Most interviews focus on qualifications. The ones that find a great support worker focus on fit. Twelve plain-language questions Ontario families can use.
Most support worker interviews sound the same. A family asks about experience and availability. The candidate lists past jobs and says they love helping people. Everyone is polite. And three weeks later the fit is clearly wrong.
The problem is not that anyone was dishonest. It is that the interview measured the wrong things. Resumes and references tell you what a person has done. They tell you very little about how that person will be in your kitchen at 7:30 on a Tuesday morning, or how they will react when plans change, or whether the person they support actually enjoys their company.
The interview is your chance to find out. You do not need a human resources department or a script full of jargon. You need a dozen honest questions, a good ear for the answers, and the person who will actually be supported sitting in the room. That last part matters more than everything else.
This article offers an illustrative example, not a real person's story or a promise about any hiring outcome.
Start with the person, not the position
Before the interview, write down what a good week looks like for the person who will be supported. Not a job description. A life description.
- Mornings start slow. Coffee first, conversation optional.
- Thursdays are for the art class. Getting there on time matters.
- He decides what is for dinner. Support means chopping, not choosing.
- The dog gets walked every afternoon, rain or shine.
- Evenings wind down early. No loud television after nine.
This becomes your real interview rubric. A candidate who loves loud, busy evenings and spontaneous outings might be a wonderful support worker for someone else. They are a poor fit for this person. Qualifications got them to your table. Compatibility is what keeps them there. Experience is only part of the story, and the interview is where you find out the rest.
The 12 questions
Ask them in your own words. What matters is what you are listening for.
1. What drew you to support work?
Listen for something real: a specific experience, a genuine interest in people. Be cautious about answers that could apply to any job. "I like helping people" is fine as an opener, but the follow-up should tell you more.
2. How would you describe a good day supporting someone?
This reveals their values. A good answer is about the other person: they tried something new, they laughed, the day ran on their terms. An answer that is all about the worker (got all my tasks done, no problems) tells you the person supported is not at the centre of their thinking.
3. What does a bad day look like, and how do you handle it?
Every support worker has bad days. You want honesty here, not a claim that they never do. Listen for calm, specific coping: stepping back, asking for help, not taking it personally.
4. How do you respond when someone says no?
This is one of the most important questions on the list. Refusal is communication, and the answer reveals whether the candidate sees the person as an adult with the right to decide. Good answers respect the no and get curious about what is behind it. Bad answers work around it or escalate past it.
5. What would you do if you were unsure about something in the care plan?
You want "ask before acting." The right answer names who they would ask and how. Guessing is never acceptable in support work.
6. How do you handle privacy and boundaries in someone's home?
They will see your home, your routines, your family at its most ordinary. A thoughtful answer shows they have considered this. Listen for specifics: what they would not discuss with friends, how they handle personal information, where their role ends.
7. What do you do for fun outside of work?
This is not small talk. Shared interests are often what turn a service relationship into something better. If the person supported loves classic rock and the candidate plays in a weekend band, that matters more than two extra years of experience.
8. Tell me about a time a plan fell apart in the middle of a shift.
Support work runs on routines, and routines break. A bus does not come. The store is closed. The person just does not feel like it. You want someone who stays steady and improvises without taking over.
9. How do you like to communicate with families?
Text after every shift? A short call? Written notes? There is no single right answer, but it has to match what works for your household. Agree on this before hiring, not after the first miscommunication.
10. Are you comfortable with the transportation in our plan?
Be specific: driving the person's van, city buses, walking with a wheelchair in winter. Confirm the practical details now. Vague agreement about "getting around" causes most of the problems later.
11. What hours actually work for you, and how stable is your schedule?
Reliability is built into the schedule before it ever becomes a behaviour. A candidate juggling three jobs who "should be able" to make Thursdays is not reliable. Someone with a clean, honest fit for the hours is.
12. What would make you leave this job in six months?
It feels like a bold question. Ask it anyway. The answer tells you what they need to stay, and it starts an honest conversation about expectations. Finding flexible work that fits the worker's life is good for everyone, including the family who hires them.
What their answers tell you
Green flags:
- They ask about the person, not just the pay and hours.
- They speak about people they have supported with respect and specificity.
- They are honest about what they cannot or will not do.
- They have opinions about good support and can explain them in plain words.
Red flags:
- They talk about past clients by name or share private details.
- Every answer is about themselves, never about the person they supported.
- They describe the people they have supported as problems to be managed.
- They agree to everything instantly, including things you know are difficult.
- They seem annoyed by the questions. A good candidate welcomes them.
Try before you commit
An interview can only tell you so much. Before hiring, arrange a short paid trial shift. Two or three hours, doing something ordinary: a grocery run, a coffee outing, time at home. Pay for their time. Watch what happens when the script runs out.
During the trial, notice what cannot be faked:
- Do they talk with the person, or only about them?
- Do they ask before moving things, changing plans, or touching belongings?
- Does the person seem relaxed, or are they performing for a guest?
- Would you trust this person alone in your home?
Afterward, ask the person who was supported. Their opinion counts more than yours. They are the one who will live with this choice.
A note on qualifications
Certification and training matter. Understanding what a PSW and a DSW each bring helps you know which role you are hiring for, especially if the plan includes personal care or community development. But the interview is about everything the certificate cannot show: judgment, respect, temperament, and whether this person makes the household calmer or tenser. Hire for those, and the fit has a real chance to last.
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The best interviews do not feel like interrogations. They feel like two people getting to know each other, with the person who matters most sitting at the table, asking their own questions in their own way. Twelve questions, a paid trial, and the person's own verdict. That is the whole system. It works because it treats the person as the employer of their own life, which is exactly what they are.
Important note: This article is general information only and is not medical, legal, tax or financial advice. Passport Funding is a reimbursement program where applicable. Eligibility, approved rates, documentation requirements, deadlines and local processes vary and may change. Before planning around an expense or activity, verify the current requirements with your local Passport agency or Developmental Services Ontario. Information last reviewed: October 2026.