Interview Questions for Parents to Ask Nannies

When hiring someone for a childcare job, whether for a nanny position in your home or as a childminder who will look after your child elsewhere, it is vitally important to make sure that they are a good fit for your family. There are a range of skills that are vital for people working in nanny positions to possess that cannot be easily covered in a job description. You will need to evaluate a candidate on how well they understand your objectives for your child's development and whether they can meet them, not only on their childcare qualifications or previous jobs and experience.

Here, the experts at Nannies Matter will provide some interview questions to ask potential nannies that can help to determine their suitability for your family, make the hiring process easier, and ensure you find a good nanny for your children.

Preparing nanny interview questions as a potential employer

When preparing interview questions, you will also need to think about your own goals for your child, their individual needs, and the general qualities your ideal nanny would embody. For example, do they need support with their education or supervision when they do homework? Or, does your child need encouragement to socialise and play? Do you need a nanny who will promote discipline and ensure that your child keeps to a strict schedule? These decisions will inform the types of questions you should ask candidates.

Before speaking to candidates, it is also worth bearing in mind that many childcare professionals can help families by taking on a number of additional duties beyond their childcare work. This might include housekeeping duties, horse grooming or other services. If your family has requirements in other areas and you feel that it would be better for a nanny to take on these responsibilities, you may need to include additional interview questions to ask about these skills.

Qualifications and experience

While someone might naturally have the skills to be a good nanny, there are many aspects of the job that are best learned through experience. Even if the potential caregiver you are interviewing has never held a nanny job before, they should be able to describe how their previous experiences would help them in a childcare job.

There is no legal requirement for a nanny to hold professional qualifications and it is up to each individual employer whether they would prefer to hire someone with a certification or not. Read our blog post on qualifications for nannies to learn more about what you might need from a nanny before you make a decision.

The balance of qualifications and experience you need can also depend on what you hope for your nanny to deliver. If the most important quality is that they build a rapport with your children, this cannot be taught or learned in an educational setting. As such, a nanny’s educational background won't affect this and won’t be as relevant to the interview. In fact, it is better to have the nanny meet your child in person in order to ensure that they will be a good fit for your family.

If, on the other hand, you are seeking more structured support, a potential nanny with qualifications and experience in implementing a structured care plan will be best suited to meet your expectations. It is important to ask about this to ensure you are on the same page.

Ultimately, the most important way to choose the questions you need to ask of a nanny is to work backwards from your expectations and requirements. This will enable you to ensure that the childcare professional you are looking to hire will be able to meet all of your specific needs, because every family is different and there is no single approach that will work for everyone.

For help in finding the perfect nanny for your family, or to arrange interviews with candidates who can meet your requirements and exceed your expectations, contact Nannies Matter. Call us today on 0800 121 4881 or fill out our online enquiry form to arrange a call back at your convenience.