Carrying out an interview for any job can be very daunting for managers and senior staff, particularly when deciding which of the 100's of interview questions to ask.
There’s always the pressure of making a good impression to the candidate, and then there’s the simple task of choosing the right one to work within your organisation.
However, with a little bit of guidance and knowledge, there’s no reason why you can’t find a super employee in no time at all.
Here are our top job interview questions to ask care worker candidates.
1. How do you handle patient confidentiality in your job?
This is arguably one of the most important technical-based interview questions you can ask a care worker.
Here, you’re looking for a response which outlines their attention to detail and trustworthy nature.
GDPR has put even greater importance on handling data and files, so they should undoubtedly talk about their willingness to keep things to themselves and always take necessary precautions when leaving a computer, such as locking it and not keeping their personal password onsite.
2. What makes you different from other candidates?
This is all about seeing whether the care worker is positive or not.
Their answer doesn’t necessarily have to involve experience, instead, they should show a level of desire and hunger in the things they say.
Passion and dedication are important traits within the care industry, therefore, if they’re willing to work hard, you’ll know they’ll be a real asset to your organisation.
3. Give us an example of when you’ve had to persuade one of your patients to do something
Care work isn’t always a matter of completing a task quickly. Sometimes patients are stubborn and require persuading.
The answer to this question should be based around a candidate’s positive approach and the method they took to achieve the end goal.
Tricky scenarios could include a patient’s refusal to take their medication or to get changed.
Did they incentivise the completion of the task? Were they positive and upbeat about this challenge?
You want a care worker who doesn’t see this as an issue and has clearly demonstrated a close relationship with their patient.
If the candidate doesn’t go into much detail, this could be a warning sign that they either haven’t been in this kind of situation or they simply don’t have a positive answer to give.
4. How would you manage a patient who has a sudden psychotic outburst?
This interview question is straight to the point and will test a care worker’s ability to come up with a practical solution in such an unexpected situation.
Does their answer and body behaviour suggest that they are calm?
Can they share any personal experiences which might back up their claims?
5. How do you think your previous employers would see you as a person?
If you’re itching to find out more about a candidate’s personality, this interview question will give you a pretty clear idea.
To be a top care worker, you need to be kind, positive, happy, selfless and empathetic.
The ideal answer will showcase these examples.
However, it’s arguably more important to analyse their approach to this question.
If they come across as too confident, you may have stumbled upon a care worker who is cocky and will, therefore, make sloppy mistakes.
Ideally, you want them to be modest in their answer and tone.
6. Where do you see yourself in the next 12 months?
A classic interview question used by most businesses and organisations.
But in regards to the care industry, this can be a very useful tool to establish who is both dedicated and realistic in equal measure.
The answer solely depends on the contract length.
For example, if it’s a temporary role, you probably don’t want someone who is looking for career progression at only one organisation.
However, it’s ok if they say they’re open to opportunities but are aware of the temporary nature of the position.
On the other hand, if you’re looking for a candidate on a long-term basis, someone who doesn’t seem to know what they want might be a bit of a risk to your organisation as they might have a change in heart early on.
This could lead to further recruiting and greater cost implications.
7. Why did you leave your last job?
Honesty is the perfect answer here.
Are they open and positive towards their past? Or are they closed and negative?
If they are only interested in money, it may indicate that they’re in the care industry for the wrong reasons.
Whereas, if their reason for leaving was due to their contract ending, personal circumstances or a desire to learn more, the chances are you’ve found a driven individual.
You can also use this opportunity to question any gaps in employment or unusual lengths of employment highlighted on their CVs.
Final thoughts
So there you have it.
Hopefully, this has given you a starting point to help you find a top care worker.
Just remember to be confident and empathetic.
Not all candidates will be super confident, so be patient and help them by asking a few ice-breaker interview questions beforehand.
However, if you still feel like you need some assistance, feel free to register with our expert recruitment agency.
We’ll take the hassle out of the process and conduct all of the interviews for you!
Good luck.
