Interviewing Nanny / non helpful CV

[babybears]

I've just received my prospective Nanny's CV after talking for a week or so via a childcare message board. It's not very explanatory and I know more about her GCSE's than detailed work experience.

It says she's worked 3yrs in nurseries (named the nurseries but no addresses for references) and two nanny positions since August 09 (again, no employer names or addresses for references). None have any detail of duties entailed, except most recent position where she writes that the family 'don't have a great deal of money?, to show why she plays indoors with the children.

On telephone she sounds lovely, experience is there, childcare qualifications, Ofsted registration, etc. I still want to interview her as I don't want to assume her terribly written CV and bad GCSE's are anything to discount her for as it's how she is practically, but I'm not sure what to cover in the interview process? I also want to make sure she knows about the confidentiality issues in her role. Through talking to her, I know an awful lot about the financial position, etc, of her present employer, which I would feel she shouldn't be discussing so much?

She says she will bring addresses of previous employment to the interview, so I need some tips of what I definitely should be covering. Obviously I'll discuss what she did in previous roles, why she left, duties for the role with me, pay/hours, mileage allowance, more information about the children... anything else important at this stage before I check references, offer the job (all being well) and write a contract? I've seen some stories of things going wrong with Nanny's on here recently and stuff not covered so want to make sure I cover it all!

I would ask a lot of questions about what sorts of things she would hope to do with your kids, given a free budget. And I would ask specifically what sort of food she would prepare (as for a sample weekly menu). In fact, I would ask her to submit a sample weekly activity planner and menu before she comes to interview.

The poor CV would be a warning to me of poor organisational skills. The last thing I want is a nanny who needs to be constantly motivated to think of things to do.

I would not hold against her the comments about her employers financial situation. She wants you to know she will get out and do things with your kids and feels she should explain why she hasn't done this previously. Since she has not told you who these people are, I don't think she has breeched any confidentiality. IF she was blabbing their financial situation on nannyjob, that would be inappropriate. But, she needs to explain this to you because it is relevant to the interview.

I have a list of a bazillion questions if you want it.

It says she's worked 3yrs in nurseries (named the nurseries but no addresses for references) and two nanny positions since August 09.

It's the number of jobs that would be of concern I feel. You don't say how many nurseries but it's clearly more than one. Look at how long she has stayed in each position, ask why she left the job.

In the past 10 months or so she's had two nanny jobs and is now applying for another. Are parents hiring her then terminating the agreement? Is she leaving by her own choice? You need to establish the circumstances for why the jobs are not lasting very long. If she came to work for you... would she be looking to move on again in under a year?

I feel a CV sent via e-mail these days won't contain sensitive information - such as full address of families for whom they have worked. So bringing reference details with her when meeting you in person I feel is fine.
For the nurseries, their address is usually available easily... so saying the name of the nursery and the town/village on the CV would be sufficient. If they were being used as a reference, then the full contact details of the person to whom to write to at the nursery would be provided when meeting you in person.

The lack of detail regarding what she actually did in any job, is probably down to not knowing how to lay out a CV for a nanny job.

From the sounds of things her academic achievements may be a bit lacking. Does that not bother you? She would be teaching your children... while you don't want an astrophysicist, you probably do want someone with a broad basic level of education.

You're both right about organisational skills and the amount of jobs she's had. I know her current position ends at the end of the school year as her current employer is at college, and came to the position as an emergency start from an agency as the other nanny left after a couple of weeks. I think the previous position was actually alot longer, but she's put the dates wrong? She said she had nearer 2 years Nannying experience. She worked at 3 nurseries in the time prior to Nannying. First lasted 1 year, second 14 months, and third 6 months.
This is all according to her CV, but there seems to be a missing year which is where I think she's got the dates wrong for her first nanny position, so I'm not entierly sure what's right and what's wrong?

Hmmm.....

I wouldn't worry about reference addresses. For reasons of confidentiality I don't name my employers or gve their addresses out without meeting a prospective employer first, especially if over the net. You could be anyone.

The lack of detail on CV - how bad? How does it compare to other CVs you've received? If you haven't anything to compare it to you I'll happily send you my anonymised one whch I've always had great feedback on (and I had a summer job in recruitment so I know I'm definitely on the right lines).

I agree with nick that the sheer number of jobs may be the sign of problems. But equally it may not - important to find out why.

