How to hire a social worker and what skills to look for

Social workers are the unsung heroes who provide essential support and guidance to vulnerable individuals and communities and make a real impact in their lives in times of need. 

For this, they need a diverse skill set and a compassionate approach to help others deal with a wide array of social, emotional, and psychological challenges.

Whether you’re a non-profit organization, a healthcare facility, a school, or even an individual seeking assistance – in which case you can hire a private social worker – finding the right person is essential for unlocking positive change.

In this article, we’ll discuss how to hire a social worker, the social worker hiring process, social worker skills you should look for, and where you can find the best social workers for hire.

What is a social worker?

A social worker is a licensed and trained professional who works to improve the well-being and quality of life for individuals, families, and communities facing various challenges and difficulties.

Social work is often divided into three levels:

• Micro work is working directly with the individual or families by providing counseling or therapy and assisting them in accessing services

• Mezzo work involves working with groups and communities, for example by conducting group therapy or providing services for community agencies

• Macro work involves fostering change on a large scale by working with government agencies, non-profit service administration, research development, social policy, and advocacy

Social workers are highly skilled at assessing complex situations, connecting people to the resources and services they need, and providing them with emotional and practical support. They work in diverse settings, including healthcare facilities, schools, private practices, government agencies, and non-profit organizations. 

Social worker hard skills

Social workers need a diverse set of skills to be successful in providing appropriate care and services to individuals and communities. 

Here are some of the most important hard skills a social worker should have: 

1. Assessment and evaluation

Social workers assist people in various settings, such as hospitals, schools, and government agencies. They come in close contact with many clients or patients on a daily basis and therefore must be skilled in conducting comprehensive clinical assessments to understand the emotional, psychological, and social factors affecting a person’s well-being.

They should also be adept in identifying potential risks to individuals or communities, such as suicidal tendencies or domestic violence. Assessing the specific needs of clients and communities allows social workers to tailor their approach to each person and coordinate the right interventions with other professionals and teams.

2. Counseling and therapy

Identifying and understanding the impact of trauma and providing trauma-informed care to individuals is an essential skill for social workers. It’s particularly important when working with individuals who have experienced significant trauma in the past, such as violence, natural disasters, or even wars.

Social workers need to be proficient in different therapeutic approaches such as Motivational interviewing (MI), Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT). These skills will help them understand the condition of different individuals and act accordingly.

3. Case management

Social workers are responsible for ensuring that all clients receive adequate assistance and that their demands are met promptly. For this, they should have some core case management skills. They should be able to identify what each individual needs and connect them with appropriate community resources. This includes housing assistance, mental health services, and food programs.

They also need to maintain and organize accurate case records to help track the client’s progress and ensure the accountability of everyone involved.

Do you need to hire a case manager in addition to hiring a social worker? If so, start by reading our guide to creating a case manager job description.

4. Cultural competency

Social workers often assist people from a wide variety of cultures, so they need to be culturally sensitive to understand and respect the unique cultural background of every client and provide culturally competent care.

Another aspect of cultural competency might be the social worker’s proficiency in languages spoken by local communities. Although this is not a must, it’s certainly nice to have, because it’d help them communicate effectively with clients and build a positive rapport with them.

5. Research skills

Research skills are fundamental for social workers. They need to make evidence-based decisions on a daily basis and hence need to have excellent research skills to analyze data and follow a strict code of ethics. 

Social workers also have to evaluate the effectiveness of different programs they participate in and work towards continuous improvement of the lives and well-being of clients.

Social worker soft skills

Soft skills are essential for social workers, because they enable them to build relationships, communicate effectively, and provide the best possible care and support to individuals and communities. 

Here are some of the most essential soft skills any social worker should have: 

1. Empathy and compassion

Every social worker needs to show compassion towards their clients. 

Every client faces a different situation and the social worker should be able to put themselves in their shoes to understand their perspectives, feelings, and what they’re going through. This is central to building trust with the person and working together effectively.

Social workers should excel in listening attentively to clients as well. They need to show genuine interest in what the person is saying and try to validate their emotions and experiences.

