4 Important Questions To Ask When Interviewing Nannies

4 Important Questions To Ask When Interviewing Nannies

When looking for someone to watch your kids who will be a permanent nanny, it’s important to know the right questions to ask.  If you’ve never had experience in management or done much interviewing, it may be new territory for you.

Even though it may take you out of your comfort zone to be the one interviewing, it’s important to know the best way to conduct the process so that you don’t leave anything out that should have been covered from the beginning.

Since you’re entrusting this person to be a part of your family’s life, and your children’s safety will be in their hands, you’ll need to make sure that you get a good read for who this person is. Here are some of the best questions to ask so that you get the most accurate reading on an applicant’s personality.

What Is Their Prior Experience Working With Children?

When hiring a nanny, it’s ok to hire someone who’s never worked as a nanny before. However, it’s important to know that they’ve had experience being exposed to children previously.  Ideally, they will have had some kind of volunteering background, younger siblings or relatives that they helped care for, or even children of their own.

Asking them what kind of background they have being around children; specifically, the ages of your children will help you measure what the expertise level is.  This is especially important if you have infants that they’ll be caring for.

How Long Do They Plan On Being a Nanny?

You should ask them what their long-term plan is and how long they plan on being a nanny.  The last thing that you want is to be in a position where your children become attached to them, and they quit abruptly.

However, if you’re looking for something short-term, and they’re also on the same page, it could work out in everyone’s best interest.

What Are Their Views on Discipline?

Since your kids may act up from time to time and you won’t be present to discipline them, it’s important to know that your nanny will step in to do the disciplining in a way that works for you.

Asking what their views are for punishment and how they plan on enforcing respect is an important subject that shouldn’t be skipped over.

What Is Their Mode Of Transportation?

If part of their duties will include taking your children to appointments or activities, you’ll need to ensure that they have a reliable source of transportation.

If you have a vehicle of your own for them to drive, you should ensure that they have a valid US driver’s license.