The task of finding your perfect nanny, dog walker, housekeeper or tutor can be a tough one. That’s why we at Care.com are dedicated to providing you with a powerful online platform providing the tools to find the right caregiver for you and your family.
Caregivers aren’t just employees – they are individuals you bring into your home and trust with those most precious to you. Therefore, safety should be the top feature in any hiring checklist. We’ve put together a brief checklist below to help you in your hunt for a new caregiver:
1. View The Safety Centre on Care.com
Our Safety Centre provides a range of information covering candidate selection, conducting interviews and running background checks to help you make the absolute best decision for your family.
2. Run Third-Party Checks
Perform your own independent search on candidates to narrow your list. Search the web for their name to see if there are any news articles about them. You should also try to locate them on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and other social networks.
3. Contact References
Before you hire a carer, check at least three references. Put together a list of questions to ask previous employers — including things that will be relevant to the job you’re hiring for.
For ideas on what to ask check out our Reference Checking guide >>
4. Enquire Into Health and Substance Abuse
When you interview your potential hire, see what their feelings are about alcohol and drugs. Consider requesting that they get a drug test from a hospital before they start. Ask the carer to provide a letter from their doctor verifying that they have had a recent physical examination and can perform the tasks of a caregiver job.
5. Trust Yourself
If you feel uncomfortable with the way a candidate answers a question, probe further and ask follow-up questions. Maybe have the person spend more time with your family, so you can observe them interacting with your child. But if something doesn’t feel quite right, there very well may be a reason. If you’re uncomfortable with a potential carer, don’t ignore your instincts.
Once you’ve hired a caregiver for your family, your work still isn’t finished. Keep the Safety Guide handy for more information on how to proactively manage and monitor your carer, as well as for providing you with peace of mind.
5 Ways To Hire Better and Safer Care