2. Communication

Effective communication is an essential skill for any social worker. They work with people from all walks of life and must be able to convey complex ideas and information clearly and concisely, adapting their communication style as needed. 

Awareness of the other person’s facial expressions, tone of voice, and body language also helps build rapport and trust.

Communication can be verbal or non-verbal, but social workers must ensure that they’re always on the same page with clients and colleagues. For this, assessing communication skills during the recruitment process is essential.

3. Problem-solving

Social work is often riddled with challenges and roadblocks. Therefore, social workers need to have excellent critical-thinking skills, enabling them to analyze complex and multifaceted problems, identify solutions, and implement effective strategies. They need to think outside the box to find innovative approaches to unique client challenges.

Adapting to changing circumstances and evolving client needs is also essential. Social workers should be open to new information and adjust their approach accordingly.

4. Patience and self-care

Patience is a key skill for social work. The ability to bounce back from setbacks, such as client relapses or difficult cases, is crucial for long-term success. Social workers must always be patient and kind towards themselves and others. They also need to know how to manage their own stress and maintain a calm and composed demeanor. 

This allows them to deal with difficult and emotionally charged situations efficiently and prevent emotional burnout. Regularly reflecting on one’s work and seeking supervision or counseling to process challenging situations and emotions can enhance self-awareness and self-care.

5. Teamwork and collaboration

The basis of social work is different people working together towards a common objective or goal. 

To provide holistic and comprehensive care, social workers need to collaborate with multidisciplinary teams of psychologists, psychiatrists, medical practitioners, educators, and more. So, they need to be able to be excellent team players, share information such as assessments and progress reports, and advocate for their clients. 

Conflicts are common in a collaborative setting, so social workers must be skilled in resolving disagreements or misunderstandings within teams or among clients.

How to test social workers' skills

Social workers are responsible for assessing the situation of their clients, providing counseling and therapy, responding to crises, developing a community, advocating for their basic rights, and ensuring access to proper care.

These are skills that can’t be evaluated only by screening resumes, nor is it ethical. With the help of pre-employment skills testing, you can efficiently assess every candidate's skills and hire the best social worker for your project.

With TestGorilla, you can combine up to five different tests of your choice to create a customized skills assessment for candidates. Here are our top suggestions of tests you can use when hiring social workers:

• Communication: A social worker must have excellent verbal and non-verbal communication skills to understand clients and coworkers and communicate with them efficiently. 

• Problem-solving: Social work is all about solving complex problems on a daily basis. This test evaluates the candidates' quick thinking and problem-solving abilities.

• Motivation: Intrinsic motivation is essential for the role of a social worker. With this test, you can evaluate whether your candidates’ goals and needs align with yours (by filling out a short survey) and how motivated they’ll be to work at your organization and help others.

• Culture add: Assess candidates’ potential to add to your organization’s culture and whether their values and behaviors align with yours.

• Business ethics and compliance: Hire candidates with a strong ethical compass who can complete their tasks while following company policies.

• Leadership and people management: Look for candidates who can not only follow orders but can lead and inspire others.

If you need more ideas for tests you could use, check out our pre-curated selection of tests for social workers. You can also add customized and pre-qualifying questions and even ask candidates to upload a short video of themselves. 

Social worker interview questions

Once you get the results of your skills assessment, you’ll be able to identify your best talent within your candidate pool quickly and efficiently. The next step is to invite shortlisted applicants to an interview for a more in-depth evaluation of their abilities and experience. 

Below, you’ll find a selection of interview questions you can ask applicants to assess their suitability for the role of a social worker:

1. Can you describe your experience working with vulnerable populations?

2. What motivates you to be a social worker? 

3. How do you maintain your passion and commitment to your work when dealing with particularly complex or difficult cases?

4. How do you assess the needs of a new client? Can you walk us through your process?

5. Tell me about a time when you worked with a multidisciplinary team. What was your role and what were the outcomes?

6. Can you share a challenging case you have managed and the strategies you used to assist the person?

7. Can you share an experience where you had to intervene in a crisis situation? What was your role and what was the outcome?

