Hiring the right nanny is often a challenge for many families. You can however reduce your chances of hiring the wrong nanny if you ask the right questions during the interview phase and also follow certain guidelines. Before you ever contact that hiring agency or post your adverts for a nanny, do make a list of your expectations and carefully consider them to know if they are realistic or far-fetched. Here are 35 things to consider before you hire that nanny.
1.You must first decide if you want a live-in or live-out nanny.
2.What time will the nanny arrive and depart? (For a live-in nanny)?
3.What days/hours do you need your nanny to work
4.Is the nanny experienced?
5.Will he or she go on off and how frequently and on what days of the week?
6.Do their qualifications match your needs?
7.What hourly/monthly salary can you comfortably afford in your household budget?
8.Even if you have employed an agency to contract the nanny on your behalf, ensure you first interview the nanny before going any step further.
9.Pick the best 3 to 10 candidates and arrange a meeting at a neutral location, like an eatery or restaurant.
10.Arrange an initial meeting with the shortlisted nanny and your family.
11.After the interview, go ahead and cut the list down to your top two candidates, invite them to your home for an in-person interview at different times. This must be based on how well they convey why they want to be employed?
12.Conduct your own research even if an agent referred him or her.
14.Contact the nanny’s past employers and make inquiries. You can also go a step further and do a thorough criminal background check, and identity verification.
15.Ask for his or her medical records and ask him or her to take vital tests including HIV test, Hepatitis test and other tests to ensure she is healthy enough to work for you and your children are not at risk of any sort of infection from her.
16.Ask detailed questions about her background and child care philosophies and give them a chance to meet your child (ren) to see how she interacts with them.
17.Take a close note of how the children interact with the nanny. 18. Check to see if the nanny is comfortable with your child and also acting natural.
19.What out for your child’s response to the nanny.
20.If they are old enough, ask them for their opinion. In all, do not be overbearing, rather, trust your instincts. If you do not think the nanny is the perfect fit for your family, keep looking; however, if it seems to be a good pairing, then move forward with the negotiations.
21.Include a trial period before full hiring. It could be a period of 4 weeks to about 12 weeks. During this trial period you train her and stay back for a while to see how well she gets on.
22.After you have concluded on terms of employment with the nanny, draft a contract and ensure she signs it.
23.Conduct an in-depth reference check. After the interview, do not just rely on the information the nanny has given to you by the nanny agency’s background check. If you are satisfied, you can seal a more permanent deal.
Questions For The Potential Nanny
24.Why do you want this position?
25. On dealing with children: What are your beliefs about childrearing?
26. What do children like best about you?
27. How do you comfort children? How do you deal with separation anxiety?
28. How do you discipline children? Give me an example of a previous discipline problem and how you handled it.
29.Daily routines: What would a typical day look like if you were taking care of my child?
30. What are your favorite activities to do with a child the age of mine?
31. How would you handle an emergency? Describe this with an example?
32.Do you smoke or drink? (Watch out for her reaction)
33. Do you have any personal responsibilities or health issues that could interfere with a regular work schedule?
34 Would you ever be available to work evenings or weekends?Would you also be available to travel with our family for weekends/vacations?
35.Have you ever worked before? If yes, why did you did you leave.
It is important that you listen carefully to all the answers she gives, as this will help you make a decision as to whether she is fit for you and your child.
Did you hire a nanny recently? What were some of the questions you asked her during the interview? As usual, we will love you to tell us all about it in the comment or email us at info@fabmumng.com
