What Makes a Good Caregiver? - The Art of Thin-Slicing

Determining if a caregiver will be a valuable employee at the interview is no small feat. There are a multitude of factors to consider, including past experience, hands-on training, knowledge base, and personality. Of course we crave dependability and consistency in caregivers, but how can we tell at the initial meeting if a potential caregiver will be reliable? We can tell through the art of thin-slicing, says author Malcolm Gladwell, in his book "Blink."

Gladwell describes thin-slicing as the ability of or our unconscious to find patterns in situations and behavior, based on minimal "slices" of knowledge and experience. By using the thin-slicing technique, we find it is possible to gather enough necessary information to determine if a caregiver will be a valued employee for the long-term.

Therefore, instead of trying to consider all possible aspects of what makes a good caregiver, focusing on a few main essential traits and thin-slicing the potential employee is often more effective. Does the applicant have a calming personality? Are they sociable and helpful? Are they organized and have original ideas? Do you sense a strong desire to relate to and encourage an elderly individual? What are their emotions as they tell you a story of one of their past clients? Using this observational technique when conducting interviews takes practice, but will most likely bring your percentage of quality caregivers up dramatically. As Gladwell states in his book;

"...judging people's personalities is a really good example of how surprisingly effective thin-slicing can be."

All humans thin-slice. We do it when we meet a new person, or have to analyze a situation quickly, and we rely on our ability to thin-slice to keep ourselves out of danger. Paying attention to a few key personality details can tell you a lot about a person, which is especially important in finding a long-term, valued caregiver.