When it comes to cooking, cleaning, running errands or watching the kids, it’s easy to find people willing to do those types of things for you.

Plenty of people are willing to stick out their neck for you once in a while. Plenty of people want to lend a helping hand. Getting things taken care of is one thing, but getting YOU taken care of, is another.

Things prove to be a little different when looking for someone to help you directly. One day, we will all need some help with ADLs (Activities of Daily Living).

What do you envision that to be?

It’s important for us to provide the senior care now that we will want in the future. What kind of person would you want working with you? What kind of person do you want working with your loved one right now?

Hiring a caregiver can be both nerve-wracking and difficult. We see postings for these jobs all over the place; it can be difficult to hire the right caregiver.

Here are 51 caregiver interview questions to help you connect with and hire the right people to work for you, and hopefully find people to work for the long haul.

 

Questions Related To Previous Experiences

  1. What previous experience as a senior caregiver do you have? Have you applied for any caregiver jobs before?
  2. What challenges have you faced while working with past clients and how did you overcome them?
  3. Think of a time when you cared for a senior. What part of your experience was the most difficult? What was the most meaningful?
  4. Think about a time when you worked with a either a difficult client or customer. What was difficult about working with them and what did you do to get past it?
  5. Tell me about the best day of work you’ve had and what made it so memorable.
  6. Tell me about a mistake you made while caring for a client and how you handled it.
  7. Give me an example of a time when you exhibited one of your company’s values.
  8. What are some factors that make a job feel fulfilling for you?
  9. Tell me about the worst boss you ever had.

 

Questions About Character

  1. Tell me about the last time someone did something nice for you. What makes you appreciate it?
  2. Do you set any personal goals when you start a new job? If so, what kind of goals have you set? Have you reached them?
  3. What are some personal values that are the most important to you?
  4. Describe for me a reason for which it would be justified to be late for work.
  5. What would you say is your biggest flaw as an employee and what have you done to improve it?
  6. What personality traits do you have that makes you most valuable to employers?
  7. Who inspires you? Why?
  8. How do you motivate others?
  9. Tell me about a time you did the right thing at work and no one saw you do it.
  10. How would you define your personal work-life balance in terms of ratio (50/50 70/30 etc)?
  11. What did you want to be when you were 10 years old?
  12. What steps do you take to to motivate yourself when you’re lacking motivation?
  13. Tell me about the relationships you’ve had with the people you’ve worked with?
  14. What parts of a job do you think wear you down or discourage you the most?

 

Questions About This Job or Future Jobs

  1. What skills can you bring to the table that others can’t?
  2. If you are hired here, what steps will you take to make yourself the best employee you can be?
  3. Is there anything in the job description you are uncomfortable doing?
  4. How might you respond to a client who used derogatory language or behaved negatively toward you?
  5. What do you know about our home care agency?
  6. Explain what makes you excited about providing senior care.
  7. What can you contribute to our company?
  8. If you don’t get this job what’s your backup plan?
  9. What will you strive to accomplish in this job?
  10. Explain what it is that makes you a good care provider, or reasons you think you will be a good one if this is your first experience?
  11. Imagine you have decided that you need an in-home care provider for yourself. What kind of senior caregiver would you want? Do you think you currently meet this criteria to be a caregiver, and how well?
  12. What do you find to be most rewarding about being a care provider?
  13. Thinking of pas jobs, what would you like to do differently at your next job?

 

Situational Questions

  1. Describe a time when you were asked to perform a task or spearhead an initiative that went against your values. What did you do? What was the outcome?
  2. Tell me about either your personal goals or work-related goals (or both!) and explain you have and what you have done and will do to accomplish them.
  3. Tell me about a time at work when you made a mistake. How did you handle it?
  4. Imagine that you’re searching for a care provider for one of your loved ones. What personality traits or certain skills would be important to you for this person to have as a caregiver?
  5. Tell me about a time when you’ve demonstrated an important skill in the work place.
  6. Tell me about a time when you realized you lacked a particular skill required for your job. What steps did you take to develop that skill?

 

Unique Questions

  1. If you could be paid in something other than money, what would it be and why?
  2. What do you think your greatest achievement outside of work is?
  3. If you could choose one animal to best represent you as a person, what would you choose and why?
  4. Imagine we could ask your pet for a reference about you and your personality. What would your pet say?
  5. What is your definition of hard work?
  6. Is it better to be perfect and late, or good and on time?
  7. What other interesting things are there about you that you want us to know?
  8. When did something start out badly for you, but in the end it was great?
  9. What might you look for when hiring a caregiver?

 

Conclusion

There are a few different types of caregiver jobs. Whether it be providing care in a nursing home, retirement home or being an in-home care provider, it’s important to know what your expectations are when interviewing and feel comfortable with your choice when you hire the right caregiver. Use these questions or create your own caregiver interview questions to ensure you’re hiring the greatest people imaginable to work with the people who need it the most.