When hiring a nanny, what interview questions should you be sure you discuss with potential candidates? The following is a recommended list of interview questions that can be tailored for your family’s specific needs, lifestyle and interests.

Background:

  • How long have you been caring for children?
  • How many children did you care for at one time? What were their ages?
  • What is your favorite age to care for and why?
  • What other work and/or life experiences do you have that helps you do the job well?
  • Are you trained in CPR and/or in Infant/Children First-Aid?
  • Have you taken classes in childcare and/or would you be willing to take classes?
  • What is your highest level of education completed?
  • What is your most recent position? What was your typical daily routine with that family? Why are you no longer working with that family?
  • How were sick days handled at your prior job? How often did you call in sick?
  • What were some of the things you enjoyed most about working at your previous job(s)?
  • What were the top challenges you went through at your prior job(s)? How did you resolve the issues?
  • What rules did other households have in place that you feel worked best? Which rules or guidelines did parents have in place that you felt did not work well?
  • Did you have any emergencies you had to deal with on your own? How did you handle the situation?
  • Please provide the names and contact information for your professional and personal references.

Job:

  • Are you interested in staying with a family for the long term, or do you plan on finding another career or job in the next year
  • What steps would you take if my child got injured or sick while in your care?
  • Please describe your ideal work environment.
  • Do you smoke?
  • What do you think children like best about you?
  • Would you be willing to cook and do light housework while the children are at school/taking naps?
  • Are you willing to help take care for our dog/cat?
  • Are there any activities or responsibilities that you will not do?
  • Do you swim/play sports or musical instruments/like arts and crafts?
  • What activities do you enjoy teaching children?
  • Sometimes we have playdates with our children’s friends. How many kids are you comfortable watching?
  • Do you have a current and valid driver’s license? Would you be interested in picking up/dropping off our children at school/the park? Does your car have safety belts for child car seats? Would you be willing to drive our family car?
  • How flexible is your schedule if we need you to arrive early or stay late?
  • Are you available to work on the occasional weekend or during the evening?
  • Would you be available to travel with our family during the weekend or on vacations?
  • When do you expect to take vacation of your own?
  • What is your expectation for salary and other benefits?
  • Do you have time to spend an hour with our child(ren) as part of the interview process?

Personality:

  • What do you like best about being responsible for the care of children?
  • What do you like best about being responsible for the care of children?
  • What do you find most challenging?
  • What do you think works best for children?
  • What approach worked well for you when you disagreed with the parenting style at one of your prior jobs?
  • Can you give any examples of when you have had to handle a negative work situation? What did you learn from that situation?
  • What is your approach to disciplining a child and what role do you believe you should have?
  • How have you handled difficult situations such as a baby crying uncontrollably, a toddler screaming in public, or a child ignoring your requests or talking back?
  • What makes you proud about how you do your job?
  • How you do you handle unexpected changes? Do you do better in situations that are highly structured or prefer to have a loose and flexible schedule?

Interview Restrictions

By law, you cannot ask an applicant for their Age, Race or Ethnic background, Religious views, Sexual orientation, Marital status, Pregnancy status (or pregnancy plans). You also cannot ask about any Disabilities or if they have been arrested. You can, however, ask if the applicant is over the age of 18, if they are legally authorized to work in the US, if they have ever been convicted of a crime, if there is any reason(s) that will preclude the applicant for working full-time over the next few years, or if they are comfortable with the physical demands of carrying for children.