Martha's Adult Care Blog Posts

If you've already had correspondence with the nanny, set up a time you can call her that works well for both of you. If you haven't, just be sure you have some time set aside to concentrate. Try to have no distractions during the call, such as work or family. If possible, both of you should use a land-line versus a cell phone for call clarity.

Start the conversation with a brief job description; start date, location, days/hours, and some of the duties. Confirm with her that those details work with her, then you can confirm the information you have on her on paper, like phone number. This is also a good time to confirm education, First Aid and CPR training, criminal record check status, etc; contact your local police department for details on how to obtain a criminial record check.

Once you have verified the information and you feel she may be a possible fit for your family, you can continue with some other interview questions:

• Are you currently working as a nanny or in a child care setting?
• Why were you specifically interested in our job?
• What ages of children do you like working with?

Try to keep the interview flowing, but limited to about 10-15 minutes. If you aren't interested from the phone interview, tell her you're reviewing interested candidates and will contact her if you're interested in a face-to-face interview. If you are interested, set up a time within about a week to meet in person. Let her know who will be at the interview. We always recommend that nanny interviews be casual, not formal. Therefore, encourge her to dress casually, what she would wear on a normal day. This lets her focus on the interview, not what to wear, and will give you an idea on her everyday appearances.

Always remember that not everyone is a "phone person", especially if English is a second language to her. Even if you thought she was "just ok" on the phone, you may still want to interview her as she may be completely different in person.

Read the whole series on hiring a nanny for more tips.