When hiring caregivers, you can’t be too careful. It’s important to hire the right people not only for your clients, but for your business. This begins with crafting the right interview questions for caregivers. These questions will help guide your decisions to only hire people who will take good care of those who are at a vulnerable time in their lives. Additionally, it’s important to hire people who will stick around, be a good culture fit with your business, and be dedicated to the mission.
Being prepared with consistent interview questions is key to making the right hire. When hiring caregivers, you should ask questions in the following categories; experience verification, behavioral, and competency questions. Additionally, you should supplement with any questions relevant to the position, such as requirements to be employed.
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Experience Verification
Experience verification is important in positions where certain certifications, training, or degrees are required. In cases such as hiring caregivers, verifying experience/certifications related to CPR can be a life or death scenario.
Q: What certifications, training, and licensing do you have in the home-health field?
Asking this question helps you gauge the experience level of the applicant, which can influence confidence in the field and expected pay. You’ll want to pick up on their confidence in answering the questions and if they are/have the ability to get licensed.
Q: What are your greatest strengths as a caregiver?
This question can help you pick up on what they like about the job, what type of clients they should be placed with, and professional development opportunities for the applicant if selected for the position.
Behavioral Questions
Behavioral questions are designed to evaluate an applicant’s fit with the role and duties it entails.
Q: Describe how you have handled a difficult situation with a client.
This question should be posed to give insight on temperament and quick-thinking, critical skills for a caregiver.
Q: Tell me about your most rewarding experience with a client.
An applicant’s answer to this question will let you know what they like most about the job. Answers may include bonding with a client, providing emotional support, or seeing health improvements. The answer to this question may also assist you in pairing them with clients.
Q: Describe how you would handle a client who resists help.
This question will give insight into the experience level of an applicant and allows you to evaluate their problem-solving abilities.
Competency Questions
Competency questions are designed to evaluate an applicant’s understanding of the position and the duties it entails.
Q: What do you do if the client falls out of bed while taking care of them?
Q: How would you react if you walked into a client’s home and they were unresponsive?
Q: If you believe the client is being abused by family, what do you do?
Cultural Fit Questions
In addition to the key questions listed above, it’s good to gain a sense of culture fit for your organization. Remember, the purpose of the interview isn’t just to assess whether or not the candidate is a right fit for responsibilities but a good fit for the company. During this time, you can see if the time commitment, job responsibilities, and pay are ideal. It’s important to make sure they know what to expect before they accept the position to take care of an individual. Great cultural fit questions to ask would be:
Q: WHAT ATTRACTED YOU TO THE CAREGIVER ROLE? WHY DID YOU APPLY FOR THIS POSITION
Q: WHAT HOURLY COMPENSATION DO YOU BELIEVE YOU SHOULD RECEIVE IN THIS ROLE?
Q: NOW THAT YOU KNOW MORE ABOUT THE CLIENT AND THEIR NEEDS, ARE YOU COMFORTABLE TAKING ON THESE RESPONSIBILITIES?
It’s also important to weigh which category of questions is most important for that position. For example, when hiring a caregiver, experience is very important. However, behavioral questions are always important to understand how someone will contribute to your team. When we hire people, so often do we say, “I feel like they’d be great for the job.” We base decisions on how we feel about someone because it is important.
Overall, it’s crucial to hire the best people for the sake of your business and your clients. Make the best hires for your business by being prepared with the questions above. If you’re ready to take your hiring to the next level, learn how Sprockets can help you select the best hires, reduce employee turnover, and save you money.