SOCIAL CARE WORKERS LACK INTERVIEW CONFIDENCE

Workers in the social care sector are experiencing a number of difficulties with the interview process, according to a survey carried out by specialist recruiter Randstad Care.

The research found that just 27% of social care employees consider themselves well-practiced interviewees, while 19% say that they are ‘rusty’ and 40% claim that they have never been proficient in an interview scenario.

The percentage of workers who declared themselves confident in their interviewing ability matched the UK average across other sectors (27%). However, the proportion who conceded that they had never been any good in interviews (40%) was considerably higher than the average in other professions (26%).

Victoria Short, Managing Director of Randstad Care, said: “There is nothing to suggest that there is any problem with the quality of social care professionals we produce in this country, but a lack of confidence in interviews may be preventing workers from moving as freely as they would like between roles or even landing their first position.”

When asked to compare the difficulty of interviews now with those conducted before the recession, 46% of social care workers felt they had got tougher (compared to the UK average of 41%), the most common answer. None of the social care employees polled felt they had become easier.

In terms of common mistakes made at interviews, more than three-fifths (61%) of social care professionals admitted their mind had gone blank in previous interviews (compared to a 41% UK average) and just over a third (35%) confessed to inadequate preparation (against a UK average of 21%).

Victoria Short added: “Due to the demanding nature of the social care profession, interviews need to be rigorous to ensure that candidates have the appropriate experience and character to handle some of the requirements of the roles available. However, the demands of the profession mean care workers can become time poor and their interview preparation can suffer as a result.”