How do I verify the background and references of a personal support worker?

Request professional references and conduct thorough background checks, including criminal record and vulnerable sector screenings if required in your area. Contact previous employers or supervisors to confirm work history and gather insights into the candidate’s reliability, professionalism, adaptability and teamwork skills.

Should I hire independently or through an agency?

Hiring through an agency offers benefits like pre-vetted candidates, scheduling support, and backup staff in case of absence. However, independent hiring may provide more flexibility and control over the selection process and terms of employment. Consider your comfort with managing payroll, contracts, and supervision when making this decision.

How to Hire a Personal Support Worker [Updated 2025]

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Indeed’s Employer Resource Library helps businesses grow and manage their workforce. With over 15,000 articles in 6 languages, we offer tactical advice, how-tos and best practices to help businesses hire and retain great employees.

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1 min read

Do you need to hire a personal support worker? By providing essential care and support to individuals, a personal support worker helps foster a healthier, more inclusive workplace, ultimately enhancing employee wellbeing and organizational productivity.

Understanding the steps behind hiring a personal support worker, including job-seeker data, salary information and key terms to include in your job description, can help you stand out from the competition to effectively attract and hire quality candidates.

Hire your next Personal Support Worker today.

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Hire your next Personal Support Worker today.

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Support Worker: What is the cost of hiring?

What is a personal support worker?

A personal support worker (PSW) is a trained professional who assists individuals with daily living activities, such as personal hygiene, mobility and meal preparation, often in healthcare or residential settings. PSWs play a crucial role in promoting independence and enhancing the quality of life for those in need, while also supporting the broader organizational goals by ensuring a safe and caring environment.

Why hire a personal support worker?

Hiring a personal support worker ensures individuals receive expert assistance with daily living activities, enhances workplace inclusivity, and supports overall employee well-being. Companies may consider hiring a PSW when current staff are overextended with caregiving duties, when client or employee needs for direct personal care increase, or when maintaining a safe and supportive environment becomes challenging.

Contributions of a great personal support worker:

Delivers compassionate, personalized care to individuals in need.
Promotes independence and a higher quality of life for clients.
Fosters a safer, healthier, and more inclusive workplace environment.

Defining your hiring needs for a personal support worker

Begin by assessing the specific care and support needs within your organization to determine the required scope and volume of PSW services. Establish an accurate budget and select a suitable job title, such as personal support worker or care aide, based on the responsibilities and local standards. Determine whether the role should be full-time, part-time or freelance, taking into account workload fluctuations and budget constraints. If there is confusion between PSWs and similar roles, such as nursing assistants or home health aides, review detailed role comparisons to clarify the distinctions and ensure the best fit.

What are the types of personal support workers?

When writing your personal support worker job description, consider including some or all of the following keywords to improve the visibility of your job posting. These are the most popular search terms leading to clicks on personal support worker jobs, according to Indeed data:

support worker
caregiver
community support worker
home support worker
hospital support worker
care aide
health care assistant (HCA)

Want more hiring insights for your personal support worker role? Sign in or create your free Indeed account.

Where to find a personal support worker

To find the right invoice clerk for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

Networking: Local healthcare job fairs, such as those hosted by provincial health authorities or the Canadian Healthcare Association, often connect employers with experienced candidates.
Trade associations: Trade associations like the Ontario Personal Support Workers Association and similar organizations in other provinces offer directories and member events for hiring.
Community college alumni networks: Many institutions maintain alumni directories and host employer-student networking events, offering access to recent graduates trained in business administration and invoicing systems.

Post your job online: Try posting your personal support worker job on Indeed to find and attract quality personal support worker candidates.

Skills to look for in a personal support worker

A successful personal support worker candidate will typically have the following skills and competencies, which may be gained through a variety of experiences, training, or education:

Compassion and empathy for clients’ diverse needs and backgrounds.
Strong communication skills (verbal and written) for interacting with clients, families, and healthcare teams.
Ability to maintain client dignity, privacy, and confidentiality.
Proficiency in assisting with activities of daily living (ADLs) such as bathing, grooming, dressing and feeding.
Safe patient handling and mobility techniques.
Observation and reporting skills to monitor health changes and communicate effectively with supervisors.

Writing a personal support worker job description

Now that you know the key skills, salary expectations, popular job-seeker search terms and hiring insights for a personal support worker, you’re ready to write a job description.

A personal support worker job description typically includes a compelling summary of the role, a detailed list of duties and responsibilities, and the required and preferred skills for the position. You may also want to include information about your company culture, benefits, and perks to attract candidates to your open role.

Ready to get started? See our full guide for writing personal support worker (PSW) job descriptions.

Interviewing personal support worker candidates

Strong candidates for personal support worker positions will be confident in answering questions regarding:

Safe and effective techniques for assisting with daily living activities, including bathing, grooming and mobility.
Recognizing and reporting changes in a client’s physical or mental health to supervisory staff.
Implementing proper infection control and hygiene procedures in various care settings.
Adapting to challenging situations with flexibility, professionalism and teamwork.
Applying knowledge of chronic illnesses, mental health conditions or specialized care (such as dementia or palliative care) to support individualized client needs.

Need help coming up with interview questions? See our list of personal support worker interview questions for examples (with sample answers).

FAQs about how to hire a personal support worker

Look for personal support workers (PSWs) who have completed accredited training programs and, ideally, hold relevant certifications. Experience in similar care environments, such as working with chronic illnesses, mental health conditions or specialized care (e.g. dementia, palliative care), is highly valuable. Assess their commitment to ongoing learning and professional development, as well as their understanding of professional boundaries and ethical standards.