How will the nanny get to work? If the nanny does not live within
walking distance of your home, ask how she will get to work.
If she is relying
on public transportation, you can make an assessment on how reliable this
method will be depending on if you live in a well serviced urban area, or a
rarely traveled road in a rural area. If the nanny drives, you would be wise to
inquire about her car – how old it is, and her assessment of how reliable it’s
been.
If she can’t get to the job, or if
you are uncertain or skeptical of her ability to get to work, after hearing her
answer, then there’s no sense in continuing the interview.
You should ask for a brief history
of her work experience, in particular, what she has done for the past three
years. “Listen” for any holes in her timeline. In other words, make sure you
have an accounting of what she’s done for the last three years.
You want to
find out how long she has been in any jobs, and if they are or were
short-lived, why. You also should know what she did with blocks of time longer
than a month or two. If this sounds too thorough, remember, this person is
going to be taking care of your child, and it doesn’t hurt to ask. Better to
know, than not to know and wonder – or worry.
Ask her what kind of job she is
looking for, and what kind of children she prefers caring for. If you have more
than one child that she will be taking care of, see if she’s ever taken care of
more than one child at a time. Some nannies specialize in taking care of
babies, and prefer this kind of work. Others don’t have experience with babies,
and if you have one, you should hire someone who has baby experience because
their needs are so much different than older children’s.
If you like what you hear, and you are interested in meeting
her, then ask for the reference phone numbers of her last three employers, and
if she can give you one or two of them, or even all three, you can make a date
to meet with her. Some employers don’t ask for references until after they meet
the nanny candidate, but it is more efficient to
