Hiring and interviewing a nanny could be a tough task just like finding a candidate in the first place. This process can feel overwhelming as you will be making someone part of your life and trusting them with your children, possibly for years.
Determining the qualities and competence of a nanny from just one 30-60 minutes interview can seem challenging. But you can still get some insights about the candidate from the answers he/she gives you for your questions. You can get a general idea about the background of your potential employee and also decide if he/she would be a good fit for your family.
To help you out with the interview, we have listed some of the essential questions you could ask your nanny candidates. These have been framed from our 16 years of rich experience of working as a nanny agency.
General Background Questions
- What are your interests and hobbies?
- How long have you been a child care provider?
- What age groups have you worked with in the past?
- Do you have any other job or life experiences that will assist you as a nanny?
- What were your duties in your last job as a child-caregiver?
- Why did you leave your last job (or current job)?
- Ask about their family if they are comfortable – spouse, children, parents, etc.
- Do you have any health issues that we can address?
- How would you deal with unexpected difficulties or problems? Can you give examples of how you dealt with any past difficulties?
- How long do you intend to work for us?
- What are your strengths and weaknesses?
Child-care related questions
- What is the best thing about working as a nanny?
- What is your favorite activity that you do with children?
- How would you manage a child’s tantrum?
- What other languages do you speak and what is your fluency in it? Will you be interested in helping our child learn that language?
- Do you like to take children to the park and other activities?
- How do you generally educate a child of X years of age?
- How would you discipline a child if they make a mistake?
- How do you look after children when they are sick?
- How do you ensure the hygiene of a child?
- Are you comfortable in assisting the children with their homework?
Cooking skills
- How well do you cook?
- Are you interested in helping the cook prepare the food, for example, cutting the vegetables?
- What are the cuisines that you can cook?
- Could you follow a recipe if you were given one?
- What are the dishes that you cook for kids?
- Do you know how to bake?
Medical Emergency related questions
- Are you trained in doing first aid?
- Do you know how to perform a CPR?
- What would you do if a child had a high fever?
Work schedule and flexibility questions
- Would you be willing to do overtime on some days?
- Are you comfortable with unexpected schedule changes?
- Are you open to working overnight on special occasions?
- Would you be comfortable traveling with the family to other cities? Or even out of Canada?
Specific question according to your family or requirements
- Can you drive a car? If yes, do you possess a driver’s license?
- Are you experienced in taking care of children with special needs?
- Do you know how to swim? If yes, are you comfortable accompanying our children to swimming pools or water parks?
- Can you take care of elderly people?
- Are you knowledgeable about kosher or halal cooking?
- Are you comfortable around pets in the house?
- Could you do light housekeeping along with your primary childcare duties?
How can our agency help you?
Our agency interviews and screens all our nanny clients. Once a family requests for these caregivers, we send them 2-3 pre-screened candidates. In this way, the parents do not have to worry about the professionalism of the candidate.
Have you ever wondered why do nannies quit their jobs? Read our blog to learn more by clicking here: blog.
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