8. How do you maintain case notes and reports to ensure they are accurate and up-to-date?

9. Can you give an example of a case where you helped a client navigate through available community resources?

10. Have you had experience conducting group therapy or support groups? If so, can you discuss your approach and any challenges you faced?

11. How have you advocated for policy changes or improvements in service delivery at your previous positions?

12. What's your approach to cultural differences? Can you give me an example of a situation where you have adapted your practice to meet the needs of a person from a culture that's very different to yours?

If you need more ideas, you can use our selection of 50 behavioral interview questions or 20 communication interview questions to further assess candidates.

Where to find social workers for hire

In most cases, social workers work within larger structures, but sometimes they might switch to self-employment to gain more control over their schedule and fees. This might mean they establish their own practice or work for other organizations on a part-time basis.

So, when looking to hire a social worker, you have the option to choose between in-house and independent social workers for specific assignments.

Each has its advantages and disadvantages. Here’s where you can find them:

In-house social workers

Many educational institutions and universities offer social-work programs, making them an excellent source to find fresh graduates or interns eager to gain practical experience. 

You can also contact local and national social-work organizations who have job boards and directories to look for qualified social workers.

Some of the advantages of hiring an in-house social worker are: 

• Dedicated presence: In-house social workers are readily available on-site, fostering a sense of connection and collaboration within the organization and its clients

• Team integration: They can provide coordinated care by seamlessly collaborating with other staff members, such as doctors, teachers, or case managers

• Consistency: Having an in-house social worker enables you to provide consistent and ongoing support to clients, building trust and rapport

Among the cons of hiring an in-house social worker, you have: 

• Higher overhead costs: Since the social worker will be on your payroll, employing them will come with overhead expenses such as their salary, benefits, and office space.

• Limited specialization: In-house social workers may have a narrower range of expertise compared to independent contractors who can offer specialized services.

• Staffing Challenges: Hiring, assessing, and interviewing candidates to find the right social worker can be time-consuming and costly.

Freelance social workers

Websites like Upwork, Freelancer, and Fiverr might be useful in some cases, for example, if your team needs assistance with admin work or other behind-the-scenes tasks. 

However, given that most social work is done face-to-face, you’d have a better chance finding the right independent social worker for your organization either on LinkedIn or by reaching out to your professional network or industry contacts.

Here are some of the pros of hiring a freelance social worker:

• Cost-effectiveness: Independent workers’ overhead costs are lower compared to in-house staff, making them a more budget-friendly option.

• Specialization: You can hire social workers with highly specialized skills, based on the needs of your project.

• Flexibility: You can hire freelancers on a project basis or for short-term contracts, providing flexibility in staffing.

As for the cons of hiring a freelance social worker, here are some things to consider: 

• Working from home isn’t necessarily compatible with social work: Freelancers may not be able to be physically present at your organization, which can affect their relationship with clients and the depth of their integration with your team. Consider hiring social workers who are able to come on site at least some of the time. 

• Potential availability issues: Independent social workers may have other commitments that affect their response time and availability – and might be managing their own practice.

The average salary of a social worker

Social work is a broad category that encompasses multiple roles and responsibilities. The average salary of a social worker depends on several factors, such as education, experience, specialization, caseload, location, and demand.

Licensure and certification also play a key role in deciding the salary of a social worker. Licensed clinical social workers (LCSWs) often earn more than their non-licensed colleagues. 

According to Indeed.com, the average salary of a social worker in the US is $61,776 per year or $32.52 per hour. The range varies a lot, with the highest-paid workers earning more than $93,000 per year.

Hire a skilled and empathetic social worker with the help of skills assessments

The position of a social worker comes with a high degree of responsibility. The well-being of your organization’s clients or patients depends on the people you hire for your team – so, it’s easy to see why you need to carefully assess every candidate’s skills before hiring.

TestGorilla offers a series of skills-based tests that will help you streamline your social worker hiring process and find candidates who have the dedication, commitment, and compassion necessary for the role. 

And, best of all, you’ll be able to objectively assess applicants’ skills, eliminating any unconscious bias from the hiring process. 

Explore our huge test library to find the tests that best fit your recruitment needs.

Start your free trial today and hire a skilled and empathetic social worker, bias- and stress-free.