Final Selection

Now it's time to decide which applicant you will hire. If you have screened applicants carefully, interviewed thoroughly, and checked references, you probably have a "gut" feeling about the applicants. This page will help you in the final selection process by covering the following:

Choosing--how to make that final choice
Offering the job
Try-out period
Work Agreement
Medicaid Payer
Back
Prepare for orientation

You completed the interviews. You took notes. You have some "gut" feelings about the applicants. You may have feedback from a current personal assistant (PA). But how do make a good decision? Review what you feel is important to you in a PA. Keeping that in mind, ask yourself some questions about each applicant.

Choosing--How to make that final choice

General Guidelines

Here are a few general guidelines you can use to help you. You might add a few of your own.

Do

trust your "gut" feelings and intuition about the person.
hire someone you feel is trustworthy and who has respect for your privacy.
hire someone who is pleasant and has a positive attitude.
hire someone with good references.
hire someone who can do the work but who can only work for you a short time. This will give you time to look for another PA if the other applicants don't measure up.
hire someone on a trial basis if you or the applicant aren't sure if it will work out.

Don't hire someone

who makes you feel uncomfortable.
you don't like out of desperation for assistance.

Specific Guidelines

Were you satisfied with the answers that the references gave you? Were they willing to rehire this person? That would be a good sign. Does the applicant have a work pattern that is stable, not a job hopper? You would not want to hire someone who has a history of going from job to job.
Was the applicant on time for interviews? For this type of work, being a little late is not acceptable without a really good excuse.
How easily did the applicant find your home or the interview site? Did the applicant tell you anything that showed she could work independently and solve problems? You need a resourceful person who can take directions and solve problems.
Were you comfortable with each other in the interviews? Was the person easy to be with, or was the interview difficult to get through? If the interview was difficult, you probably could expect that it would be difficult working with the applicant.
Did the applicant sit with arms and legs crossed the entire time? Be alert to body language. The applicant may be shy or uncomfortable with someone with a disability. Or, the applicant could be hiding something. Look for a person who is open, who maintains eye contact and leans toward you.
Did the applicant give you the number of references you asked for? If they did not, ask why? If the person claims that they don't know anyone, suggest teachers, minister or rabbi, coaches, or volunteer organizations. If the person really is reluctant to give you references, consider that a big red flag.
Do you think the applicant has the skills and personality to do the job? Does the applicant have experience or training related to the job? Does the applicant seem capable and willing to do the job? Look for skills, experience and personality. You might consider hiring an applicant who doesn't have experience as a PA if he showed he was capable and has had other responsible jobs.
Does the applicant seem healthy, strong, pleasant and energetic? This is a judgment call on your part. These are important to your own health and safety. They also could be indications that you will receive your help in a pleasant and efficient way.
Do you and the applicant have similar lifestyles? This is important if you are hiring a live-in PA.
Was the applicant clean, neat and presentable? Was the applicant dressed appropriately? Can you expect an applicant to keep you and your home clean and neat if he can't be for an interview? This is really important if your PA must help you with personal care.

"Choosing - How to make that final choice" adapted from Home Health Aides: How to Manage the People Who Help You (pp. 323-331), by A.H. DeGraff, Fort Collins, Colorado, 1988. Copyright 1988 by Saratoga Access Publications. http://www.saratoga-publications.com. Reprinted with permission, and adapted from Identifying Attendent Care Needs, Module One in the Attendent Care Management Series, ©1986 Grant MacEwan Community College. Reprinted with permission.

Offering the Job

Once you have narrowed down your choices, list them in the order you prefer. Offer the position to your number one choice. Sometimes the applicant will have second thoughts or may have taken another job. Then you can go to the next person on your list.

When offering the job:

Let the person you hire know what must be kept confidential when you offer the job. It's a good idea not to discuss personal matters until you know them better.
Tell them the start date and time for the first training session.

Once you have offered the job and the applicant has accepted, you should call the other final applicants to let them know you have made a choice. It's nice to be nice. Tell them that you enjoyed meeting them, but that you decided to hire someone whose qualifications best suited your needs. If your back-up system needs workers, ask if they would be willing to serve as a back-up. Also ask if you may pass their name on to other employers who are looking for PAs. Keep their numbers handy. If a PA quits or is sick, you could save time and energy by calling someone who already has been interviewed. If they are available you won't have to go through the recruiting process.

Try-out period

If you or an applicant aren't sure if the job will work out, offer a try-out or trial period. You both can decide on a term for the trial period. Consider a trial of two or three weeks. After that time you can discuss long term employment if you both are satisfied.

Work Agreement

You already have developed a basic work agreement. Now is the time to put in the specific information for this PA. Both of you should sign and have a copy of the work agreement. If you have a probationary period, be sure it is in your work agreement.

If Medicaid is paying your personal assistant

Medicaid has certain basic requirements if it pays for your worker. So be sure that the person you select can meet them if Medicaid is your payer. The worker must

be at least 18 years old.
be a U.S. citizen.
have a valid Social Security Number.
have a valid driver's license if they will be driving you anywhere.
pass a criminal background check.

Back-up Plan

Who will step in to assist you if your PA is not available? You probably can call on family, friends and neighbors once in a while. However, if it is an emergency, they may not be available. You absolutely must have a back-up plan if you rely on your PA to get you out of bed, bathed, dressed, and fed.

You have gone through the recruiting process putting in time, energy and money. If you do not have a back-up plan to cover times when your PA is ill or needs time off, now is a good time to build one. If there are other good candidates that you do not select: ask if they would be willing to serve as back-up, time-off, if person doesn't work out. If they agree to be part of a back-up plan, keep in touch with them so they know that you are still interested. It might even be worthwhile giving them some training with a current PA on the more complex parts of your routine.

A back-up plan can include family, friends or neighbors if they are willing and generally available. If you have more than one PA, for example, one for the morning and one for the evening, they might be part of a back-up plan, spelling each other off.

Another back-up plan is to make arrangements with a home care agency. By contacting them in advance when you do not have an immediate need, you can discuss your situation and make an agreement for future use. Ask them to maintain a file with your basic information.

Prepare for orientation

You need to be prepared for the first day of orientation. Your new PA will need to fill out some forms that you will retain for your records, for identification and for tax purposes. The section on Administration will tell you more about this.

Go to Orientation Next

Hiring > Final Selection