Arranging a meet and greet before booking your first shift with a new client is optional, but it is a great way to find out if the client is a good fit for you.
A meet and greet is like an informal interview. It is a chance for you and the client to get to know each other and understand the skills they are looking for in a worker. This would generally take the form of a short meeting, either in person or via phone or video call - be sure to discuss with your client the most suitable approach for each of you. Below are some key points to consider when talking to a new client.
What information should you share?
Meeting a person for the first time can be daunting. This guide shares some tips and tricks to help you feel confident and comfortable in a meet and greet with a potential client. Ultimately, it’s about determining if you have the skills and qualities that the client needs and make sure both you and the client want to commence the support relationship.
- Introduce yourself: Tell the other person a little bit about yourself. This can help the client to feel less nervous, and starts the process of them getting to know you! This could include your hobbies and interests, especially if the client is looking for someone with shared interests.
- Get to know the client: Be sure to ask questions that will help you decide if you are going to be a good fit for the client, and answer any questions they may have.
- Talk about your experience: Sharing your experience as a support worker helps the client understand if you are suited to provide the support they need. It is important that you are honest about your ability. Don’t worry if you don’t have the specific skills a client is looking for. Often, a client will be happy to teach you and show you how to best support them. When you support someone with certain support requirements, for example epilepsy, you will have access to online Hireup learning modules.
- Talk about your availability: Being upfront about your availability will help the client to determine whether or not you will be a suitable match to their team. Remember, it is not a client’s job to be flexible around your schedule.
What questions should you ask?
It’s important to ask the right questions during a meet and greet, to make sure you have all the information you need. Asking the right questions will help you understand if you’re equipped to provide the support the client requires. Some great questions to get started include:
- What type of support are you looking for?
- What does a shift normally look like?
- Are you willing to provide me with some practical training to help me understand the specific way you like your support delivered? (This is helpful if you are unfamiliar with a certain support type)
- Do you have any questions for me?
Making sure you feel comfortable and confident with their support requirements is the best way to ensure support goes well for you, and the client!
What to do:
- Be on time. Remember, a meet and greet is like an informal interview and first impressions count! If you find yourself running late, let the client know
- Keep the meet and greet to around 15 minutes
- Keep the conversation professional and relevant to the support the person requires
- Ask questions so you get a good understanding of what is required
- Hireup strongly recommends that all communication take place within the messages function of the Hireup platform. If this doesn’t work for you, communication via phone can take place if both people feel comfortable with it.
What not to do:
- Ignore the client. If after the meet and greet ends, you don’t think that you are the right fit, let them know.
- Arrive late or cancel without notice
- Start training on the spot. A paid buddy shift or a first shift is the opportunity for training.
- Don’t ask questions that aren’t relevant to the support provided, particularly about sensitive information such as disability type or other medical information.
What next?
Not everyone you meet will be the right person to work with, and that’s OK. It’s important to communicate with the person to let them know that you are eager to join their team or that you don’t think you’re the right person for the job. Hireup can help you with this if you don’t know how to have that conversation.
If you want to continue the relationship
- Send a message on Hireup to the client after the meet and greet to let them know that you’re interested and keen to start working with them
- Remember it is up to the client to decide if they want to book you for a shift
If you don’t want to continue the relationship
This is where you want to let the client know that maybe you don’t think you are suitable for the support they are needing. This can be a difficult conversation to have.
- Always remember to thank the person for their time.
- Let the client know that you won’t be able to meet their support requirements. For example, “Thank you for taking the time to meet with me. I don’t think I will be the most suitable person to support you with your needs, my experience/availability does not match up with what you are looking for.” OR, “I'm sorry but I don’t feel I am fully equipped to support you. Thank you for meeting with me, and I hope that you find the right support worker to assist you!”
- If you are not comfortable having this conversation, Hireup can help guide you. Contact the team on (02) 9113 5933 or send an email to hello@hireup.com.au