A nanny – that’s what you need to have someone trustworthy taking care of your child or children, but where do you start looking for a nanny and how can you determine if you have a good nanny or one that you rather do not want to hire? Finding a nanny that you can trust requires some preparation. I am not going over the actual tasks of finding a nanny (I recommend you go with a nanny service and not out on your own). This guide is more about what kind of questions to ask and what to look out for when interviewing a nanny candidate. We want to avoid ending up going through numerous nannies before finding one that your children like and that you can trust. It is hard on both the parents and the children if you have to replace a bad hire more than once. The best way to avoid all of the hassle and the shattered expectations is to ask your potential nanny candidates a few questions – interview them.
1. Do you have existing experience working as nanny?
This must be the first question. Experience does matter. No matter how eager, confident and terrific a nanny may be, the reality of taking care of babies, infants, toddlers and up is no picnic, especially when it’s a job that requires a certain trust level. Moms and Dads know that the difficulty of raising a child is made up for in countless ways by the incredible, unpredictable, and sweet actions of sons and daughters when they’re just learning about the world. Experienced nannies also know how fantastic it could be to care for kids, to teach them, and to play a big role in taking care of them. But what about the applicant that has not cared for a child full-time. There are numerous young individuals who have lots of experience babysitting, but it is much more of a weekend and evening kind of experience. Sometimes they will be in for a rude awakening when they witness the spit-ups, the tantrums, the diaper changing or the strong-willed children that like to test all boundaries.
To the experienced nanny, this is literally “child’s play”. There are no surprises to a nanny with a couple of years under her belt.
2. Do you live close by?
A nanny that lives nearby can better manage her life around your lives. Sometimes there will be a candidate that is an hour and a half away but is perfect in all respects. In that case, hire her and be glad that you have found what you are looking for! But having your nanny close by is always a plus. Why? Well, on occasion, when her life throws her for a loop and she must be late, it is more convenient if she is closer to you. In addition, if she is local she’ll be more familiar with the area. This benefits you most importantly in the event of an emergency, but also in small ways too, such as when you need to find a cake, or a grocery store, or a pharmacy.
3. Does the nanny have any references?
References are very important. An experienced nanny that doesn’t have references is a reason to ask more questions or to completely remove her from the list of possible candidates. Think about it: If you have a nanny that is wonderful, and you move or your kids grow up to the age where they no longer need a nanny, you would of course give that nanny an excellent reference, correct? So, if this does not exist – it could be a warning signal.
4. Will you provide all required information for a professional background check (this question might not be needed if you hire a nanny through a nanny service that pre-screens all candidates)?
Background checks are important as well. Even with references, it should still be one of the things on your nanny interview checklist. When you go through nanny classifieds, or do a nanny search, you will be hiring somebody who will be helping you take care of those who are dearest to you. They should have no hesitations about providing ID, and even fingerprints in some situations, and other information for a background check. If they are hesitant, the question must be asked – does the nanny have something to hide? Many nanny services provide background checks as part of their service. I personally prefer this as it takes care of the issue upfront before even spending time interviewing a potential nanny for my kids.
5. Do you have a driver’s license and a car?
Many nannies will not have a vehicle. That is especially true for younger nannies. This does not have to be a show stopper if they have a driver’s license and you feel comfortable with them driving your car (if you have enough vehicles in your family and do not need them while away). Having a nanny that can drive a car is benefit in their ability to take your child or children to the park, the market, parties, classes, etc. This is also a good thing have in case there is an emergency and your child needs to be taken to a doctor or an emergency room. If you work close by you can have the nanny drop you off at work and use your car during the day. There are many ways around this situation in case a car is required.
6. What was the best thing about your previous job?
This question and the one that follows it seem to be “conversational” types of questions, however they can be the most important questions that you ask when you want to find a nanny. Sometimes the innocent questions are the ones that get to the truth about how somebody feels about their chosen occupation. People feel free to be themselves when they are asked a question that is more personal, subjective, and conversational. When hiring a nanny, somebody who will be in your home, and spending as much time with you as your significant other in some cases, every question is worthwhile to ask.
So, when you ask a nanny what the best thing about her previous job experience was, she will hopefully open up about her previous employer, and the way that she was treated. This question is related to the next question as the 2 will go hand in hand.
7. What was the worst thing about your previous job experience?
Everybody has had poor jobs. It is inevitable. You will find some people though, that have poor attitudes that they bring with them from job to job. They could be experienced, have degrees, and are as qualified as they come, but they are unflinchingly negative. In the event you ask a number of nannies this question (the worst thing about your previous job), many may say something generic, such as that it was a lengthy commute, or that there were no parks nearby. But some might see the opportunity to launch into a tirade against their previous employer. In this case, just listen and discover. Perhaps you will be entirely on the nanny’s side, and believe that they’ve been through a terrible ordeal. Perhaps you’ll believe the opposite, that the nanny’s expectations of the job that you are offering are way too high, and that you are not going to be a great match. This question is frequently the telltale one, though, and it can help you find out a great deal about the individual that’s going to become a very large part of your everyday life!
One final comment for this article: sometimes experienced nannies are unwilling to change their style of care giving, believing that what they are used to doing is the best way to do things. Because of this, if there are certain things that you require of a nanny, it is best to put these requirements on the table early on. The same way you choose a nanny, a nanny will also have to decide if she wants to work for you.
Finding a nanny can be hard, but if you ask your potential nannies the above interview questions you can eliminate many bad candidates and eventually narrow down the search very fast. The relationship between a family and a nanny can be a wonderful and long-lasting relationship for both you and your children. I actually grew up with a nanny of some sort and it was a big part of my childhood between the years of 6 to 10. Lots of good memories that I still remember to this very day.
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