Tips For Recruiting
Recruitment and Retention Best Practices for Funeral Homes
Building a Strong, Sustainable Funeral Service WorkforceRecruiting and retaining qualified funeral directors and staff is one of the most pressing challenges facing funeral homes today. Fewer people are entering the profession, competition for skilled employees is increasing, and expectations around workplace culture, flexibility, and purpose continue to evolve.
NFDA supports funeral homes with proven recruitment and retention best practices designed specifically for the realities of funeral service. By combining immediate hiring tools with long-term workforce development strategies, NFDA helps funeral homes build teams that are skilled, committed, and prepared to serve families with excellence.
Start With Clear, Compelling Recruitment Messaging
Effective recruitment begins with how you present your funeral home as an employer.
NFDA encourages funeral homes to:
Use clear, accurate job descriptions that outline responsibilities, schedules, and growth opportunities
Emphasize the purpose and impact of funeral service, not just tasks and requirements
Highlight workplace culture, mentorship, and professional development
Job seekers today are looking for more than a paycheck. They want meaningful work, supportive leadership, and a clear path forward. Recruitment materials that reflect the values of funeral service help attract candidates who are aligned with the profession.
Use Industry-Specific Hiring Tools
General job boards often fail to reach qualified funeral service professionals. NFDA helps funeral homes connect with candidates who already understand the profession.
Best practices include:
Posting open positions on the NFDA Funeral Career Center, where job seekers are actively pursuing funeral service careers
Maintaining ongoing visibility, even when you are not actively hiring, to build a future talent pipeline
Industry-specific recruiting tools improve candidate quality and reduce hiring timelines.
Recruit for Potential, Not Just Experience
Given today’s labor challenges, successful funeral homes look beyond traditional candidate profiles.
NFDA encourages funeral homes to:
Consider students, apprentices, career changers, hospice workers, and death doulas as strong candidates
Focus on transferable skills such as communication, empathy, organization, and teamwork
Provide structured onboarding and mentorship to support long-term success
By recruiting for character, values, and potential, funeral homes expand their hiring pool while strengthening the profession.
Inspire Future Professionals Early
Long-term retention starts with early awareness. Many people simply don’t realize funeral service is a viable, rewarding career option.
NFDA supports early engagement through:
Remembering A Life, which highlights real funeral professionals, meaningful career paths, and the impact of serving families
The NFDA High School Career Kit, which provides funeral professionals with a ready-to-use PowerPoint presentation and script for speaking to high school students
These tools make it easier for funeral homes to participate in career days, classrooms, and community events—helping inspire the next generation of funeral service professionals and strengthening the workforce pipeline.
Prioritize Onboarding, Training, and Mentorship
Retention begins on day one. Funeral homes that invest in onboarding and training see higher engagement and lower turnover.
Best practices include:
Structured onboarding programs that set expectations and build confidence
Mentorship opportunities with experienced funeral professionals
Access to continuing education and professional development
NFDA supports funeral homes with education, leadership development, and member resources that help employees grow and feel valued throughout their careers.
Create a Supportive, Sustainable Workplace Culture
Funeral service is meaningful work—but it can also be emotionally demanding. Retention depends on creating workplaces where employees feel supported.
NFDA recommends:
Encouraging open communication and teamwork
Supporting work-life balance where possible
Recognizing employee contributions and career milestones
Promoting well-being and long-term career sustainability
Funeral homes that prioritize culture and care for their staff are better positioned to retain experienced professionals.
Learn From Your Peers
NFDA shares real-world recruitment and retention strategies from funeral professionals across the country. Peer-driven insights—developed in partnership with the Funeral and Memorial Information Council (FAMIC)—provide practical ideas funeral homes can implement immediately.
These resources highlight:
Innovative recruiting approaches
Retention strategies that support staff engagement
Ways to build inclusive, resilient teams
Learning from fellow funeral directors helps funeral homes adapt best practices to their unique communities.
Build a Workforce for Today—and the Future
Recruitment and retention are not one-time challenges. They require ongoing attention, adaptability, and industry-wide collaboration.
NFDA provides funeral homes with:
Recruitment tools and career platforms
Education and professional development
Career awareness initiatives like Remembering A Life
Resources that support long-term employee engagement
By applying these best practices and leveraging NFDA resources, funeral homes can strengthen their teams, reduce turnover, and ensure the future of funeral service remains strong.
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