When it comes to family decisions, hiring a nanny is one of the most important. You’re looking for someone you can trust who will keep your children safe and help them thrive. These tips will help you to get the most out of the interview process so you can make this important decision confidently.
Key Takeaways:
- Clarify your needs and priorities before starting interviews.
- Screen candidates with a pre-interview.
- Prepare thoughtful, open-ended interview questions.
- Introduce candidates to your children.
- Check references thoroughly.
- Seal the deal with a written work agreement.
1. Define the Role
Before embarking on nanny interviews, prioritize what is important to you. Are you looking for someone who will spend plenty of time playing outside? Will they need to drive your kids or take them on public transportation? Are you hoping to hire someone who will stay with your family long-term?
Write a detailed job description to review with your candidate. Also be sure to review your local and state laws to ensure you meet your legal obligations as an employer.
2. Conduct a pre-interview
Before you schedule an interview with a potential candidate, schedule a pre-interview call to share details about the position and ask key questions to make sure that an interview is worthwhile for you and the potential nanny.
Be ready to share the following details:
- number of children
- desired hours and schedule
- wage rate and payment schedule
- benefits
- pets in the house
- whether you will pay on the books (file taxes)- this is the law in many places
- health and safety procedures
- other job requirements (CPR certification, vaccination, drivers license)
3. Prepare for and conduct the interview
Conducting a thorough interview is the most important step in determining if the hire is the right fit. Be sure to take the time to think through the process. Some helpful tips:
- Approach candidates with openness and curiosity: Share a bit about your family’s story, parenting philosophy, and daily rhythms. Ask them about their lives. Candidates may be juggling multiple roles and caretaking responsibilities, just as you are. Building trust starts here.
- Be Clear About Non-Negotiables: Whether it’s sleep training, a no-screens policy, or a peanut-free household, make sure your must-haves are front and center.
- Ask Open-Ended Questions: Think about questions that will draw out the nannies approach and experience. See our sample list of interview questions below.
- Questions go both ways. Encourage candidates to ask you questions and answer them thoughtfully.
- Be mindful of bias and discrimination. Avoid asking a candidate about age, religious views, race, sexual orientation, or their plans on becoming pregnant.
- Welcome difference: Cultural and/or generational differences can be a great benefit to you and your family. Be open to the ways your family can learn from someone’s background and experience..
- Know your legal responsibilities: Hiring a nanny means you’re an employer! Be sure to know what your legal responsibilities are as a domestic employer before you hire.
Sample nanny interview questions
Download a print-friendly list of the questions listed below.
About the job
- Why do you want this job and what are you hoping for?
- Do you have any questions about the job description?
- Will the commute work for you?
- Would you be interested in taking on extra hours occasionally? Are there additional caregiving responsibilities that you have outside this job that would be helpful for us to know about?
- What kind of housekeeping tasks would you consider part of childcare duties?
- Are you hoping for a long-term position?
- Are you willing to work with our family’s specific medical needs, dietary restrictions, religious practices, etc.?
- What are you looking for in a family/employer?
Training and background
- What has your past childcare experience been like?
- Why did you get involved in childcare?
- Do you have, or would you be willing to get, CPR or baby first-aid training?
- Do you have any additional childcare training or education?
- How long have you been a nanny? What do you love about it and what do you find challenging?
- What brings you joy when you are caring for children? Can you describe one of your favorite moments with a child?
- What languages do you speak? Would you be open to speaking with my children?
Health
- What precautions do you take in regards to COVID, health, and safety?
- Will you need an accommodation to perform any specific job duty? What would the accommodation be? (See U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for additional information about accommodations for disabilities.)
Philosophy and approach
- What kind of activities do you do with children that are my child’s age?
- What is your discipline style? What do kids like best about you?
- What was the most challenging experience you had with a child you were taking care of and how did you handle it?
- What was the most challenging experience you had with a previous employer and how was it resolved?
- What do you consider your most important responsibility as a nanny?
- How would you handle an emergency?
- How do you deal with a baby crying, a toddler whining, an older child refusing to follow instructions, siblings fighting, hitting, yelling, or other difficult situations?
- How do you comfort children?
- What would you do if my child fell and bumped their head?
- What would you do if my child grabbed something from you or another child?
- What reasons might you reach out to us for assistance? Are there any activities or responsibilities that you aren’t comfortable with?
- Do you need any more information or have any concerns about any aspects of this job?
Getting to know the candidate better
- What other work or life experience has helped you as a nanny?
- What do you love to do in your free time?
- What do you see yourself doing in the future?
4. Introduce your child or children
You may want to introduce the candidate to the children they’ll be caring for. Ideally, spend some together so that everyone can assess whether the candidate will be a good fit. If you want to do a practice session with the nanny candidate and children, make sure that you pay them for that time.
5. Check References
Once you’ve found a candidate you’d like to offer the job to, ask them for two or three recent former employers you can call for references.
6. Create a written work agreement
If the references are positive, offer the nanny the position. If they accept (hooray!), you can begin to create a written work agreement which will help set your employment relationship up for success. .
Next Steps
- Download a sample written work agreement and review it with your hire.
- Read about Paid Time Off and Meal and Rest Breaks.
- Join Hand in Hand’s mailing list.
Hiring a nanny is more than just a practical decision—it’s a partnership. With these steps, you’ll be well on your way to building a strong, respectful relationship with the person who will care for what matters most: your family.
