Qualified Isn’t Enough? What You Should Know When Seeking Employment as a Caregiver
As a caregiver, a CNA or a HHA, it is important to understand, not only the hiring process for a caregiver, but better yet to understand what employers are looking for from their staff members. We reached out to one of the biggest home healthcare companies in the the United States, Bayada Home Health Care. Bayada has been around for a little over 37 years, has over 250 offices, and over 18,000 caregiving employees nationwide. Needless to say these guys know a thing or two about choosing top notch personnel for their clients.
While talking to one of Bayada’s premiere client services managers, Barbara Wiseman, we were able to get a feel for what it is a company like Bayada is looking for in a potential employee. While there were the obvious things caregivers must go through such as background checks, interviews, skills tests, written tests, and proof of experience prior to being hired, there was also a deep sense of values and morals that the company wanted to see in its caregivers. In essence, it’s not enough to be qualified. A company like Bayada is looking for an employee that cares. When talking to Barbara, three values seemed to resonate again and again in the conversation.
- compassion
- excellence
- reliability
As far as Bayada is concerned these three attributes are a must if you are going to be a part of their team. We wanted to take this a step further and try to understand what it was about these three values that were so important that a company like Bayada uses them as “must haves” when considering an employee. So we asked Bayada if we could interview one of their best caregivers in the field in hopes of seeing these three attributes in action.
They introduced us to one of there caregivers Ramona Glenn. She was all but too happy to spend some time with us. We hoped that her advice could shed some light on what it is that her employers claim that she does so well. She had two main tips for the caregivers out there who are really aspiring for greatness in their careers…
1. “Try to do your best for your clients every day.”
2. “Listen to what it is the client has to say. You have to be compassionate; you have to have empathy; you have to truly listen and understand what the client has to say to you. When you establish that ability of communication with a client, you take your care to a new level. But again you have to have that patience, that caring, that concern, that love for your client.
It is a wonderful thing to work with people. To be able to help someone, is one of the most rewarding things you can give yourself. If you can help people that need help, you can really find a lot of value in your career.”
If you think you have what it takes to be a great caregiver, here is a checklist that can possibly help impress employers.
Check list for Best Practices for employment as a CNA, HHA, or Caregiver:
- Get CNA training, get HHA training, get experience as a caregiver (Volunteer if needed).
- Be proficient in your skills and your knowledge base (Practice Tests)
- Demonstrate Reliability (A must for all caregivers)
- Demonstrate your desire for excellence in patient care and your career
- Demonstrate your ability for compassion and empathy
- Be Professional, and be aggressive in your job search
- Be more then “qualified”, show that you can bring something more to the team