Hiring a Caregiver

Hiring a caregiver can be difficult. Even with the assistance of Caregogi, it is difficult to find your perfect match until you have met them in person. This is why Caregogi recommends the three-step hiring process.

1. Pre-Screening

Pre-Screening is how you narrow down applicants before you meet with them in person. Come up with a list of your caregiver non-negotiables. For example, if you know that your mother needs to go to doctors appointments you will need your caregiver to have a car in order to transport her. Your potential caregiver having a car is non-negotiable. Think of your loved one’s needs and really consider your non-negotiables. Be careful not to limit your potential caregiver pool too much, however. Often care can be impossible to set up if you are too choosy. 1 or 2 non-negotiable items is a good benchmark.

Use Caregogi’s chat feature to ask your potential caregivers about your non-negotiable items before setting up an interview with your potential caregiver. If they do not meet your requirements, do not bother wasting your time and theirs by having them interview in person.

2. Interview

Once you have a pool of acceptable caregivers who are available during the hours your loved one needs, meet your minimum requirements, and satisfy your non-negotiable items Caregogi recommends that you set up interviews with these caregivers. A good goal to set is to have 3-5 potential caregivers to interview.

Tips to interview:

• Meet in a public place. Caregogi does its best to vet the caregivers on the site, but safety always comes first when meeting someone new.
• Check their I.D. when you meet them to ensure that they are who they say they are.
• Come prepared with a list of Interview Questions to ask each caregiver.

This interview process should reveal to you who your front running candidate is. If you are torn between caregivers, it is always best to go with your gut instinct.

3. Introduction

The final step to the interview process is to invite your front runner to meet your parent. Great caregiver-client relationships do not always form immediately, but you should be able to get a feel for if they are able to perform the tasks that you have hired them for. Caregogi recommends a trial period of at least two weeks to see if a caregiver is right for your loved one. Make sure that the caregiver you select understands the terms of employment by having them sign an Employment Agreement. If the fit is not there, try another caregiver who made a good impression in their interview. Sometimes the best fit is missed simply because they have not developed the best interviewing skills.