URGENT Interviewing prospective nanny tomorrow- what should I ask?

[Cll]

Our current nanny is finally going back to S africa in October - we've had her since my youngest was 5 months and she's now 7 and a half...Needless to say I'm rather clueless at going about finding a new one. Am interviewing my first candidate tomorrow (thurs) at 5pm. She's a lot younger than my current nanny - only 22, drives, says she likes to cook and has worked locally as a nanny for 15 months prior to going travelling.

My kids are 7, 5 and nearly 8 months. She needs to drive, do some cooking for kids and occasionally adults and generally try and organise a very busy and chaotic household.

Would love some suggestions of what I should be asking and I know you guys will think of loads of stuff I won't - so all suggestions, however obvious they might seem would be most welcome.

Thanks

PS current nanny will be here, do you think that's a bad idea?

Get specifics of what she likes to cook. They all SAY they like to cook.

I have a million questions, but I'm too tired to think staight just now and can't think of any of them.... How sad is that? It isn't even 9:00.

Ask her about herself, what does she want to do in the future, what is she hoping to gain from this job etc.

What would she do if...(insert specific emergency) ?

Describe the job VERY well, (including rules like no overnight boyfriends if you have them) and make sure she is OK with it.

Having current nanny there I think is quite a good idea, as you could say let the current nanny show the interviewee around the house, while asking her some questions, so you can ask your current nanny later on what she throught of the candidate.

Ageee with Uwila, ask what she likes to cook. Not everyone can cook from scratch, as a recent thread has revealed

Ask her what she will be doing on a typical day. With 2 children at school, she will be entertaining baby... which can get lonely for her. Babies also grow fast as you will know, so you want someone who will entertain an active toddler.

Interviewing my first ever nanny tonight. She is looking for 9 pounds/hr net for 30hr week. She has 8 years experience and I live in Surrey. Is this about right? Seems a lot to me but keen pay what I need to to get the right person.

IMHO - £9 ph net is expensive, but I guess it depends what part of surrey you are in.

Thanks for all these

I think £9 an hour is quite a lot - I was paying my previous nanny £8 and she was very experienced - but some people do I know pay £9. Depends how good she is and what you can afford and how many other options you have. If you don't have to pay an agency that's a bit of a saving for the first year at least.

Any more question suggestions anyone - like the typical day one and emergency...

Thanks. I thought it was a lot but nanny agency tried to convince me it was reasonable based on her experience. Will try and negotiate. If I pay her 9 pounds net plus her tax and of course my tax hardly worth going to work! Obviously in wrong profession.

ask your present nanny to interview first or vice versa , i used to be a nanny and wanted the best for my little ones so i used to interview them first but found that they would open up more to another nanny as to how they reacted to their previous employes annoyances[yes you do have them and vice versa she would tell you where she went etc and tbh youd get a better picture and then if i felt they were o.k teh the parents would interview them, i actually used to have the parents friends calling me up to come and check out their prospective nanny..needless to say ive go ton brilliantly with all my employers and was always treated with respect and kindness.
ask if they are first aid trained and is it up to date, ask how she would get around entertaining the different age groups when they come home from school, its teatime, theyre fractios and little one is tired/hungry.you know how it is but does she? can she effectively look after 3 plus run your chaotic household as well , would she have enough iniative[sp?] to get on with arranging things that needed to be done without telling her ..22 is young if youwant her to run your household too but i` used to nanny from a young age so its up to personality/character etc.... good luck

Hire her in gross pay! Never never never pay net. Especially since the job is 30 hours per week. She could get another job and they could get the lower tax rates.

And, no, I wouldn't pay £9 net. You can save a lot of money by hiring a live-in, dare I say it... foreign nanny.

if just 30 hours per week, get an au pair, and pay her a bit over the normal rate.

I've already seen it.

Very happy to look for a foreign nanny but need to think carefully about live-in. Not sure I could cope with someone around all of the time. Not to keen on au pair as I will be at work 10hrs day and have small baby and 3yr old.
So for mid Surrey area the verdict is 9 is too high and talk gross not net anyway. Thanks for the tips.

Where are you in Surrey? I'm in North Surrey /Middlesex and have a 3 year old and nanny (and also 1 yr old).

jura
it depends on the au pair. some of them have a lot of childcare experience/certificates etc, others are language students.

Near Guildford.

Oh, a bit far to get the 3 year olds together, I'm afraid. But, certainly you should be able to find some live out nannies in the area

Thats a shame. Pleased to hear you have strong views about childcare/taxation. So do I! But better not get me started as need to tidy up before nanny comes for interview. No one would want to work here the state the house is in at the moment!