Recruiting

The page on Choices helped you to study the pros and cons of using an agency to hire a personal assistant (PA), having a family member as your PA, or hiring a PA yourself. If you decide to use an agency, you can use the Agency Checklist to help you to interview agencies. Using the checklist will help you to decide if the agency can meet your needs and that you can work with them.

The information in this section will help to prepare to hire your PA yourself. This information also can be used to interview people sent to you by an agency. It covers:

• the best places to recruit PAs, and
• where and how to advertise--attendant rosters (lists), college campuses, flyers, newspaper ads, 3x5 card poster notice and the like

Unless you are lucky, the time a PA works for you may be short. Because the work is part-time, the pay is low, and there usually are no benefits such as health insurance and paid time off, PAs move on to other jobs. Therefore, it pays to learn to recruit efficiently and effectively because you may need to do it often.

What characteristics do you want in a PA?

You know what your needs are. That's the first step in knowing what you want in a PA. Do you need someone who is strong enough to lift or transfer you? Do you want a non-smoker or someone who can tolerate your smoking? Do you want someone who can help you plan and organize or someone who can work independently? Must the PA be a good cook? Have a sense of humor? What other requirements do you have? You may wish to make a list of the characteristics you require in a PA.

How do I find a personal assistant?

There are many sources for recruiting a personal assistant (PA). You may select one or more ways to recruit your PAs. Your choices will depend on where you live, what is available in your community and what form of advertising you are comfortable with. If you choose to place ads in more than one place, you may wish to keep track of which provide you with the best candidates.

Before you spend time, effort and money in recruiting new PAs, be sure to ask those you know for leads: current and former PAs and previous applicants, friends, family, neighbors and co-workers.

Current PAs

If you have maintained a good relationship with your PAs, you can ask them if they know of anyone who might be interested in this sort of work. They may have friends or relatives to recommend.

Former PAs and Previous applicants

Former PAs who left on good terms with you may be interested in working again. They may have friends or relatives to recommend to you. You may have had more than one good candidate the last time you recruited. If you kept their resumes and they are available it will save you time in the recruiting process. Always ask good applicants that you do not select if they would be willing to serve as back up, to fill in from time-to-time, or if you can call them when you have another opening.

Friends, family, neighbors, and co-workers

Your friends, family, neighbors, and co-workers are a part of your network to the world, especially if they are supportive of your independence. They may know of people who might be interested in working as a PA. Be careful how you approach them. Let them know that you are looking for recommendations of people who might be interested in this type of work. Be clear that you are not asking them to do it unless you really want them to work as your PA.

People who employ PAs

Other people you know who hire PAs may have recommendations, sources or ideas for you. They may have people on their back-up list that would like more work.

Disability organizations

Check with local disability organizations such as Centers for Independent Living (CILs). They will be able to tell you about good resources in your area. Often CILs maintain a list of people who will work as PAs. They may have bulletin boards or web sites where you can place ads. It is good to connect with these organizations. They may provide other services that can be helpful to you.

Colleges and Universities

These schools have a ready supply of students looking for part-time jobs to earn extra money. There are a number of ways to reach these workers:

• ads in college newspapers
• campus personnel or employment offices
• campus disability resource centers
• student clubs and organizations with an interest pre-med, nursing, rehabilitation, or related therapies

Usually students are available for two or more years. College students have much to recommend them. They are young, healthy, and strong with flexible schedules. Consider hiring juniors and seniors. These students are more established in the college routine and more mature. College students may not be available over holidays and vacation periods. The best time for recruitment of college students is at the beginning of the term. The worst time to recruit is the last three or four weeks of the term when papers are due and final exams occur.

Local community

You can place flyers or 3X5 card ads on community bulletin boards. Bulletin boards often are located in supermarkets, libraries or town information boards. Be sure to follow the directions given for posting on these boards. If you do not follow the rules, your notice may be removed. Senior Citizen organizations also provide information about resources in your community.

Local employment office

The local government employment office is a place where unemployed people go to look for work. This office may refer people to you if you list your job with them.

Employment agencies

These agencies can send you candidates to interview. However, they usually charge a fee.

Home health agencies

Home health agencies are businesses that provide workers with a number of skills. Many of these workers are licensed or certified.

An agency can help when your recruiting is not providing you with enough applicants, or if you need help immediately. You may intend to hire your own PA but need agency help for a short time. Be sure to tell the agency that you are requesting temporary help. Do not to sign a contract with the agency for a longer period of time than it will take to complete your hiring process.

