Is it good practise to have a list of questions when interviewing someone?

[KatyMac]

Or can I kinda 'wing it'

I get so flustered if I have to read

How an I sort it out?

I generally pick up on things said or unsaid to make my next question

I end up waffling about how hard it is to work for me

Can anyone sort me out?

Cool I approve of that (I would SO do that too - when is it due in?)

I can't pick my next course - I'm all indecisive atm

BTW I have got to go & buy DD shoes in a bit so if I disappear I'm not being rude

It's due in Thursday. Lalala....

Enjoy the shoe-shopping!

Shoe shopping failure

Oh WOW

Oh WOW

That is fab - Thank you SO much

Katymac, still thinking about your question! I follow the same work habits I outlined above when I recruit a nanny. For me, a standard first aid question is very useful. I invent a situation, check the answer with the MN jury(!) and then ask the all candidates the same first aid question.

So you do various chat about the date of the first aid certificate with them, and then check the knowledge personally. IME it is no good asking nannies if they have ever used their first aid knowledge, as they take this as an insult to their professionalism, rather than my confesssion that DS2 really is an accident prone child.

My other tip would be to ask open questions ie ones which do not suggest a yes or no answer. You say, Do you love working with children? They all say Yes. This does not get you very far. What do you like most about your jobs to date? might prompt the response "I love children" or "I love a new challenge every two years" or "every day is different".

I wouldn't be insulted to be asked if I'd ever used my first aid. I had to take a child to hospital with meninngitis once, my current charge enjoyed a trip to A&E after falling off some equipment in the park (he was pushed by another little shit child) and today I was in an interview and the 10 month old started choking on a piece of pine cone so I put her over my knee and tapped on her the back (then she vomited all down my jeans but I got offered the job!). Children have accidents whatever you do to protect them and it's better having a nanny who's used their first aid, dealt with a crisis, kept calm and come out the other side. I don't take it to mean I'm a crap nanny - I didn't give the child meningitis, I can't hold a net under a 7 year old boy the whole time or control other children's behaviour and I didn't hand the baby a piece of pine cone to chew on. And that's 3 out of however many children I've nannied/babysat/been in contact with through Guiding, teaching rhythmic gym, Sunday school....

KatyMac you're welcome. Not that it gets me any further with my assigment.

I think to some extent you are both right & a question like tat would need to be carefully phrased

As a childminder I haven't really used my first aid, however I have an a 'person' in the park, at the roadside, with my DD

Hmm more to think about

Frannikin do your coursework!!!!!

If this makes you feel any better...the first time I chaired an interview panel I ran out of the house without eating in the morning, came on on the way to work, interviews were my first job of the day and I fainted clean away in the middle of the second or third interview. I actually slid under the table. Felt very sorry for the candidate who I only really saw as she stepped over me with the HR officer apologising profusely. She was given another interview, IIRC.

Oh Jambuttie how awful for you - I would do something just like that

No applicants yet....starting to worry a bit

If you are wanting someone with IT knowledge, set up a test. I used to have to interview people for a temporary summer office job, and two years in a row I took on people who had certificates from colleges saying they could use Excel, Word etc, only to be lumbered with people who couldn't do anything more than input data. Set up a sample typical task, and ask them to do it, whether it's setting out an invoice or doing a basic accounts spreadsheet, just to get an idea of how competently and confidently they can get on with the job.

I'd recommend a checklist to things to chat about too, even if you don't want a list of questions. You can have a chat, then just run your eye over your list and just say "ok, one or two other things I need to check . . "
Good luck. Sure you'll get some applicants soon!

So could I ask them to format a table

I generally need either 4 or 5 pictures in a table (3 square) and some text in the blank boxes

Or is that a bit difficult?

I do have a list to chat about

Be really mean - get them to design an activity, using their IT skills, for a given age and then use the first question I sent you to adapt it.

You might want to set aside a lot of time for interviews if you do that though....

I don't want to be mean - but I do need a break & someone taking over bits of my job would be fab

I know I will have to train them on the specifics but I want someone who I can show 4 or 5 times & they will get it - not someone who will struggle, so I get frustrated & take over

Formatting a table sounds absolutely perfect for a trial task. Give them an empty word doc (or whatever you use) and a list of files of photos you want them to put in it, and show them a finished example of how you want it. Even if they can't do it exactly, you will get a good idea of how independent they could be - do they look up the help menu for example?
I remember giving candidates a list of peoples's names, together with several facts about them - I wanted to know how many type 1, 2, 3, 4 people I had - they could have sorted the list and done subtotals, put filters on the list, or simply counted how many of each type with tally marks on a piece of paper! I was shocked at how many people just sat, shaking their heads, saying " I can't do that". i even gave strong hints about printing out lists and counting, or using the help function, but no, nothing. Anyway, I digress!!

Do you think it's not inability but nerves due to interview?

I wondered if it would be too hard/complex/demanding for such a basic job

No, i honestly don't think so - I had started them off with easy tasks, and they managed those, but then just couldn't do anything past the most basic.
It depends on what is your most important priority really - do you need a CM assistant who can do a bit of admin, or an admin assistant who is ok in the company of children?

I guess I need 2 people

3 mornings a week a fabulous childcarer
2 mornings a week an efficient admin person

Maybe I should have advertised it as 2 roles which could be combined

Isn't it amazing what you find out when you talk to someone who doesn't know you or the situation or the history (iyswim)

lol Katy I was an admin assistant for 7 years and now im a qualified nursery officer...shame I'm too far away!

What a shame - I bet you could format a table with photos in..........& deal with a 2yo having a tantrum