Last Nanny Question: Interview Questions

JulyMomma2U2 · February 2014

Tell me what your primary questions were when you interviewed? I want to make sure I'm not missing anything.

(Sorry for blowing up this board lately!!)

Some of the things I'm focusing on, aside from their experience.. long term plan.. ie, where do they see themselves in 1-3 years.. frequency of getting sick.. are they the type that tends to get sick a lot, call out a lot, etc.. reliable transportation and willingness to still come even if it's snowing a little or something.. comfortable with my husband being home (he's trying to WFH on the days the nanny will be here.. at least for the first few months).. punctuality.. willingness to be flexible with hours if by chance my husband has a late call or something.. or if he has to go into the office, ability to come a little earlier..

How do I ask about willingness to listen to me, as opposed to implementing their own approaches? Does that make sense? One of the ladies we're interviewing is older.. mid 60's.. me, being 27, I'm worried that she'll have her own way of doing things and, similarly to my parents, think her way is better because she's been doing it longer..

What am I missing??

NicoleWI · February 2014

There are some great lists of questions online. Personally, I get the most from the less-direct questions, in a way. What words would someone use to describe you? What are your hobbies? Etc so you can get a sense of what they are like as a person. Also probe a little into family/friends to see if they seem to have a good network/be stable!

I think asking about frequency of getting sick is weird. What are they going to say? You can cover this by checking references about dependability. I liked asking references what they would change if they had to change one thing, and what they liked best about the candidate.

Definitely ask about comfort level with doing other things around the house, i.e. baby laundry, towels, wiping up the kitchen, washing lunch dishes, etc. Someone saying, "I always clean up after the baby and myself" doesn't really tell you anything. What specifically does that mean to you/her? I know this sounds petty, and the primary responsibility is with the kids, but having someone capable who keeps thing organized at the house is HUGE and it's much harder on you when they are not great with the house stuff. I would be really clear up front about expectations. There are a lot of things I would do differently up front in this respect if I were hiring another nanny.

JulyMomma2U2 · February 2014

@nicolewi that's true about the sick question.. that would be super awkward to answer LOL.. we have someone coming tonight, so I'm just hoping I have enough to ask/discuss that would make me get a good sense for her...

mommaoftrips · February 2014

I would Also ask 1) what things would you do to stimulate my kid, 2) tell me a time you had to deal with a stressful situation and how did you handle it?
Don't ask about sickness - as PP have said, they will say they are never sick. Definitely do reference checks.
When I was interviewing, I would tell the candidates my specific routine (a brief outline) and here I would discuss their responsibilities - clean-up, laundry etc. It was an easy way to transition this in.

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Last Nanny Question: Interview Questions

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