Care Home Professional – August 2019

RAM GOYAL, MANAGING DIRECTOR, HALLMARK CARE HOMES IN FOCUS

August 2019 | CARE HOME PROFESSIONAL 31

The MD said recruiting the best

people in the industry was key to the

Hallmark goal of becoming a sector

leader in terms of best practice.

Ram highlighted the recent recruitment

of former Gracewell and Sunrise Senior

Living executive Michael Burke as

regional director for Hallmark’s England

homes, as an example of how it had acted

quickly to secure the best talent.

“We now act very quickly to ensure

we attract good people because they are

in demand and don’t stay in the market

very long, so the decision processes

need to be very slick,” Ram said.

The MD stressed that

recommendation through ‘word of

mouth’ was a key component of the

Hallmark recruitment strategy.

“Michael was recommended by our

sales and marketing director who said

he was the best boss she ever had,”

Ram noted.

Recruiting head of relationship

centred care and dementia specialist

April Dobson, formerly of the Abbeyfield

Society, was another key appointment.

“April is the most amazing human

being,” Ram said. “The level of love and

energy she exudes into the company is

very powerful.”

Ram stressed it was important to

maintain close relationships with

recruitment agencies in order to secure

the best people.

“Agencies will only put forward

good people to businesses who they

feel confident will respect them and

put them through a process they will

enjoy,” he said.

The MD dedicates regular time to

speak to recruitment agencies. “It’s

important they hear the vision from

the ownership,” he added.

“You can also get feedback about

what’s not working so you are able to

make changes.”

Ram advised that it was important

not to work with too many agencies,

however.

“We never go out to more than two,

preferably one, because there are a

limited number of good people out there

and if they get a call from six agencies

it comes across as very desperate and

disjointed,” Ram explained.

The MD’s primary focus this year

has been retention. “We see there is a

direct correlation between having long

serving managers and the performance

of the home and the quality of the care

they deliver and the opportunities for

them to grow and develop,” Ram said.

“The key thing is to develop the

relationship with the people you

already have and to get really involved

in the recruitment side.

“Our retention of good people is

generally good. People buy into us as

individuals.”

Ram Goyal

Hallmark’s teams have access to the company limousine for special occasions