Key Job Criteria
Exceptional at keeping child safe and healthy Feeding, baths, naps, walks around neighborhood, parks, etc. Prepares healthy meals/snacks from scratch for child Helps child learn and grow Lots of talking, singing, reading, playing Takes to explore interesting places, thinks of very creative activities Bonus if bilingual and can teach child Spanish Takes life-stress off parents by helping out. 1: good at picking up after child, doing his laundry, bottles, dishes 2: proactively tidies up, keeps home looking really neat/organized. On time, doesn’t miss work regularly Phone Screen Questions
Background
Please walk me through your nanny experience. State years, kids ages, types of work you did, etc. What’s your education level? Have you taken classes in child care? Are you fluent in any languages besides English? What is your favorite age to care for? Why? Do you have any other work or life experience that helps you as a nanny? What was your typical daily routine with your last family? What were some of the best things about your previous job? The worst? Have you had negative work situations? If so, what have you learned from them? How have you handled difficult situations, like a baby crying uncontrollably or a child talking back? Have you ever had those 1 a child care emergency? What happened? What was your longest stay with a family? What was your experience with them? Are you looking to stay long-term with a family or what is your time frame for your next position?
Job Specific
How flexible is your schedule? Would you be available if we occasionally need you to arrive early or stay late? Are you willing to cook/do light housework/help take care of pets? Are there any activities or responsibilities that you can’t or won’t do? Do you play sports, play musical instruments, have any specific hobbies, etc?
Nanny Style
What do you like best about being a nanny? What do you find most challenging? What’s the hardest day you’ve ever had as a nanny and what did you do to handle it? Do you prefer more or less structure in your day? What do you think works best for children? What is your view of disciplining a child? What should be the nanny’s role?
Health & Safety
Are you trained in CPR? First aid? Have you gotten the COVID vaccine? Have you gotten other common vaccines, including the flu shot, MMR, and TDAP? Reference Questions
Questions about work history
How did you find/meet (name of nanny candidate)? How long did they work for you? What was their hourly rate? Questions about the nanny’s responsibilities
What was a typical day like in your house for (name of nanny candidate)? Did they offer to go above and beyond? Did they keep the house clean? Did they ever have to manage household responsibilities (like a plumber stopping by), and did you feel comfortable leaving them in charge of those types of issues? If they stayed late, did they put the kids to bed on time? What were some activities you may have asked them to coordinate for the kids, and how did they respond? Questions about the nanny’s personality
How would you describe (name of nanny candidate) and their personality? Can you give me an example of how they showed initiative to solve a problem with your child(ren)? Can you give me an example of how they was organized? How did they handle stressful situations? On a level of 1-10, how would you describe their energy level? Did you do the planning, or could you leave the daily activities in their hands? What types of games and activities did they plan for the kids? Did you feel comfortable talking with them about your concerns? How did they respond to constructive feedback? Did they ever show up late? Was they good at following house rules? Would you hire them back or refer them to a family member? Have you worked with other nannies? How would you compare them to those other nannies? Communication style
How did you communicate about the week ahead? Was they flexible with last-minute changes? Could they come early/stay late when needed? How did you discuss issues that came up?
Interview Guide