelerate to overhaul their recruitment process. This collaboration has significantly reduced vacancies and enhanced employee retention and satisfaction, positioning PCA to better fulfill its mission of protecting the elderly community.

Background

PCA is dedicated to investigating elder abuse—an essential yet challenging mission that requires a compassionate and resilient workforce. When COO Laura Weinbaum joined PCA, she walked into a significant challenge: filling numerous investigator roles essential for the organization’s function. These positions, known for their demanding nature and high turnover rates, had become increasingly difficult to staff effectively.

Challenge

Upon her appointment at PCA, Weinbaum was immediately confronted with up to 75 vacancies in critical investigator roles. The challenges of these positions, including their demanding nature and the emotionally taxing responsibility of investigating elder abuse, made traditional recruitment strategies ineffective.

The Xelerate Solution

Recognizing the need for a specialized approach, Weinbaum, leveraging her previous positive experiences with our firm, enlisted Xelerate as PCA’s outsourced recruiting partner. Xelerate was tasked with not only filling the current vacancies but also ensuring the recruitment of high-quality candidates capable of enduring the rigorous demands of their roles.

Implementation

Xelerate’s strategy centered around four key components:

1. Data-Driven Decisions: Keeping data first meant Xelerate was able to consistently keep PCA abreast of progress on the metrics that mattered, turn on a dime when necessary, and scale effective processes with laser-like precision. The elimination of guesswork made efficiency the norm.
2. Enhanced Communication: Recognizing the importance of clear and continuous communication, Xelerate maintained an open line with PCA, ensuring that all recruitment efforts were aligned with PCA’s needs and expectations.
3. Quality Candidate Sourcing: Xelerate leveraged its deep understanding of the healthcare and social service sectors to attract candidates who were not only qualified but also possessed the resilience and dedication necessary for the role.
4. Industry-Specific Knowledge: Leveraging extensive knowledge about the healthcare industry, Xelerate targeted recruitment efforts to find candidates who were likely to be a good fit for the challenging environment of elder care.

Results

The partnership yielded significant results:

• Reduction in Vacancies: Vacancies for investigator roles at PCA decreased dramatically from 75 to an average of just 17, illustrating the effectiveness of Xelerate’s targeted recruitment strategy.
• High Conversion Rate: At one point, of 100 candidates sourced by Xelerate, 90 were interviewed, and 75 were successfully hired, demonstrating the high quality of candidates sourced.
• Long-Term Staffing Solutions: Thanks to our sourcing expertise, Xelerate was granted the task of managing the additional recruitment needs for the long-term care portion of PCA’s operations, which includes 150-200 staff members.
• Employee Retention Innovation: The introduction of a 45-day employee review process by Xelerate is poised to contribute significantly to employee retention, offering timely interventions that enhance the employee experience and job satisfaction.

Conclusion

The strategic partnership between PCA and Xelerate has not only addressed immediate staffing challenges but has also laid the groundwork for sustained success. Through innovative recruitment strategies and a deep understanding of PCA’s mission and challenges, we’re glad to have been an invaluable partner in ensuring that PCA can continue to protect and serve Philadelphia’s elderly population effectively.