The problem isn't Indeed. It's not Facebook. It's not myCNAjobs or ZipRecruiter or that new platform someone swore would be different. (If you're still figuring out which platforms to use, that's a separate problem.)
I know this because auditing recruitment and marketing campaigns is what we do. And I've watched agency owners spend months bouncing between platforms, convinced that the next one will finally solve their hiring problem.
It won't.
The platform isn't why your ads fail. The message is why your ads fail.
Most caregiver job posts are written for the employer, not the caregiver. They list requirements. They demand qualifications. They read like legal documents. And then owners wonder why nobody's applying.
I'm going to show you exactly what's wrong with the typical caregiver ad, and what to do instead. No platform hopping required.
• Your ads are probably written for YOU, not the caregiver
• Indeed's algorithm now buries free posts within days
• Text messages get 8x higher response rates than email
• The fix isn't a new platform. It's a new message.
The Real Reason Your Ads Get Ignored
Pull up your current job posting. Read the first three lines.
Do they sound like this?
"ABC Home Care is seeking a reliable, compassionate Caregiver to join our growing team. Must have reliable transportation, pass a background check, and have 1+ year of experience in home care or a related field..."
This is what I call "employer-first" copy. It tells the caregiver what YOU need. It says nothing about what THEY get.
Caregivers scrolling Indeed aren't thinking "I hope I meet their requirements." They're thinking "Will this job work for MY life?"
They want to know:
- Can I pick my own hours?
- How far will I have to drive?
- What's the actual pay, not a vague "competitive" range?
- Will anyone tell me what's going on, or will I be left guessing?
Your ad doesn't answer these questions. Your competitor's ad does. Guess who gets the applications.
What I See When I Audit an Ad Campaign
When an agency asks me to figure out why their recruiting isn't working, I pull up their campaigns and look for five things. The same problems appear almost every time.
Problem 1: The "Requirements List" Opening
The first three sentences of your ad determine whether anyone reads the rest. Most agencies waste those sentences on requirements:
"Must have valid driver's license and reliable transportation. Must pass background check and drug screening. CPR certification required."
This is screener language. It belongs at the bottom of the post, not the top. Leading with requirements tells candidates "we're looking for reasons to reject you" before you've given them a reason to care.
Problem 2: Hidden Pay
Some agencies still think hiding the pay rate will "get candidates in the door." It won't.
Caregivers are applying to multiple jobs at once. If your ad says "competitive pay" and the next ad says "$17-$20/hour depending on experience," they'll apply to the specific one first. You might never hear from them.
In a market where 79% of caregivers will quit within a year, you can't afford to lose candidates to vague language.
Problem 3: Zero Urgency
Read your job title. Is it "Caregiver Needed" or "Caregiver - Hiring This Week"?
Small change. Big difference. Candidates prioritize jobs that feel immediate. A posting that's been sitting for three months feels like it might not be real. Or worse, like the last five people they hired all quit.
Problem 4: Stock Photo Disaster
I see this constantly on Facebook ads: beautiful, professionally lit photos of smiling caregivers in spotless scrubs. Models who look like they just stepped off a healthcare brochure.
These images don't work. Candidates scroll past them because they look fake. And they are fake.
Authentic photos of your actual team outperform stock images. Even a slightly blurry iPhone photo of a real employee beats a polished stock shot. Candidates are looking for proof that real humans work at your agency. Give them that proof.
Problem 5: Mobile Unfriendly
88% of hourly job seekers apply from their phones. If your application requires them to upload a resume, fill out 15 fields, or wrestle with a clunky portal, they'll bounce to someone else's easier apply button.
Applicant counts can double just by shortening the application to name, phone, email, and "tell us about yourself." (If you're wondering whether your careers page setup is part of the problem, it might be.)
Want us to audit your current ads?
We review caregiver recruitment campaigns for home care agencies every week. Book a free strategy call and we'll tell you exactly what's working and what isn't.
The Platform Problem (It's Real, But Not How You Think)
Platforms do matter. But not in the way most agencies believe.
The problem isn't choosing the wrong platform. It's not understanding how the platform works.
Indeed's New Reality
Free Indeed postings used to work. They don't anymore.
Indeed has restructured their algorithm to favor sponsored posts. Sponsored jobs get 6.5x more applications than free listings. Free posts now get buried within days, sometimes hours, depending on your market.
The recent policy changes made it worse. Free hosted jobs are now limited to 30 days of visibility, down from 120 days. You also can't post more than three free jobs per month.
This doesn't mean you need to sponsor everything. But it does mean your free posts need to be exceptional to compete. Vague copy won't survive.
