As a home health care aide, you have chosen one of the most rewarding careers possible. You have an incredible opportunity to make life easier for someone who is heavily dependent on others, may be unable to care for themselves as they would like to do. When it comes to job satisfaction, there are few other professions that can match up to be a home health care aide. What you do need to keep in mind here is that the quality of care you provide, in other words, the service quality, is the most crucial element here that can make or break your career.
The best way to establish your credentials as a caregiver par excellence is to have your clients give glowing referrals and recommendations talking about your exemplary work. The more such recommendations you have, the better your prospects in this niche. However, to get numerous good reviews from clients, you need to have worked with many different people, which means you have to prepare yourself in the right way to impress clients so that you are entrusted with the care of their loved ones.
The first interaction you have with your potential client is the interview, and by handling this right, you can enhance your chances of being hired by them. To ace the interview stage, invest time in learning what questions you are likely to be asked and prepare your answers. Here we list a few questions you can expect, along with the right approach to the response you must give.
Client Question: Why should I hire you?
Answer: That’s the most crucial question you may face, and you have to make a solid case for why you are the best for the job at hand. Start with the basic qualifications that make you competent for the task but keep this short because they already know something about you at this stage. This is a good opportunity to tell the client about the special skills/expertise/qualities that make you better than others in the line since there is a chance that they have interviewed or will interview others too. For example, talk about the certified home health aide classes you have attended. If you haven’t done any, you must consider it now because the certification does enhance your credentials significantly. Get more information about such classes here.
Client Question: How can I be sure you can handle this patient?
Your Answer: Get some basic information about the patient before you walk in for your interview and compile data about patients you have cared for who had similar ailments or who presented similar challenges to handle. For example, if your new client needs you to care for someone who has had surgery and needs wound care apart from general care, talk about how you have helped in the speedy recovery of other surgery patients who needed similar attention and how the doctors in charge appreciated your diligence in keeping the surgery site infection-free. Specifics help show the client that you have really handled a similar situation and are up to it.
Client Question: Tell me about an unfavorable situation that you have encountered in this line of work.
Your Answer: This is NOT a cue for you to rant about the irascible patient you had to deal with at your last assignment- Just the opposite, in fact. When responding to this question, remember to keep your emotions AT BAY. Maintain a clinical, empathetic tone all through when describing exactly what the patient did that was a challenge, explaining factually why it was so (for example, a patient refused to eat specific foods, which compromised his nutritional intake). Don’t stop there just because you are done describing the unfavorable situation. The crucial part is conveying how you handled it competently and patiently. Again, keep emotions away and avoid bragging but if you received praise from the patient’s doctors or family members for handling the situation well, do mention those.
Client Question: What if I am dissatisfied with your performance?
Your Answer: This is a daunting question to face, but this is also an awesome opportunity for you to impress the client. Your passion for work, your commitment to giving your best can be made evident if you approach this question with the right attitude- that is, calm, professional competence. Do not take offense at the question, instead, make sure that your eagerness to exceed expectations comes through in your answer. Tell the client that you will sit down and talk to them about what they disliked, note down their feedback and then come back with suggestions about ways in which you would change your work approach to assuage their concerns.
Wrap
Approaching interview questions with the right attitude and mindset helps you communicate your passion for the work and your competence in the most impactful way to the prospective client. Keep calm and composed and remember that you are here to earn the trust of the client so that they feel confident and comfortable about leaving their family member in your care. Be empathetic to their concerns and anxieties and reassure them about your ability to give the patient the care and attention they need, and you have already set the stage for a wonderful review from this client!