Local medical facilities

Local hospitals and rehabilitation facilities also will know about resources for workers in your area. Discharge planning offices often maintain lists of aides for people who will need assistance at home. Sometimes their workers may not be fully employed and may wish to "moonlight". You will need to be sure that anyone you hire from this pool knows and understands the concept of "consumer direction"--that you are the boss. These facilities may or may not allow you to post a notice of your PA job.

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Advertising the Job

There are three traditional ways you can advertise the job: flyers or posters, 3x5 cards, and newspaper ads. If you are at ease with computers you could place an ad on an electronic bulletin board. You would use the same type of ad as a newspaper or possibly the 3x5 cards.

What makes a good ad?

A good ad gets the applicants' attention with a catchy headline. It follows with more detail about the headline. It provides a brief job description, a sense of urgency and contact information.

Whether you use flyers, 3x5 cards or newspaper ads, you have to get people's attention. What is attractive about the job you have to offer? Flexible hours, free meals, living quarters, travel. These should be listed up front to catch the attention of applicants.

Write a draft of your ad including everything you think is important. See if some words can be abbreviated. If the ad is still too long, determine what absolutely must be in the ad. Begin cutting words to get to the affordable size.

Al DeGraff, who relates his extensive experience with recruiting in his books (see Resources), says you must include a sense of urgency. "Call now." "Needed now." "Immediate need." "Apply by March 15".

Bulletin boards

Bulletin boards are good places for posting a flyer. A flyer allows you to write a longer description of your job offering. Some bulletin boards may only allow you to post 3x5 cards. Many bulletin boards have limits on how long they will allow a flyer or card to be posted. Some say that college bulletin boards produce the largest number of applicants. Other bulletin boards to explore are those in libraries, malls, apartment complexes, health facilities, supermarkets and community bulletin boards. Choose bulletin boards that have a reputation for being read by many people. Be sure to ask managers of apartment complexes and health facilities if they allow outside postings.

Flyers or Posters

Flyers allow you the greatest flexibility to use your creativity and to give the most information about the job. Choose a bright color for your flyer. Be sure that the color is easy to read. You may wish to design your flyer with a tear-off across the bottom that has your name and phone number on it for the convenience of the potential applicant. In a flyer you can elaborate on any of the following that apply:

• Catchy help wanted headline
• Brief personal profile
• Live-in or out
• Duties and requirements (e.g., driver's license)
• Experience if required
• Gender preference
• Location--general area, not a specific address
• Hours and days needed
• Perks, if any (e.g., travel)
• Preferences--smoking, non-smoking, non-drinking
• Contact information--time to call
• References required

Sample Flyer

3x5 cards

Cards allow less information than the flyer but much more than an ad. Cards should include the basic information listed above. Type your message on bright-colored index cards.

Sample Card

Newspaper ads

First, review the types of newspapers in your community to determine which might be the best one to advertise in. Most communities have daily, weekly, weekly free papers and shoppers throwaway papers.

Second, check to see what the charges are for each of them. Throwaway papers often do not charge for ads unless you are successful. However, you need to determine if they are a good place to advertise.

Ads in daily papers will be more expensive. Often they offer special rates for a weekend--Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Sometimes they offer ten day special rates covering two weekends and the week between them. Generally, newspapers charge by the line so being brief is important.

Newspaper ads must be concise. Your ad should include the following:

• a catchy headline
• positive personal quality or area of interest that does not invade your privacy
• live-in or out
• job duties
• days, hours needed
• gender preference
• experience if required
• how to contact you, best time to call
• references required

Stating a best time to call helps you in several ways. (1) You are not required to be at home all of the time to get calls (2) it shows you whether the applicant can follow directions.

For your safety, do not put your specific address in any of your ads. Use only your first name and phone number. You do not want strangers showing up at your home unannounced. If necessary, you can indicate a general area "near the #20 busline in the Gramercy area."

Below are samples of ads that Al DeGraff says works.

Sample Ads

Some of these materials are adapted from Home Health Aides: How to Manage the People Who Help You, (p. 304), by A.H. DeGraff, c. 1988, Saratoga Access Publications, Fort Collins, Colorado, www.saratoga-publications.com; and Caregivers and Personal Assistants (pp. 234 -238), by Alfred H. DeGraff, Saratoga Access Publications, Fort Collins, Colorado [Copyright Alfred H. DeGraff 2002], www.saratoga-publications.com. Reprinted with permission.

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