Hopefully good information, sometimes my brain goes off on weird tangents.
Wow, this is exactly what I needed! The breakdown of large vs. small providers gave me some clarity about who I want to work with. Iāve been wondering how to streamline my search and now I feel like I have a solid plan.
Thank youš
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I am glad it helped.
I love how detailed this is Lauren, but you really gave me a laugh with the āgreat wall of textā comment. Iām so guilty of that! Never thought about how much easier it is for others to process when itās broken down like this.
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You definitely want the right people to want to read it.
Iāve tried the ādue to the nature of my disabilityā line and itās actually great at keeping inappropriate candidates away. Like you said, itās necessary to be clear from the start to avoid headaches later. Its just about having the courage to do it and realising that the right providers will be open to negotiation on different things.
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Awesome post Lauren! But quick question: how do you deal with people who apply even though they clearly donāt meet the requirements?
I find myself stuck in those conversations anyway and itās exhausting.
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I only reply to the emails where they stated whether/how they meet each of my requirements. I end up ignoring a lot of applications. People will always try so I focus on people who put effort into the response.
Iāve been in a cycle of mismatches and starting to think Iām just too picky, but I think Iāve been putting the wrong information out there.
Asking about extra skills or relevant experience for specific tasks like hydrotherapy or cooking is such a simple detail, but I bet it would make a huge difference in getting someone who actually knows what theyāre doing in that area.
Setting boundaries is a big one too. Itās easy to forget to clarify things like cancellation policies, but they make such a difference. Iām inspired to get more organised with my search!
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Hopefully it gets you some better luck finding just the right person.
I like the tip about using an email address for applications. Iām going to set one up for the next time Iām needing to find someone.
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It saves a lot of hassle and ornagises things easier. Plus you can delete the whole thing if it gets annoying for any reason.
Oh, this is fantastic Lauren. I wish I had this info 12 months ago 
. I never thought about how a support worker ad could be so structured and organised. I always end up in these never ending back and forths trying to explain myself. Your list really simplifies everything.
Iām definitely guilty of the āgreat wall of textā haha. Trying to say everything at once instead of breaking it down. Iām going to try your format. I think itāll help me avoid info overload and make things clearer. And I love the idea of adding something about my hobbies to give it a personal touch. Itās such a good way to find someone who might click on a personal level too.
@David I know right! The email address is a great little tip.
Random question about your business Lauren. I looked at your listing and noticed youāre in Victoria. Would it ever be on the cards for you to expand interstate? Iām in Queensland. Do you know many providers of your size providing care interstate?
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The weather is definitely a lot better up there 
At the moment we are still building up here in Victoria (Jess is actually based in Sydney most of the time now since she had a baby and wanted to be close to her family for a while).
Plans of expanding are probably a while off, especially since we are only at the start of building up contacts and networking outside our area. We had considered collaboration with another company in NSW. But so far I havenāt found any similarly sized providers who have compatible business practices and goals.
Iāve been approaching this with the subtlety of a classified ad, but youāve turned it into a personalised story.
Iām tempted to write my ad as a bit of a narrative, like āHi, Iām Charlie, an avid gardener who needs someone patient enough to listen to my theories about plant care while helping with daily tasks.ā Might be an offbeat approach, but I feel like someone who resonates with that might just be the right person for me!
Do you think thereās such a thing as getting too specific, though? I canāt help but wonder if Iāll accidentally weed out some good people by getting overly detailed.
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Thatās kind of the point though. To weed out people who may be good but not ideal. There are a million and one support workers out there. Weāre fortunate in that we can be a little pickier.
The only time Iād be less picky would be if I lived rural/remote.
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True Michael.
It makes sense to really narrow it down, especially if that means finding someone Iāll truly connect with in the long run.
I guess being too broad would probably just lead to more filtering later anyway.
@Charlie_Ward i have seen examples of too specific. One ad read:
Criteria:
Must be between 35 and 40
Must be female
No religious people
No non english background people
Must understand bipolar disorder
I want someone who knows how to hold a conversation
Must be a good cook
Must be able to be quiet
Must not have any other participants
Must be available 3 hours a day Monday to Wednesday
Must be on call all other times
Must not bill for phone calls when im asking for help or just want to talk
No one with kids
No one with a second job
No students
The ad never stated what they needed and on top, considering the main demographic, ruled out almost everyone. And the ones who may have fit the criteria felt barked at and disrespected and were not keen.
I encourage detail about your hobbies, the tasks you need and specific skills you need. I encourage preferences but thats where sometimes people go a bit overboard. I always say 4-5 will usually cover your must haves and anything else is a bonus. I discourage trying to dictate what workers are doing in their personal time. They either fit the times you need or they donāt.
Honestly, the way you structured the ad template is so helpful. In the past Iāve received responses from people who clearly didnāt even read half the ad. I think that adding the instruction to email with a bit about themselves could make a big difference for sorting out whoās actually interested versus whoās just throwing their name in the hat.
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Itās like people donāt read beyond the first line sometimes. Instant disqualifier. If you canāt be bothered reading my job ad, you sure as heck aināt going to be bothered to provide an adequate level of care.
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