Facebook's Targeting Advantage
Facebook lets you target people based on job titles, interests, and location with precision Indeed can't match.
But most agencies waste this by targeting "everyone within 30 miles who's interested in healthcare." That's not targeting. That's broadcasting.
Effective Facebook recruiting targets people currently employed at specific facilities, nursing schools, or medical assistant programs. It targets based on life circumstances like recent moves or graduating from training programs. The platform has the data. Most agencies don't use it.
The Text Message Gap
This isn't a platform, but it's where most agencies lose candidates.
Text messages get 8x higher response rates than email. Yet most agencies still send emails as their primary follow-up. Some send nothing at all.
The average time to hire in home care is now 20 days. The recommended time is under 5 days. That gap represents every good candidate you lost to someone faster. (For more on this, see the 48-hour hiring rule.)
The speed math: When you wait until Tuesday's meeting to review applications, the best candidates from Monday have already accepted offers elsewhere. Speed isn't optional in this market.
What Actually Works: The Message Fix
Same budget. Same platforms. Different message. Different results.
The agencies getting applications have figured out something simple: talk to caregivers like humans who have options.
Lead With What They Get
Flip your ad structure. Start with benefits, end with requirements.
"$18-22/hour. Pick your own schedule. Cases close to home."
We're hiring caregivers who want control over their work week. You tell us when you're available. We match you with clients in your preferred area. No mandatory overtime. No last-minute schedule changes without your approval.
This opening answers the questions caregivers actually have. It sounds like an offer, not a demand.
Be Specific About Flexibility
"Flexible scheduling" means nothing. Everyone claims flexible scheduling.
Specific flexibility looks like this:
- "Choose morning, afternoon, or evening shifts"
- "Work 15 hours or 40 hours, you decide"
- "No weekends required (unless you want them)"
- "Same clients each week so you can plan your life"
Vague claims get ignored. Specific promises get clicks.
Show Your Pay, All of It
The most effective ads show exact pay ranges, not "competitive" or "up to $20/hour."
If your range is $16-22 depending on experience and case complexity, say that. Then explain what gets someone to $22. Transparency builds trust before you've ever spoken to the candidate.
Use Real Photos and Real Voices
Facebook and Instagram ads perform better with authentic content. A 30-second video of an actual caregiver talking about why she likes working for your agency will outperform any stock photo.
Doesn't need to be professional. In fact, it shouldn't look too polished. Candidates scroll past anything that looks like a commercial. They stop for content that looks like it came from a real person's phone.
The "Same Ad, Better Results" Test
Try this experiment for 30 days:
Take your current ad. Keep the platform. Keep the budget. Change only the copy.
Week 1: Rewrite opening 3 sentences to lead with pay, schedule, and location benefits
Week 2: Add specific numbers everywhere (hours, pay range, drive time from a local landmark)
Week 3: Replace stock photo with real team photo or short video
Week 4: Cut application to 4 fields maximum
Track: Applications, response rate to follow-up, interviews scheduled
Most agencies see application counts improve within the first two weeks. Not because anything about the platform changed. Because the message finally speaks to what caregivers want to hear.
When to Change Platforms (And When Not To)
Sometimes the platform does need to change. Here's how to know.
Change platforms if:
- Your target candidates aren't on the platform (nursing students aren't on Indeed, they're on Instagram)
- You've optimized the message and still see declining performance over 60+ days
- Cost per applicant has tripled with no change in quality
Don't change platforms if:
- You haven't tested different ad copy on the current platform
- Your application is longer than 5 fields
- You're not responding to applicants within 48 hours
- You've been on the platform for less than 90 days
Platform hopping is often a way to avoid fixing the real problem: the message.
The Speed Multiplier
Everything I've said about copy and platforms matters less if you're slow.
The best ad in the world can't save you if candidates wait four days to hear back. By then, they've applied to eight other agencies, interviewed with three of them, and accepted an offer from whoever called first.
You don't need a perfect hiring process. You need a fast one.
- Call or text every applicant within 4 hours
- Schedule interviews within 48 hours of first contact
- Make offers the same day as final interview when possible
- Start orientation within a week of acceptance
Speed compensates for a lot of other weaknesses. But no amount of clever copy compensates for being slow.
Tired of Ads That Don't Work?
We help home care agencies fix their recruitment marketing so they actually get applications worth calling back.
No more guessing. No more platform hopping. Just ads that attract caregivers who show up.
Get a Free Strategy Call15 minutes. No pitch. Just an honest look at what's wrong and how to fix it.
Your ads aren't broken because of the platform.
They're broken because they talk AT caregivers instead of TO them.
