Tips on Interviewing Nannies

Lori Berke, co-founder of Care Check, Inc., a company designed to answer the needs of parents who hire in-home help, and co-author of Making Childcare Choices: How to Find, Hire and Keep the Best Childcare for Your Kids, gives a brief summary for interviewing potential nannies:

Thorough interviews should include:

Clear expectations of your nanny:

Will they be a caregiver and housekeeper?
What will the hours be?
How many days of the week?
Vacation time?
Pay?

Record and confirm all contact information:

Name and birth certificate or passport
Make copies of I.D.
Confirm home address (go there or ask for utility bill as proof of residence)
Confirm home number and/or cell phone number

Confirm references:

Call all references
Visit home of references (to see if they really have kids)

Do a criminal background check:

Check for alias
Check for numerous addresses over short period of time
Check for past complaints and follow up on them

When asking a question, ask for specific examples:

Ask what makes them frustrated and how they handle it.
Ask about their childhood.
Ask about their child rearing philosophy.
Question all gaps in their work history.
Ask about their experiences with their previous families: What worked? What would you have changed?
What is the contact number for their next of kin?
Ask empathy-related questions: Why do they like working with children? Why did they choose to be a nanny?