I’ve actually postponed going back to work twice because our lack of childcare is my biggest anxiety postpartum. We live about 2-3 hours away from family, and my mom isn’t retired yet, so a nanny was our best option. I researched nanny interview questions as there are plenty you can google up, but as someone involved with interviewing and hiring in my day job, I was looking for something more. Most of the questions I found would garner too many yes or no answers like, “would you be willing to take classes to further your education in childcare.” What I’m really looking for is to gauge why they had an interest, and if they had looked into specific classes themselves.

Enter the “behavioral interview,” wherein the applicant demonstrates knowledge, skills, and abilities by giving specific examples from past experiences. In my day job, I’ve found this approach really separates out the great candidates from the good and the not-so-good candidates. I learn a lot more about someone’s character, behavior, and instincts through their experiences than through words. They may say they are hard working, reliable, and organized, but how is that evident in their past experiences? I want to know not what they can do, not what they would do, but what they have done. That way I can see how that could carry over into the care of my child.

An interview question could be answered 3 ways. Take the sample question, “Are you good at multi-tasking?”  A weak answer would be, “yes.” A slightly better answer would be the interviewee telling you what she would do in a situation. The best answer would be the interviewee describing what she has done in a situation. In that light, this could even be thought of as a weak question. In a behavioral interview, it would be rephrased as, “Describe a situation with your current family where you had to multi-task.” Regular interview questions ask what you would do in a situation, but behavioral interview questions probe candidates to describe, in detail, how they handled a past situation. If they struggle for a work-related example, you can suggest that they pull from other facets of life – school, team sports etc. They should state the problem, demonstrate the steps they took to resolve it, and then discuss the result.

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We’re all familiar with the question, “What is your greatest weakness as it pertains to your job?” A lot of people prep for interviews with a cookie cutter response to turn a negative attribute into a positive one, ie, “I’m a perfectionist but it helps me stay punctual.” So I follow that up with, “What’s the name of your current or most recent employer.” Let’s say it’s Jane Smith. I make it obvious that I write the name down, then I say, “If I were to give Jane Smith a call this afternoon, what would she say you did well? What would she say you could improve on?” I see this question really generate some careful thought each time, and I believe it produces perhaps a more honest answer when they think I will actually follow up with the employer, whether I do or don’t.

Yes or no questions are also a complete no-no for me when it comes to first aid and CPR.

Here are some questions I have asked nannies and their responses.

Q: What would you do if my child had a fever?

A: Nanny #1: Give aspirin. (Children under 18 should never be given aspirin due to the risk of developing Reye’s syndrome. The word “baby-aspirin” is something all too-well known, but is a terrible misnomer. Aspirin is not meant for children, and certainly not for babies.)

A. Nanny #2: Go to the hospital. (Perhaps this answer is a deal-breaker… there’s guessing and then there’s good common sense. My response to this was, if you can’t get in contact with me, I will leave a number for the family doctor you can call, even after hours).

I don’t mind if they honestly come out and say they don’t know. I’m looking to see what they would they do in a real situation. If they didn’t know, would they still be guessing? It would be nice to gather that they know to give acetaminophen and not aspirin, but the best answer would be to give me a call at work.

Q: Do you have CPR training? Tell me the steps of infant CPR.

A: Yes, I just got recertified. Put the child on their back over your forearm at a 35 degree angle. Give 5 chest compressions and 3 breaths. (Despite her recent re-certification, she mixed up infant choking and CPR.)

The most basic summary of infant CPR would be to have the infant on a hard, level surface, and to start with 30 compressions followed by 2 breaths.

Q: How have you defrosted milk for the families you’ve worked with?

A: Nanny #1: Set it out on the counter when I arrive at the house (said with great confidence). (Thawing at room temperature provides conditions for bacteria to multiply.)

A: Nanny #3: Never had to do that before. Put it in the microwave? (This can form pockets of scalding milk that can burn your child. This is a good resource here for defrosting breastmilk.)

A: Nanny #4: Never had to defrost before, my employer was a work at home mom, and had freshly pumped milk in the fridge. I would defrost it under warm water.

Defrost milk in the fridge for use the next day, or defrost with warm water for use now. Great answer, Nanny #4. My personal preference is to defrost the freezer bags in warm water in another ziploc bag; that way if the bag leaks, the milk can still be used.

Q: What do you do if the milk in the fridge looks like it has separated?

A: Nanny #2: Shake it. 

A: Nanny #4: It’s probably gone bad, I would throw it out. (In my head I was thinking, my liquid gold!)

Preferred Response: It should be gently swirled. There’s some thought that shaking can break down the proteins, but very few people know this.

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These last two questions are tricky – many people do these things a certain way out of habit and aren’t aware of the reasoning behind other methods. My preference can easily be conveyed to them, so while they’re definitely not deal-breaker questions, they’re good to get out in the open.  Again, I’d rather have an I don’t know than a guess. Then when I tell them how to do it, I would follow up later to make sure they remembered.

Here are some other questions I like to ask that are off the beaten path:

  • What immunizations have you had? This can be important, especially with au pairs and immigrants from other countries.
  • How early do you wake up on work days? If you are sick, how far in advance would you notify me? If they tell me they typically wake up 30 minutes before they are scheduled, will they be able to notify me in time to find a replacement if they wake up and discover they’re sick?
  • What would you have changed about your last job?
  • Is there anything you are uncomfortable doing?
  • Talk about a challenging situation you have had with a parent. (If they don’t discuss the final outcome, ask.)
  • Describe a situation where you went above the call of duty.

What questions do you like to ask nannies during interviews?

Hiring a Nanny part 5 of 5

1. The Nanny Search Begins by Mrs. Bee
2. Nanny Interview Questions by Mrs. Bee
3. The Nanny Offer by Mrs. Bee
4. The Nannies Guide by Mrs. Pen
5. Interviewing for a nanny by Mrs. Chipmunk