Interviewing Your Child Carer: Some Tips

What should I ask when I interview a nanny? When it comes to interviewing nannies some parents may have more interviewing experience than others. The most important thing to take away from the interview is the knowledge that this nanny is someone you can work with and more importantly, that she is someone that you would be happy to leave your children with. Some general guidelines are set out below. Her Home Life It is also worth finding out trying to find out a little bit about the nanny's own life. Does she have a boyfriend/husband? What does he do? What are her hobbies and interests? How does she spend her spare time? Does she have brothers and sisters? This will help bring out her natural character and help you decide if she is the right person for your position. Her qualifications If the nanny you are interviewing has qualifications feel free to ask her about them. Find out what made her decide to do the course, what it involved and what, in particular, she enjoyed about it. Her Experience What exactly has the nanny's experience been to date? Ask about the children she has worked with and the good and bad situations she has experienced. Her Expectations Don't be afraid to ask her exactly how she sees the job. Find out if she expects to have sole charge of the children? Will she want to have friends come and visit? How much independece she wants? Whether she is prepared to work the odd weekend? Does she expect to be able to use the phone? Will she expect to have meals with you? Tinies nannies are professional and career minded; they take pride in their jobs and will be honest with you about their expectations. It is much better to ask about these at interview stage than to find out too late that your ideas are very different. Your Expectations At some point during the interview you need to let the nanny know what your expectations of her are. You should outline exactly what her duties will be, who will be responsible for disciplining the children, what housework (if any) she will be required to do, hours of work, when/whether she will be expected to drive the children, salary etc. It is important to sort these things out early on so that her expectations and your expectations are the same. This can then be encapsulated into the contract. Education Ask about her education especially if she completed a course of study fairly recently. What did it involve and how did she enjoy it? In case of emergency What would the nanny's reaction be if your child were injured for example? The parent needs to be comfortable that the nanny really is capable of handling every situation. The Detail At some point before the appointment is finalised it is important that you and the carer have discussed your detailed requirements. What exactly will the duties be? Who is responsible for discipline? Will there be any housework, however small, involved? What are the exact hours of work? Will the nanny be driving the family car? If so who will be insuring and paying for it? Have you discussed pay? A lot of these specific details are covered by the contract that we provide for you as part of the Tinies service. It is also worth it to take the time prior to interviewing to sit down and draw up a job description for your position. Tinies can also provide advice and/or a template for you to do this. If you are unsure or have any questions please give your consultant a ring on 09 523 3315 or e-mail us at info@tinies.co.nz