How to hire a health care social worker

How to hire a health care social worker, step by step

Here's a step-by-step health care social worker hiring guide:

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the health care social worker you need to hire. Certain health care social worker roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a health care social worker to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a health care social worker that fits the bill.

   This list presents health care social worker salaries for various positions.

   Type of Health Care Social Worker	Description	Hourly rate
   Health Care Social Worker	Social workers help people solve and cope with problems in their everyday lives. One group of social workers—clinical social workers—also diagnose and treat mental, behavioral, and emotional issues.	$14-26
   Provider	Health care providers are health professionals and health organizations offering health care treatment and diagnosis services. These professionals play significant roles with patients through consultation, treatment, and advice... Show more	$17-50
   Attending, Ambulatory Care	An attending, ambulatory care is responsible for providing patient care, supporting ongoing treatment of health issues, and managing recovery through coordinating with attending physicians or other medical professionals. They evaluate medical records, including history and consultation purposes, develop a necessary care plan, keep an accurate medical chart, and schedule laboratory tests and follow-up as needed... Show more	$9-20

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Social Work
   • Patients
   • Meal Preparation
   • Community Resources
   • Patient Care
   • Home Health
   • Physical Therapy
   • Vital Signs
   • Medicaid
   • Discharge Planning
   • Crisis Intervention
   • Laundry Services
   • Social Services
   • Developmental Disabilities

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Respond to and assist in behavioral codes working as a team member to successfully manage patient using methods obtain in CPI training
   • Assist in coordinating health care benefits with Medicare, Medicaid and private insurers.
   • Work with clients for fill basic home cleaning, cooking, and healthcare needs.
   • Aid in completion of any forms such as Medicaid, food stamps, etc.
   • Comply with HIPAA regulations regarding patient privacy and confidentiality.
   • Discharge planning for those resident under going short-term physical rehabilitation.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your health care social worker job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A health care social worker salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, health care social workers' average salary in south dakota is 50% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level health care social workers earn 45% less than senior-level health care social workers.
   • Certifications. A health care social worker with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a health care social worker's salary.

   Average health care social worker salary

   $42,237yearly

   $20.31 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level health care social worker salary

   $31,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 20, 2025

4. Writing a health care social worker job description

   A health care social worker job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a health care social worker job description:

   Health care social worker job description example

   The Social Worker I (MSW)/ Social Worker II (LCSW or LMFT) applies principles of Social Work and other behavioral health practices to provide patients and families with assessment, interventions, support, advocacy, and case management as a primary provider and/or as ancillary support to the primary medical provider. In all departments, practices as a member of multi-disciplinary team, in the provision of clinical intervention and support to patients and families. The Social Worker assesses, develops treatment plans, and intervenes to address the needs identified in the assessment and by the Team. Utilizes knowledge of culture, age, and developmental stages to develop treatment plans and provide interventions, either as an independent practitioner or as a member of a clinical team. Also may provide support and debriefing to RCHSD staff following traumatic events. The Social Worker I may provide supervision to Social Work and/or MFTT Interns, at the discretion of the Supervisor and as allowed by the academic institution. The Social Worker II, as assigned, will provide supervision to Interns and unlicensed staff and may also participate in administrative duties, as assigned by the Supervisor.
   MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
   
   **SOCIAL WORKER I (ACSW, AMFT, APCC)**
   
   Master's Degree in Social Work, Counseling, Therapy, or related field
   
   Registration with the State of California as an ACSW or AMFT or APCC, as appropriate
   
   CA Driver's License and Proof of Auto Insurance, if applicable
   
   1 year of experience and/or 1 year pediatric professional experience
   
   **SOCIAL WORKER II (LCSW, LMFT, LPCC)**
   
   Master's Degree in Social Work, Counseling, Therapy, or related field
   
   Licensure in the State of California as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist (LMFT), or Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC)
   
   CA Driver's License and Proof of Auto Insurance, if applicable
   
   2 years of experience and/or 2 years pediatric professional experience
   
   PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
   
   3 years of experience (SWI) or 4 years of experience (SWII)
   
   Experience in assessments and treatment of children and adolescents
   
   Experience in trauma, bereavement, chronic illness, catastrophic diagnosis, family violence, child protection, and bio-ethical issues
   
   Experience working in an acute-care hospital setting
   
   Certification in Clinical Supervision in the State of California
   
   Knowledge of evidence-based practices utilized in clinical interventions
   
   EOE including disability/vet

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find health care social workers for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any health care social workers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level health care social workers with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your health care social worker job on Zippia to find and recruit health care social worker candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit health care social workers, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   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 health care social worker

   Once you have selected a candidate for the health care social worker 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 also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is 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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