Some nannies don't have great presentation on paper skills. You mention her 'bad' GCSEs - is academic achievement important to you? It seems as though it is from the comments you're making about the way she presents herself (and nothing wrong with valuing academics btw).

Do an advanced search on here for nanny interview questions. I copy/pasted the exhaustive list a few days ago to a thread about questions for au pairs.

Good luck!

If she's ticking all the boxes in terms of geographic location (if live-out), able to do the start date required, has sufficient driving experience (if you are needing a driver), is prepared to work for the salary and for the days/hours you are offering... then no harm in meeting her in person.

You do however need to establish work history and what she actually did in the jobs - in particular the nanny positions. Plus references for those nanny positions and the last nursery position as it was quite a short time.

Coming into a job as an emergency nanny is quite a good sign of her ability to just leap in to a job. However it's also a possible bad sign because it may have meant that she left the previous job without a job to go to... thus important I feel to look into reasons as to why she left that first nanny job.

I wouldn't worry too much - interview and go through it all there. I've interviewed quite a few nannies and rarely have had reference details on CVs, they always supply them when appropriate. I also only ever employ a nanny for a six month fixed contract because of my working patterns, so the number of jobs may not be a concern either - I've had a quite a few younger girls apply because they prefer the shorter terms for various reasons personally.

That said, the interview will of course be key. Don't get caught out like I did though - I interviewed a very experienced nanny who I actually offered the job to, who then thanked me for not taking her most recent nanny job history into account... (the female employer moved out of the family home and the interviewee was in a relationship with the male employer). She thought the agency had told me...

Anyway, we did employ her in the end, she was lovely, but it make me nearly choke on my coffee.

Sorry Nannynick, I cross posted. Her GCSE's do bother me a tiny bit (her only C grades were Art and Maths, the rest D/E's), but she has the CCE level 2 (distinction) and DCE level 3 Theory BB, practical C, which is the right things isn't it? (starting to panic!). She did take the current job as she didn't have a job at the time. I remember her telling me that.

starting to feel really deflated about it all now, I thought I was onto a winner to start off with, now it's turning into a bit of a headache.

Wow Nickoftime.... that'd make me choke on my coffee too!

Speaking to the previous employers is essential. Offer "subject to references" and don't get too emotionally attached to the candidate before you've spoken to all the employers.

My GCSE's are not that great, I'm terrible at exams.
No idea on the gradings for DCE but it looks ok - she has done the courses and completed them which shows a level of commitment.

Sounds as though focusing on that first nanny job may be useful given that the she left nursery to do that job, then left that job without something to go to. There will be a reason for that which you need to establish. Until you know the reason you can't make a judgement. I've left a job (not a nanny job) in the past without a job to go to... though I did immediately sign on with a temp agency.

Speak to her previous employers. I normally say at least two. But, as you now have doubts, I would say at least three.

How old are your children? I ask because mine are 5 and 7 and it wasn't until about age 5/6 that the nanny's level of education/intelligence really mattered. When I had a baby and a toddler, we had a nanny who today wouldn't meet my educational (especially grammar) preferences, but at that stage she was really good in ways I probably would not have thought to seek. For example, she liked to just hang out and spent a lot of time cuddling DS (the baby). In retrospect this is probably exactly what he needed.

I also wouldn't write her off based on a departure from one job when she didn't have another to go to. It is possible that she had a horrible employer. If you think she is a bit flighty, I would suggest asking more about her short and long terms plans for her career as a nanny. If she seems not to have thought it through, then you may have cause for concern. I would look for someone who has thought out say the next two years of her life, and maybe has a general direction for the next 5.

I know I have already mentioned it, but really cannot stress enough the importance of SPEAKING to her previous employers. People will say a lot on the phone that they won't put in writing.

Thank you for all your advice, I will definately try and make contact the previous employers by telephone.

I also did terribly at school, coming away with literally no quailfications. BUT managed to take 2 financial examinations (both with distinctions) whilst working for a bank, and have completed a NVQ3 within 9 months.

I was totally unmotivated at school, and hate it when I have to put my qualifications down.

I also had a childminder for several years who stuggled with the written end of things, but was absolutely fabulous with children. which is why I dispair at childminding becoming very paper orientated.

I think it is always worth face to face contact before making any decisions.