What You Should Know Before Interviewing Candidates for Your Nanny Position

Your search for the nanny must be very organized. You must have a system for efficiently recording all relevant data about each candidate in a readily and reliably accessible manner.

The information must include but not be limited to a basic description of physical characteristics, and more subjective impressions regarding the individual's demeanor, communicative skills, attitude, and fitness for the job.

Necessary basic information, which must be discussed and listed, will include work hours, salary, vacations and willingness to perform specific chores, references, flexibility, and geographical location.

Often people don't ask enough questions on the phone and then find some unfortunate deal breaker at the in-person interview, which should never have taken place to begin with.
For instance, everything can be going great until the candidate mentions that she would not work for less than $20 an hour and you were thinking more in the range of $14. So even if all else seems to be on track, this candidate must be dropped from consideration, and you will have wasted time, which could have been applied to the search.
You must anticipate potential incompatibilities and bring them up for discussion early in the encounter in order to avoid wasting your valuable time. Now, as for the actual interview, the following should be considered to be red flags for immediate rejection.

1. The candidate shows up inappropriately dressed. 2. She does not make eye contact with you. 3.
Your children are present and she does not interact with them at all.

4. Something that she says or does leaves you vaguely or specifically uneasy.
5.

She makes numerous demands before she is offered the job.
6.

She makes excuses for not supplying you with a verifiable reference.

7.

She seems very rigid about her viewpoints. What you do want is a sweet, caring, trustworthy, dependable person who you feel will comfortably fit in with your family. After you have hired someone to be your nanny, you must not discard your notes. It has been my experience that your first choice candidate my change her mind about the position just before starting the job or that you or she is dissatisfied with the job shortly after she has started working.
It is usually a good idea to call the rejected candidates just to inform them that even though they were not your first choice, you will keep them in mind for the position if things do not work out with the individual who you did hire.

In conclusion, be as precise as you can when outlining your expectations.
You do not want unpleasant surprises later on. Do not keep an employee longer than necessary if you find that you are dissatisfied with her.

Many people are reluctant to make a change once they have hired someone.

There is a strong tendency to follow the path of least resistance and to avoid the unpleasant situation of having to fire someone.
It has been my experience that if you have multiple complaints about the nanny's job performance, you will, within a few months, be forced to let her go.

There should be an understanding that there is a trial period.

During this time you should feel free to politely criticize and express any objections. Always remember, this is the person with whom you are entrusting your children