Interviewing Nannies

[Mahls]

I am interviewing three potential candidates next week for a two day a week role looking after our three boys- sole charge of baby from 8am to 6.30pm and outside of school hours for 8 and 5 year old including care for all three in school hols.

Any advice on key questions at interview very gratefully received as we have always used nurseries in the past. Very keen to find someone long term if at all possible.....

Two of the candidate have part time nanny positions already which fit in with our requirements. I suspect this means tax and NI will be higher and more complicated. Will a payroll company be able to sort this out?

Thanks.

Ask them about what sort of things they would do during the school holidays - so when they have all 3 children. It can be hard to find things to keep those ages interested, especially baby.

Ask what if questions - what if 8 year old did this, that.
What if 5 year old refused to eat breakfast before going to school (given start time this may not be a question you would ask, though 8am start could be a time when nanny will have to quickly rush the children out of the door to get to school), so would nanny let 5 year old go to school without eating anything?
What if questions about first aid, safety around the home.

A payroll company will make things easier for you if you are not familiar with doing payroll already. This would be the persons second (or third, 4th) job, so agree a Gross salary and depending how much they earn in their other work you will be told what taxcode to use for income tax deductions.

Thank you nannynick. That's really helpful.

The kids have breakfast at 7.30am on a school day but there are a lot of other related what-ifs so will use those!

Do you think the age range across three kids is too challenging for some nannies?

Some may find it hard, depends what they have done before. Some nannies may have only worked for families with one child... so 3 children may be a challenge at first, though they will soon adapt.

Try to find someone you can get along with, someone who gets on with your children. Relationship can be very important.

How will it work in school holidays? How will priorities be 'divided' between families. I shared an au pair (which is vastly different I know), but at times there were conflicts of interest (eg. a child sick and off school) and it was always the original 'employer' who seemed to get her.

I don't think this is a nanny share Merry.

OP with the 'what if' questions do remember the nanny doesn't know your children, so expect a general common sense answer rather than what may actually be the best way to deal with your children.

For example, the breakfast question, would you let them go to school without breakfast? A school where they have a snack early morning, maybe ok. School where they don't eat until lunch, probably not ok. Some kids will never eat breakfast and it's not worth the argument, same will always except if they're ill, some may need to be encouraged. The nanny won't know which of these your children are, so can't be expected to necessarily give the 'right' answer.

Outraged, she said 2 of the candidates already have part time nanny positions.

Merry thanks but it's not a nanny share but part time on two fixed days so there shouldn't be conflict.

Is it usual to have more than one interview as I am holding initial interviews with just myself and baby but planning to invite back the most likely ( hopefully there is one!) candidate to meet my older two.

Merry that's not a share, that's two separate jobs. If the nanny works for the OP on a Monday and Tuesday, she works for them those days. No relevance what the kids in the other job are doing, whether they're sick/on holiday etc.

A lot of people do two interviews, so it should be ok OP.

Thanks Outraged.

two interviews is fine. Make the second one more about interacting with the children.

What If questions don't have right/wrong answers, just tries to establish their thought process... may help show up how they were raised, what things they view as important and what they will give child more freedom of choice about. See how what they would do fits with what you would do... is it similar, or a hugely different approach.

Interviewing with baby should give you opportunity to see how they respond to your baby... if they are awake.

I hope baby is asleep for some....he is in a clingy/needy phase and I want to concentrate on questions!!

Their CV should answer quite a lot of questions. So with luck you will have seen that before interviewing them, you can use the interview to enquire more about things they have done in the past / currently do.

Why do they want a 2 day a week job? May help to know that, if you are viewing this as being a long term thing.

So interviewed potential nanny one today. Currently has sole charge of one three days a week but has previously looked after a baby and a five year old. Seemed lovely. Responded sensibly to my 'what ifs' which were quite common sense-y.

Seemed young and receptive rather than having strong views she'd impose.

Will await the next two.

Did you like them? Did you feel that you would get on with them.