Caregiver interview checklist
32 questions in blocks. Prints onto two A4 pages, so you can tick the answers on paper while you talk.
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How to use it
- The conversation takes 40–60 minutes. From abroad, do it over video with both cameras on.
- Work through the first two blocks before money comes up: the person and their right to work first, terms after.
- Note not only yes or no, but how the answer sounds — confident, with examples from practice, or vague.
- Ask every candidate the same block of questions. You will not be able to compare from memory.
Papers and the right to work
- 1What is your status in Israel and until what date is the visa valid?
- 2Is the permit specifically for elder care (siud), not another sector?
- 3Which licence zone are you allowed to work in?
- 4Which licensed agency (tagid) are you registered with right now?
- 5Will you show me the passport, visa and permit on camera now?
- 6Do you have a police clearance certificate, and when was it issued?
Experience and the medical side
- 7How many years have you worked in care, and how many families?
- 8Tell me about your last client: age, condition, what your day involved.
- 9Which conditions have you handled — dementia, post-stroke, bedridden, diabetes, Parkinson's?
- 10Can you lift and transfer an adult without risking your back or theirs?
- 11What do you do if you suspect a pressure sore is starting?
- 12How do you keep medication on schedule?
- 13What will you do if the person falls and cannot get up?
- 14Have you had care training, and do you have a certificate?
Daily life and fit
- 15Walk me through a day with your client, from waking up to bedtime.
- 16Do you cook, and are you familiar with a kosher kitchen?
- 17How do you feel about pets in the house?
- 18Do you smoke, and where?
- 19Which languages do you speak fluently, and which only a little?
- 20What do you do when the person refuses to eat, wash or take medication?
- 21How do you normally spend your day off?
- 22What would be unacceptable to you in an employer's home?
Terms and money
- 23What rate do you expect, and for what format — month, shift, hour?
- 24How much weekly rest do you need, and on which days?
- 25Are you willing to get up at night, and how many times a night is normal to you?
- 26From what date are you free?
- 27What is the shortest commitment you would agree to?
- 28In your experience, who pays for the worker's medical insurance?
References
- 29Give me phone numbers for your last two employers — I will call them.
- 30Why did the previous job end?
- 31What will that family say about you if I ask about the hard moments?
- 32Have you ever had a conflict with an employer, and how did it end?
Red flags
- Refuses to show documents, or promises to bring them later.
- Asks for money up front for paperwork or for the job itself — that is illegal in Israel.
- Cannot name a single former employer.
- Dodges the question of why the last job ended.
- Agrees instantly to everything, including obviously hard terms and a low rate.
- Pushes for a verbal arrangement instead of a written contract.
- Asks you to transfer money to a third person's card.
After the interview
- Call both previous employers the same day, while the conversation is fresh.
- Check the passport details against the visa: name, number, expiry.
- Arrange a trial day or trial week if the person is already in the country.
- Sign the contract before the first working day, not after.
- Put the rate, the day off, holiday and notice period in writing.
This checklist is for guidance and does not replace legal advice. Data as of 1 апреля 2026. Bayit Care · bayit.care
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