What are response rate and response times and how are they calculated?

Your response rate and response time measure how quickly and consistently you respond to inquiries and job offers. You can find your response rate on your Profile under Activity. It’s most important to focus on your response time, which gives Care Seekers an idea of how quickly they will hear from you but has less impact on your Health Care Worker performance ratings. 

Response rate

Your response rate is the percentage of jobs you responded to since your profile was created. If a Care Seeker sends you a message—a question, or any kind of message including a job offer—via Messages, you’ll need to respond to the inquiry within 24 hours to maintain your response rate. If the Care Seeker sends you a job offer, you’ll need to accept within 24 hours to maintain your response rate.

Response time

Your response time is the average amount of time that it took for you to respond to all new messages since your profile was created. 

Improving response rate and response time

To improve your response rate and response time, do the following as soon as you can within 24 hours of receiving an message: 

• Reply to messages from Care Seekers
• Send a request
• Accept job offers

Responses after 24 hours count as a late response, which will decrease your response rate and increase your response time. Your response rate can impact if a Care Seeker offers a job to you or not. Your response rate isn't affected by follow-up messages between Health Care Workers and Care Seekers. You don't have to send the final message in a conversation to maintain your response rate.

Why are Health Care Workers asked to respond within 24 hours?

Health Care Workers are asked to respond to job offers, inquiries, and all other messages from Care Seekers within 24 hours because quick responses build trust and rapport in our Caregiving community, making it easier for Care Seekers to find care services. If you got a job offer, responding within 24 hours helps you move toward an accepted job. Care Seekers who are currently receiving care services or are waiting for care services to start appreciate quick responses, too.

What counts as a response?

A response depends on what kind of communication you got from the Care Seeker. If you have a job offer, accepting or declining counts as a response. If you have an inquiry, you can do any of the following to respond within 24 hours:

• Approve the job offer if you’re available
• Request different dates, times, or care services
• Send a message or a different request
• Message the Care Seeker if you’re not able to help

For all other messages from current or potential Care Seekers, send a message to keep your response rate up.

What if I don’t respond within 24 hours?

Taking longer than 24 hours to respond will count as a late response, which will decrease your response rate and increase your response time. Your response rate can impact your account’s position in search results.

Learn more about response rate and response time and how it’s calculated.