Employee turnover is one of the most pressing issues in homecare and disability services. In a recent episode of Vision: The Podcast for Leaders and Forward Thinkers in the Care Industry, Chris Magleby—Chief Strategy Officer at Activated Insights—shared five research-backed strategies to help organizations improve employee retention. Drawing from decades of experience and extensive survey data, Chris breaks down what actually works when it comes to keeping your best team members engaged and committed.
In this post, we’ll summarize the episode’s key insights in clear, practical terms to help you build a more stable and satisfied workforce.
Build a 100-Day Caregiver Retention Strategy
Chris starts with a clear truth: most employee turnover happens in the first 100 days. In fact, 40% of new hires in post-acute care leave before reaching that milestone. This means your onboarding and early engagement efforts are critical. Overall, this graphic (from an HCAOA newsletter) shows that overall home care annual turnover is almost 80%.
Action Steps:
- Track your current 100-day retention rate.
- Set realistic improvement goals.
- Assign a single team member (not a committee) ownership of this metric.
- Make retention part of your key performance indicators (KPIs).
Pro tip: Start by measuring retention per quarter (e.g., “How many Q1 hires stayed beyond day 100?”). If you’re keeping more than 60%, you’re ahead of the national average
Strengthen Caregiver and DSW Onboarding and Training
According to Chris, one of the clearest indicators of whether someone will stay is how they rate their training experience. In fact, training quality is often the top predictor of long-term employee satisfaction.
Common mistake: In staffing shortages, it’s tempting to rush new hires onto the floor before they’re ready. But this leads to a vicious cycle of poor preparation and high turnover.
Best practices:
- Explain the why behind the training—adults learn best when they understand how the information benefits them.
- Customize training to the role or care setting (e.g., dementia-specific education for memory care staff).
- Solicit feedback during onboarding: “Was the training helpful? What would make it better?”
- Consider appointing a full-time trainer at the facility level, not just corporate.
Cost to consider: The average cost of turnover is about $4,000 per frontline employee. Investing in proper training upfront saves much more down the line.
Set Up Systematic Feedback Loops
Regular check-ins—not just annual surveys—can significantly reduce early turnover. Chris emphasizes the power of short, scheduled feedback points in the first 100 days. These can be as simple as a text survey asking, “Is there anything you need right now to do your job better?”
Touchpoints to target:
- Day 1: Welcome and expectations
- Day 15: First impressions and early support
- Day 30, 60, and 90: Address barriers and provide encouragement
- An article from "Work Institute" sums it up by saying that "Recognition—whether verbal, written, or via small tokens—remains one of the most effective, low-cost retention tools. Celebrating the 100-day milestone is especially impactful"
Bonus: Employees who receive prompt responses to feedback are more likely to stick around and continue giving input. Closing the loop by acting on what they share creates a culture of trust and responsiveness.
Recognize and Celebrate Milestones
Recognition is often free but incredibly effective. A simple “congratulations” for hitting a milestone—like 30 days on the job or completing training—goes a long way toward making someone feel valued.
Ideas for recognition:
- Verbal praise during team huddles
- Personalized thank-you notes
- Public shout-outs or social media mentions
- Small tokens (badges, pins, or gift cards)
Most importantly, Chris advises celebrating the 100-day mark intentionally. It’s a signal that the employee has passed the highest-risk period—and a moment to reinforce their place in the team.
Bonus: We met with Linda Donev and Joe Kraus on the Home Care Heroes and Day Service Stars Podcast to talk about Meaningful Caregiver Rewards. 
Foster a Culture of “Companionate Love”
This may sound soft, but the science is solid. Chris cites a study from Wharton professors that examined workplaces with what they call “companionate love”—environments where coworkers show care, compassion, and emotional support for each other.
What it looks like:
- Safeguarding coworkers’ feelings
- Showing empathy when things go wrong
- Managers encouraging close and respectful relationships among staff
Why it matters:
Workplaces with this kind of culture saw higher staff satisfaction, better teamwork, and even improved patient outcomes—including fewer ER visits and increased resident happiness.
Tip for leaders: Model these behaviors yourself. Small moments of care—like checking in on someone’s day or recognizing emotional stress—create lasting impressions.
Bonus Insight: Align Training with Emotional Support
Chris and co-host Linda Leekley wrapped up the episode by emphasizing the emotional nature of work in home based services. Employees aren’t just clocking in—they’re emotionally invested in patient outcomes. Your onboarding, training, and retention strategies must reflect this reality.
Linda, drawing on her clinical background, added that adult learners respond best when they understand why training matters. If you tell a caregiver, “Take this course because we care about your safety,” it lands much better than, “Take it because it’s required.”
Conclusion: Retention Is Everyone’s Job—but Someone Must Own It
Reducing turnover isn’t about a silver bullet—it’s about strategy, empathy, and consistency. From structured onboarding to heartfelt recognition and cultural care, these five proven strategies create an environment where employees feel safe, supported, and seen.
As Chris says, “We don’t leave our humanity at the door when we clock in.” Neither should your leadership.
Ankota provides software to improve the delivery of care outside the hospital, focusing on efficiency and care coordination. Ankota's primary focus is on Care Transitions for Readmission avoidance and on management of Private Duty non-medical home care. To learn more, please visit www.ankota.com or contact us.
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