Nanny interview advice

Through a website, I managed today to connect with a young woman looking for
a position as a nanny who lives less than five minutes from me. We had a
very positive telephone interview and are planning a face-to-face
interview/meeting in the next few days. If we hire her, she won't be
starting until my current au pair leaves in November, but she has another
job at present so waiting until then isn't a problem for her.

I have never hired a nanny before, only interviewed and chosen au pairs
based on extensive interviews/recommendations/background checks provided by
the agency. As a result, I feel a bit out of my depth. Obviously, she will
be bringing her references and I'll follow up on them and have a background
check done (although she is apparently TrustLine certified by the state of
California, which is a requirement for any in-home caregiver).

Still, I'd appreciate hearing from any of you who have hired nannies as to
what qualities and/or questions were make/break for you.
--
Be well, Barbara
(Julian [6], Aurora [4], and Vernon's [18mo] mom)
See us at http://photos.yahoo.com/guavaln

This week's special at the English Language Butcher Shop:
"No parking passed this sign" -- hotel parking lot sign

All opinions expressed in this post are well-reasoned and insightful.
Needless to say, they are not those of my Internet Service Provider, its
other subscribers or lackeys. Anyone who says otherwise is itchin' for a
fight. -- with apologies to Michael Feldman

I've interviewed maybe 30 over the years, and hired four (the current
one has now been with us 5 years).

I think a couple of things are worth doing - the first is to ask for
and CALL all their references BEFORE you interview.

The reason for this is that I've found that (like anyone at an
interview) they are putting their best foot forward, trying to tell
you what you want to hear, and can also bend the truth a little - so
you can be totally charmed by someone who turns out to be not so
great...or conversely, as happened with our first nanny, have a really
lackluster interview with someone who turns out to be fantastic. Our
first nanny was very quiet and shy, and I swear, she was awful in the
interview (i.e. you had to drag information out of her). If I had just
had the interview to go on, I never would have bothered calling
references, and she was a gem. However, previous employers couldn't
say enough good about her, and they were right.

You get the real skinny from their prior employers. When you are
talking to their references, ask the previous employer about why they
left that job, hours of work, duties, pay, positives, negatives etc.
etc. so you are well prepared with the back story before you meet the
candidate face to face - I've been told some dizzying fibs by nannies
I was interviewing about their previous jobs...I guess they didn't
know I'd heard the other side, so couldn't be snowed about how much
they got paid, or why they'd left prior positions.

The second worthwhile thing to do is to write out a good job
description and conditions of employment. It isn't common I know, but
I really think its worth making sure everyone understands what the job
is - the hours, the holidays, the sick time arrangements, duties with
the kids and the housework, cooking, pets, errands, laundry - whatever
the heck you want them to do (and everyone has a different bag of
stuff they expect from a nanny/housekeeper/au pair). I printed out the
job description and handed it out to candidates at the interview,
partly so they could ask ME questions, and also so they could take it
away with them and contemplate if this was a job they really wanted.
It also means if they DO accept a job offer, they can't argue later
that they didn't know making the kids dinner or folding laundry was
part of the job.

Mary G.

"Mary Gordon" wrote in message
om...
I've interviewed maybe 30 over the years, and hired four (the current
one has now been with us 5 years).

Great advice, Mary. I've filed it for future reference and will e-mail my
candidate to get her references before I meet her.
--
Be well, Barbara
(Julian [6], Aurora [4], and Vernon's [18mo] mom)
See us at http://photos.yahoo.com/guavaln

This week's special at the English Language Butcher Shop:
"No parking passed this sign" -- hotel parking lot sign

All opinions expressed in this post are well-reasoned and insightful.
Needless to say, they are not those of my Internet Service Provider, its
other subscribers or lackeys. Anyone who says otherwise is itchin' for a
fight. -- with apologies to Michael Feldman

iMHO make sure she really does want to do it. nothing worse than finding out
what the job entails then wanting to leave - happened ot us.

also, what are some of the mistakes that she has learned from? has she
had a time where she has disagreed with the parents instructions?

talk about her past kids, she if she is t still in touch. we had a nany
that had photos of past kids in her wallet - that was enough for me and she
was a gem!!

christine

"Circe" wrote in message
news:XUH9b.38054$n94.7754@fed1read04...
Through a website, I managed today to connect with a young woman looking
for
a position as a nanny who lives less than five minutes from me. We had a
very positive telephone interview and are planning a face-to-face
interview/meeting in the next few days. If we hire her, she won't be
starting until my current au pair leaves in November, but she has another
job at present so waiting until then isn't a problem for her.

