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When hiring a nanny or caregiver start off by describing what you want, what you are looking for in terms of responsibilities and duties (i.e. Caregiving, houskeeping, laundry, cooking etc)
- Why do you want this job?
- What was your last job and why did you leave it? How long were you with them? Number of kids she looked after? Ages?
- What do you find the most challenging part of working with children?
- What do you see as your primary responsibility to my children?
- What type of activities do you like to do with children?( When asking this question make it age specific)
- What kinds of outdoor activities would you do with my children?
- What kinds of indoor activities would you do with my children?
- What television shows do you feel are appropriate for this age child?
- What methods of limit settingor discipline do you find effective?
- Are you willing to supervise play dates with other children in our home and or take our child to programs which may or may not require your active participation?
- Are you comfortable assisting with homework?
- How would you handle a temper tantrum in a grocery store? In our home?
- have you recently had or are you willing to take CPR and first aid training?
- What if my baby / child cries? How will you comfort her / him? In your experience what comforting techniques work best for you? What do you feel about spoiling? (this question also gives you alot of insight into her "parenting" style)
- Do you smoke?
- What would you like to know about my baby? (some good questions posed to us were - does you baby have any allergies? are you nursing?) For older kids - what activities does he or she like to do?
- What if my child was by the kitchen sink, turned around and had white powder all around his or her mouth?
- If my child got sick (fever, vomiting etc( how would you respond? What if during the course of the day the fever kept rising despite your efforts?
After interviewing thousands of nannies and caregivers we have determined that you get the best interview out of the candidate if you keep it casual. Try to make it conversational as opposed to a formal question and answer session. Remember, you are hiring someone to work in your home, not your office. The interview process can be very intimidating for a lot of women, especially the ones who have just arrived in Canada. It is not unusual for candidates to simply freeze. In addition, since English is often their second language, it is one of the first things to go when their nerves get the better of them. The more relaxed the candidate is the more comfortable and confident she will feel when answering your questions.
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