Preparing for interviews

It's a good idea to prepare yourself for screening and interviewing the applicants. As soon as your ads are completed and placed you need to be ready to respond to calls. One way to help you find the right personal assistant (PA) is for you to be prepared for your interviews. This page will help you to get ready.

This page covers the materials you will need. It provides suggestions about where to conduct interviews to be sure you are safe. It provides some ideas and sample questions to ask. Of course, these are guidelines and you may have your own ideas about what you want to ask an applicant. You also may want to ask the applicant questions about some of the answers given on the application form.

Steps for preparing for interviews:

Prepare materials
Prepare what you need to take to the interviews
Decide where you will conduct first in-person interviews
Have telephone screening questions ready
Have in-person questions ready

Prepare materials

Before you place your ads, be sure you have completed the following:

Task Checklist
Job Description
Job Application
Personal Profile
Work Agreement

If you have not prepared these items, you should do it now. You will need these for interviewing and hiring.

What do you need to take to the first in-person interview?

For the Applicant

It's a good idea to prepare a packet of materials for each applicant. The packet could be sent to the applicant after the telephone screening interview. Most of these materials will not change much from time to time unless your needs or circumstances change. If you prepare them in word processing system, they can easily be modified.

Job Application--If the applicant did not receive an application in advance, you can provide it at the first in-person meeting. Be sure to allow time for the applicant to fill it out. Take an extra one just in case the applicant forgets to bring the one you sent with him.
Personal Profile--This will give the applicant a clear picture of who you are and what services you need.
Job Description--You will review the job description with the applicant to be sure they understand the job.
Task Checklist--This will provide a more detailed look at your schedule

For You

You will need to have:

a copy of all of the items you are giving to the applicant so you can discuss them.
a copy of the Work Agreement. You may not need this at the first interview. Take it with you in case you want to refer to it. It will provide the applicant with the basic requirements of the job.
the list of questions you prepared and a list of any additional questions that arose based on the job application you received from the applicant.

Decide where you want to conduct the first in-person interview

For the first in-person interview you may want to select a place away from your home. This will protect your privacy and insure your safety. This is very important if you live alone. Some places to consider for the first interview could be the home of a friend or family member, a community service agency, or more informally, a coffee shop, ice cream parlor or similar place. Your apartment complex may have meeting or recreational rooms, a library or foyer area where you may be able to conduct your initial interviews.

You may decide to do the interview at home if someone you know and trust recommended the applicant. Even so, you may want to have some one in your home with you.

Warning It is not a good idea to invite strangers into your home. You should consider where you want to conduct the first in-person interviews--at home or in a neutral or more public place. If you decide to do the interviews in your home, have someone in the house so that you are not alone with strangers.

Home of a friend or family member might be the easiest with the least amount of arrangements to make. However, you need to be sure that you are not alone in the home with a stranger.

A community service agency. You may be able to make arrangements with an agency to use a space in its offices for the interviews. Organizations most likely to help you with an interview space are

centers for independent living
area agencies on aging
senior centers
family service agencies
disability services departments of community colleges.
other disability related agencies

Coffee shops, ice cream parlors or similar places. If you choose to meet in a public place, be sure to choose a time when they are not too busy so you can conduct your interview with the least amount of background noise.

Phone screening questions

Phone screening questions should focus on things that are most important to you. You probably should not invite an applicant for an in-person interview if key phone questions are not answered properly. Some suggested questions you might ask follow:

How did you hear about this job? This question is important if you advertise in more than one place. Keep track of this information. It lets you know the best places to advertise.
Briefly tell me about your work experience and education. This will get the person to talk and set him at ease.
Where do you live? This question gives you information about how nearby the candidate lives. Living nearby with reliable transportation improves the chances of the PA
- coming to work regularly
- coming to work on time and be less likely to want to leave early
- wanting to keep the job for a long time
Do you have reliable transportation? This is important. It tells you whether or not you will be able to rely on the PA to be on time regularly and for emergencies.
Do you drive? Do you have a clean driving record? If the job requires the PA to drive, you need to know if they have a clear license to drive. If the PA will be driving your car or van, you will need to be sure your insurance will cover another driver.
Can you lift and transfer (put in number of) pounds? The perfect PAs are of no use, if they have bad backs and the job requires them to lift or transfer a 150-pound person. If there is a part of your routine that has a special need, ask a question about it.
Can you be at my home at 6:00 a.m.? If you have very early or very late time requirements, be sure to ask if the applicant is available and can meet your schedule.
Do you smoke and drink? Phrase this so you get the information you want. If you smoke you should ask if your smoking will bother them.
Are you willing to fill out an application, give six references and have a background check? If they are not willing to do any of these things, you should politely close your telephone interview.

If these questions are answered to your satisfaction, you can proceed to the next step.

Have you ever done this type of work? If the answer is yes, ask them to describe the work. If the answer is no, ask why they would like to do this type of work.
Tell me a little about yourself. Are you a student? Do you work? What do you like to do in your spare time?--Answers to these questions tells you a little more about the person. It gives you a sense if this is someone you can work with.

Now it is your turn to tell the applicant something about yourself and your needs. After you do that, ask:

Does this work sound like work you would be interested in doing?

If the applicant is interested in the job, schedule an in-person interview.

In-person questions

You have asked basic questions on the application form. So it probably is not worth repeating them in the interview. Use the interview to ask discussion type questions. You will have specific questions that you want to ask the applicant. Those questions will help you to make a decision about hiring the person you are interviewing. Some of the questions that follow may not be right for your situation. These suggested questions will help get you started on your own list.

Have you worked or studied with any disabled people? If yes, tell me about it.
What was your best job and why?
What was your worst job and why?
If we were out shopping and someone asked you in front of me what was wrong with me, what would you say?
What interests you about the job of personal assistant?
Tell me about a situation where you made a mistake and how you handled it?
Is there any part of this job that you might find difficult to do?
If one of my other PAs was unable to work, would you be able to cover for her?
Have you ever been terminated or suspended from a job? If yes, what were the circumstances?
Are there any questions you would like to ask me?

Now you are ready to respond to calls you will receive from the ads you place.

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Hiring > Preparing for Interviews