I have never hired a nanny before, only interviewed and chosen au pairs
based on extensive interviews/recommendations/background checks provided
by
the agency. As a result, I feel a bit out of my depth. Obviously, she will
be bringing her references and I'll follow up on them and have a
background
check done (although she is apparently TrustLine certified by the state of
California, which is a requirement for any in-home caregiver).

Still, I'd appreciate hearing from any of you who have hired nannies as to
what qualities and/or questions were make/break for you.
--
Be well, Barbara
(Julian [6], Aurora [4], and Vernon's [18mo] mom)
See us at http://photos.yahoo.com/guavaln

This week's special at the English Language Butcher Shop:
"No parking passed this sign" -- hotel parking lot sign

All opinions expressed in this post are well-reasoned and insightful.
Needless to say, they are not those of my Internet Service Provider, its
other subscribers or lackeys. Anyone who says otherwise is itchin' for a
fight. -- with apologies to Michael Feldman

oh, and if the agency has a guarantee period, check that it is adequate

c
"Circe" wrote in message
news:XUH9b.38054$n94.7754@fed1read04...
Through a website, I managed today to connect with a young woman looking
for
a position as a nanny who lives less than five minutes from me. We had a
very positive telephone interview and are planning a face-to-face
interview/meeting in the next few days. If we hire her, she won't be
starting until my current au pair leaves in November, but she has another
job at present so waiting until then isn't a problem for her.

I have never hired a nanny before, only interviewed and chosen au pairs
based on extensive interviews/recommendations/background checks provided
by
the agency. As a result, I feel a bit out of my depth. Obviously, she will
be bringing her references and I'll follow up on them and have a
background
check done (although she is apparently TrustLine certified by the state of
California, which is a requirement for any in-home caregiver).

Still, I'd appreciate hearing from any of you who have hired nannies as to
what qualities and/or questions were make/break for you.
--
Be well, Barbara
(Julian [6], Aurora [4], and Vernon's [18mo] mom)
See us at http://photos.yahoo.com/guavaln

This week's special at the English Language Butcher Shop:
"No parking passed this sign" -- hotel parking lot sign

All opinions expressed in this post are well-reasoned and insightful.
Needless to say, they are not those of my Internet Service Provider, its
other subscribers or lackeys. Anyone who says otherwise is itchin' for a
fight. -- with apologies to Michael Feldman

Still, I'd appreciate hearing from any of you who have hired nannies as to
what qualities and/or questions were make/break for you.

Well, we didn't exactly call references, but our nanny was referred to us by a
neighbor whose recommendation we trusted -- and who is also a personal friend
of the nanny's employer before her. They do seem to sort of get passed around
the neighborhoods here; most people I know with nannies "inherited" them from a
friend or neighbor.

So, armed with the background information from our neighbor, the make-or-break
qualities were just to watch her interact with our child, to make sure *he* was
comfortable with her, and to see how well we were able to communicate directly.
I think that if the child(ren) is (are) happy and you are comfortable, the
details -- like what the nanny should feed the child, whether she should do
laundry, and when it's okay for her to use the phone -- can be worked out as
needed.

Holly
Mom to Camden, 2.5 yrs

In article XUH9b.38054$n94.7754@fed1read04, Circe wrote:

I have never hired a nanny before, only interviewed and chosen au pairs
based on extensive interviews/recommendations/background checks provided by
the agency. As a result, I feel a bit out of my depth. Obviously, she will
be bringing her references and I'll follow up on them and have a background
check done (although she is apparently TrustLine certified by the state of
California, which is a requirement for any in-home caregiver).

Still, I'd appreciate hearing from any of you who have hired nannies as to
what qualities and/or questions were make/break for you.

I've never hired a nanny, but have hired several family daycare providers.
I found that my best information came from
a) my gut feeling when I met the person, and she met my child(ren)
b) speaking to the references

Usually I asked the references what they liked best about having the
person care for their child(ren) and if there was anything they wished
she'd done differently.

I also asked the providers themselves if they've ever had to handle an
emergency situation, and if so what did they do. (Though I have to admit
that the only one who ever answered yes, that freaked me out even though
she apparently did everything right, but a child died of SIDS in her
care, and that was part of the reason I didn't choose her.)

--Robyn