Interviewing A Nanny
How do I shortlist nannies for interview?
To shortlist nannies for interview, you need to decide exactly what you're looking for before you start talking to nannies. Do you need full time or part time? Do you need live-in or live-out? Are you looking for someone older or would you prefer someone younger that would be happy to work alongside the mother? When meeting nannies you know instantly from her personality whether she is going to fit -or he is going to fit- in your home. So when you have decided that you feel comfortable around a few girls or male nannies, you should invite them back to your home and have them meet your children. If your children are old enough to talk, you should ask your children's opinion as well because they are the ones that are going to be spending the day with them. It's always a good idea if the children are young –maybe babies- to have a second round interview, perhaps with your mother or your mother-in-law, who would also have an opinion about the person.
How many nannies should I interview?
It is always good to interview at least two or three nannies before choosing your nanny. Even if you interview the first person and you love them, interviewing a second person can always be just as good for peace of mind because you have comparison. If you really like a nanny when you interview them make sure that they're aware of that because it's very easy for a good nanny to find a job. And if she doesn't know that your are interested in her she might find another job the next day and you would have lost her.
Should I interview the nanny in my own home?
It's always a good idea to interview a nanny in your own home. If you ask her to meet you in a café, you're not going to be in a comfortable environment to find out a lot about her. She also might find it a bit odd because she wants to come and feel she's comfortable in your home as well. If you interview her in a café, it's likely she may not be very interested in the job because she has no idea what the environment is going to be like that she will be working in.
What attributes should I look for in a nanny?
The attributes you should look for in a nanny are someone who truly loves childcare. They should instantly be interested in your children and be asking a lot of questions about your children the moment the interview starts. If your children are around, they should address your children personally and not just yourself. They shouldn't ever talk about what they want to do in the future; if it has nothing to do with childcare, what they're planning in the future, it means that they're not really a good nanny. A nanny should be someone who's loving and fun and you should look for someone who perhaps has done a childcare course because that means they're much more serious. A nanny should be full of ideas and things to do with children no matter what age they are at. They should have good ideas of food to cook for the children and they should also have an interest in what there is to do around where you live for the children.
Are childcare qualifications important?
Qualifications can be an indication that a nanny is serious about her profession, but I personally wouldn't put it as the number one priority for when you're choosing a nanny. If a nanny comes to you and she has 15 years of experience but no child care qualifications, you should probably think that puts her ahead of someone who has only two years of experience, but also a child care qualification. Experience is everything when you're dealing with children.
What should the nanny bring to the interview?
When you're interviewing a nanny, she should bring her CV with her. Even if you have all these things already from the agency, or she's emailed them to you or sent them to you before the interview, she should bring her CV. That is, the original copies of any qualifications she has and an original first aid certificate. She should bring two forms of photo ID. This is very important because if someone is going to be looking after your children, you must be sure that she is who she says she is. She should bring with her police check, the original of this. If she doesn't have a police check, ask her to get one before you hire her. If she's willing to do one, and you see that she's willing to do one, that should fill you with a bit more confidence. She should bring the originals of any references that she has, and she should also provide you with telephone numbers for previous referees. It's preferable to have a landline telephone number for a referee, because anyone can have a mobile phone. That is the safest way to go.
What questions should I ask the nanny?
With the kind of questions you should ask a nanny, you should reference her CV when you're sitting talking to her. If she's written down in her CV she worked from 2004 to June 2006 and there is nothing after June 2006, you should find out what she was doing between then and now. Any gaps in her CV, query. Ask her specific questions about the families that she's worked for: how old were the children when she started working for the family? Why did she leave? You should ask the nanny what kind of things she will want to do with your children. Does she know about playgroups in the area? Will she be doing anything educational with the children? What kind of educational activities will she do with the children? Ask her if she is happy to do housework. If you want her to do your housework it's important to specify what housework you need done because a lot of nannies are not willing to do those things and you don't want to find that out after she starts working. You should ask her how long she is willing to commit to your family, because if she is not willing to commit for long term, and you need someone long term, then she is not the right person for you. You should ask her if she would be willing to travel with you if that's what you want, if she's willing to cook for the children and for the parents. Ask her if she is driving, and if she's comfortable driving your children. You should make a list of everything you want to ask her before, and there are lists like this available on websites like findababysitter.com.
What areas should I concentrate on in the interview?
In the first interview, the things you should concentrate on with a nanny is what's in her CV, what's she's done previously, and specific questions about the previous families she's worked for, and why she left. Why she leaves positions is very important, and you should take note of these things because when you contact her previous references, you should try to confirm if this is true.
What should I tell the nanny at the interview?
In a first interview it's important to tell the nanny about the job specifics to be sure that she definitely will be interested in the position. Outline all the duties that you expect of her and ask her if that is okay with her. Make sure that she is comfortable with the area where you live, and that it doesn't take her too long to travel to where you live. Check that she's not going to move too far away in the near future, because it's important that your nanny's not relying too heavily on public transport, because if she's late for work then you're going to be late for work as well. Make sure that she has experience with children of your age group. Ask her specific questions. If you have a six month old baby, ask her what kind of foods you would feed a six month old baby, just to be sure that she does know what she is doing with such a young child. During a first interview, it's also important to outline any domestic chores you want the nanny to do. If you wanted her to just do light housework such as cleaning up after herself, cleaning the floors in the kitchen, making sure that the benches are all clean and hygienic, all the children's washing and ironing, and any dusting in the children's room. If you want her to do extra things like the parents washing and ironing, you need to make sure that she's happy with that. If you want her to cook for the parents as well as the children, you also need to check this with her.
Should I ask the nanny to meet my children at the interview?
During the first interview, it's probably not necessary to have the children around. Perhaps the nanny could meet them in the second interview when you feel confident about the choice of nanny. You don't want to have many people meeting your children because it could be confusing for them. It's better to have the first interview just with yourself and your partner. In the second interview, she can meet the children.
If I like the nanny, should I offer her the job immediately?
If, after you've interviewed a nanny, even if it's the first nanny you've interviewed, and you really did like her and you felt totally confident having her in your home, tell her you liked her when she's leaving. Don't offer her the job, but just show that you're really interested and you'll definitely be calling her within the next few days. It's very easy for good nannies to get jobs and she might be offered another job the next day and you will regret missing out on that opportunity.
