Hiring Tips for AFC & HFA: What to Look for Beyond the Background Check
- logan rosenbrock
- Aug 25, 2025
- 3 min read
How to Build a Reliable, Compassionate, and Compliant Care Team
Hiring staff for an Adult Foster Care (AFC) home or Home for the Aged (HFA) facility in Michigan is about much more than checking off a fingerprint clearance and CPR card.
While background checks are essential, they only tell you who a person was. To build a care team that’s dependable, compassionate, and audit-ready, you need to look deeper.
Here’s what to look for — and how to hire smarter in 2025.
✅ Yes, Start With the Basics (But Don’t Stop There)
Michigan requires all AFC and HFA staff to have:
A completed Licensing Record Clearance (BCAL-1326A)
A Live Scan fingerprint background check (RI-030)
Medical clearance if direct care is provided
CPR and First Aid certification
Evidence of required in-service training (resident rights, safety, fire prevention, etc.)
These requirements are non-negotiable — but they don’t guarantee a great hire.
🔍 What to Look for Beyond the Background Check
1. Emotional Maturity & Stress Management
Caring for vulnerable adults means dealing with:
Behavioral changes
Medical emergencies
Family tension
Last-minute changes or long shifts
Ask:
“Tell me about a time a resident refused care — how did you handle it?”
“How do you manage stress after a hard shift?”
You want staff who stay calm under pressure and don’t take resident behavior personally.
2. Reliability & Work Ethic
Documentation and care tasks are time-sensitive. If someone is frequently late, distracted, or careless, it will show up in audit findings, MAR errors, or incident reports.
Ask:
“How do you stay organized on a busy shift?”
“What do you do if you’re running late or behind on your charting?”
3. Empathy & Resident Rapport
Your staff is the heart of your home. Residents know when someone is just “doing a job” versus truly caring.
Look for candidates who:
Speak respectfully about previous residents
Use terms like we, our team, or my client (shows ownership)
Share stories that reflect emotional connection, not just tasks completed
4. Documentation Skills
Many AFC homes fail audits not due to bad care — but due to incomplete or sloppy documentation.
Ask:
“Tell me about a time you had to write an incident report.”
“How do you track what care you’ve provided?”
Consider a short documentation test or scenario to see how clearly they write.
5. Alignment with Your Values
If your facility emphasizes independence, cultural respect, or community connection — make sure your hires share that vision.
Ask:
“What do you value most when working with older adults?”
“What kind of environment helps you do your best work?”
Culture fit = longer retention.
🧠 Bonus Tip: Create a Realistic Job Preview
Walk applicants through:
A sample shift schedule
Charting requirements
Resident personalities or behavioral challenges
Your expectations for teamwork, communication, and responsibility
This filters out those looking for “just a paycheck” and empowers the right candidates to shine.
🚨 Red Flags to Watch For
Can’t give specific examples from past care experience
Blames others for all past issues (“the last place was so disorganized…”)
Avoids answering behavior- or responsibility-based questions
Says “I’m just here to help out — I don’t really do the paperwork part”
🛠️ How Roseberri Can Help
At Roseberri, LLC, we help Michigan AFC and HFA providers:
Develop compliant job descriptions
Create documentation-based interview questions
Design staff onboarding plans tied to LARA and MDHHS requirements
Train staff on professionalism, policy, and recordkeeping
📧 roseberrimanagement@gmail.com🌐 www.roseberri.com 📍 Based in Michigan | Serving remotely statewide
Final Thought: Hire With Audit Day in Mind
The people you hire today will shape your residents’ experience and your facility’s compliance tomorrow.
Hire for heart, but don’t forget the habits — documentation, consistency, and communication are just as important as compassion.
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