How to hire a grief counselor

How to hire a grief counselor, step by step

Here's a step-by-step grief counselor hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a grief counselor job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new grief counselor
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The grief counselor hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A grief counselor's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, grief counselors from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   Here's a comparison of grief counselor salaries for various roles:

   Type of Grief Counselor	Description	Hourly rate
   Grief Counselor		$15-23
   Counselor Internship	When it comes to Counselor Internship, among the primary responsibilities is to assist in dealing with various activities such as preparing and verifying necessary documentation, observing consultations and outreach programs, guide clients and help develop multiple helpful strategies, and provide assessments. Furthermore, one can conduct counseling and consultation only under supervision... Show more	$14-31
   Substance Abuse Counselor	Substance abuse counselors act as a support system for people with drug and alcohol problems and other behavioral issues. They help the patients control their behavior until they achieve a full recovery... Show more	$12-32

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Patients
   • MSW
   • Community Outreach
   • Emotional Support
   • Educational Workshops
   • Ministry
   • Mental Health Issues
   • Crisis Intervention
   • Art Therapy
   • Crisis Support
   • Caregiver
   • Group Therapy Sessions
   • Educational Presentations
   • Community Resources

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Provide individual grief counseling to hospice and non-hospice community patients in bereavement.
   • Provide anticipatory grief and bereavement counseling support to family members of hospice patients.
   • Work towards empowering juveniles and their families to support a positive lifestyle by providing strength base intensive intervention and rehabilitation services.
   • Organize and lead regular youth and college bible studies, teaching about prayer and promoting spirituality.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your grief counselor job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A grief counselor can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, grief counselors' average salary in tennessee is 16% less than in alaska.
   • Seniority. Entry-level grief counselors 35% less than senior-level grief counselors.
   • Certifications. A grief counselor with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a grief counselor's salary.

   Average grief counselor salary

   $39,859yearly

   $19.16 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level grief counselor salary

   $32,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 18, 2025

4. Writing a grief counselor job description

   A job description for a grief counselor role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a grief counselor job description:

   Grief counselor job description example

   Stillwater Hospice offers a comprehensive full benefits package for staff working 30+ hours weekly:
   

   • Health, Dental and Vision Insurance
   • Mileage Reimbursement
   • Paid Time Off
   • Retirement Plan with Company Match
   • Company provided Uniforms
   • Company provided Basic Life and AD&D Insurance
   • Continuing education, training and tuition assistance, technology and more.

   POSITION OBJECTIVES:

   
   Provide Bereavement intervention for bereaved and/or their families for at least 13 months after the death of their loved one while maintaining confidentiality. To insure that the family and caregiver’s choices regarding bereavement contact or services are honored.

   
   

   To provide education/consultation to all staff and volunteers to aid in grief and loss issues.

   
   

   Provide education in the community on grief and loss issues.

   QUALIFICATIONS:

   
   

   • Master’s degree in Social Work required from an accredited school of social work, or other relative degree such as counseling, divinity or pastoral care.
   • Licensed through Health Professions Bureau, State of Indiana, or actively pursuing this license. Prefer LCSW, or LMFT.
   • Must have experience working with individuals and families who are experiencing loss.
   • Must be able to work with a multi-disciplinary team, integrating skills in bereavement care with our over all hospice mission.
   • Ability to establish rapport with a wide variety of individuals.
   • Must have Indiana motor vehicle operator's license and have access to automobile with current automobile insurance coverage.

   
   

   
   
   

   
   

   Stillwater Hospice formerly Visiting Nurse has been caring for the seriously ill of Northeast Indiana since 1888, and our goal is to foster the optimal quality of life through medical, spiritual and emotional support for patients and their loved ones. We provide high-quality, patient-focused, and compassionate care that helps terminally ill patients and their families live as fully as possible. Providing hospice care allows patients and their families to have meaningful moments together.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find grief counselors for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your grief counselor job on Zippia to find and recruit grief counselor candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting grief counselors requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new grief counselor

   Once you have selected a candidate for the grief counselor position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new grief counselor. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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