How to interview a nanny: Your questions checklist

This list of sample nanny interview questions will help you cover all your bases and find the best nanny for your family.

So you’ve vetted your list of nanny applicants, picked your favourites and scheduled the interviews. Now what? It’s time to draw up a list of questions so that you cover all your bases and find the best nanny for your family.

Of course, you want the conversation to flow naturally, but it helps to have a few questions to ask so you can get a feel for each nanny’s level of experience and style. You also need concrete answers to important aspects of the position. The in-person interview is often the last step in the hiring process, so be thorough. To make the interview easier, you can use this list of sample interview questions.  

The basics

Start any interview by getting to know the candidate. As a basic indicator, make sure that your conversation is flowing naturally and that they are giving you sufficient answers. You don’t want one-word answers, but you also don’t need their entire life story.

You can start the interview by asking basic background questions like:

• How long have you been caring for children?
• What age groups have you cared for?
• What is your favourite age to care for? Why?
• Do you have other work or life experience that helps you as a nanny?

Explore the discussion here if you want, but these should be fairly straightforward answers.

Training and education

The best part about hiring a nanny is that they are highly qualified child care providers. Make sure you dive into what makes them best-suited for the job. Try asking:

• Are you trained in CPR? First aid?
• Have you taken any child care courses or training? Would you be willing to if necessary?
• What is your education level?
• Are you fluent in any other languages besides English?

Feel free to add questions relevant to your children’s specific needs, such as secondary languages, medical conditions and so on. 

Health questions

• Have you had the COVID vaccine? If not, do you plan to?
• Do you get a flu jab?
• Are you up to date on other immunisations? 

Previous nanny positions

Now it’s time to discuss the candidate’s work history (you’ll also want to contact professional references before making an offer). The families they worked for previously may be vastly different from your own, but try to get a feel for how their experience lines up with your needs by asking:  

• What was your most recent position? If there was a gap, what did you do in that time?
• What was your typical daily routine with your last family?
• What were some of the best things about your previous job? The worst?
• Have you had negative work situations? If so, what have you learned from them?
• How have you handled difficult situations, like a baby crying uncontrollably or a child making cheeky comments?
• Have you ever had a childcare emergency? What happened?
• What is your experience with children who have/need/are [insert specific situation]?
• What was your longest stay with a family? What was your experience with them?
• Are you looking to stay long-term with a family or what is your time frame for your next position?

This is also where they may ask more questions about your family to see if you align with their needs. If they are serious about the position, expect to answer a lot of questions.

All about the position

Now that you’ve established that this nanny is a potential finalist, you can get into the nitty gritty of the job description or your requirements. This could include discussing the hourly schedule, days off or benefits that weren’t discussed before.

You should also ask questions to see how well your position requirements mesh with their expectations. Ask questions like:

• How flexible is your schedule? Would you be available if we occasionally need you to arrive early or stay late?
• Are you willing to cook/do light housework/take care of pets/[insert other task]? Does your salary requirement increase if so?
• Do you do sports, play musical instruments, have any specific hobbies, [insert other activity that is important to your family]?
• Are there any activities or responsibilities that you can’t or won’t do?
• Are you comfortable with the physical demands associated with the position?

You should also always be upfront about any unique requirements your family has, whether cultural, religious, dietary and so on. You can ask about their experience or ability to work with:

1. A strict diet (food allergies, vegetarian or kosher diets, etc.).
2. Your religious or cultural practices.
3. Special needs (autism, ADHD or other conditions).
4. Medication needs (insulin, emergency epilepsy medication, inhalers or generic medication when a child is ill).
5. Your family, school or professional situations (divorce, a recent move, hectic work schedules, a child who needs support at school, etc.).

Stay tuned to how nannies respond to these questions – some specific requirements may rule some candidates out of the running. If you feel they’re not willing to meet your job requirements, you can always politely end the interview.

Caregiving style

If the candidate meets your job requirements, you can discuss the most important part: the kids. As many families choose to meet candidates without children for the first interview, this part of the interview can be dependent on that important introduction.

If you like their answers to these questions, it’s time to introduce them to the kids:

• What do you like best about being a nanny?
• What do you find most challenging?
• What’s the hardest day you’ve ever had as a nanny and what did you do to handle it?
• Do you prefer more or less structure in your day? What do you think works best for children?
• What have you found worked the best when working with parents to help raise their child? How would you handle a medical/behavioural/educational/other situation with the children? How would you address the situation with me?
• What is your view of disciplining a child? What should be the nanny’s role?

Did you love their answers? It’s time to bring in the kids (or schedule a time to introduce them). Were you a little less than impressed with their interview? Interview the next candidate; you will find someone you really trust, so don’t settle.

Questions not to ask

As with any formal employee hiring process, you have to follow legal guidelines and fair and non-discriminatory practices when it comes to the questions you ask. Even though hiring a nanny is a highly personal decision, you cannot ask a candidate about aspects such as the following:

• Age.
• Race/ethnic background.
• Religious views.
• Sexual orientation.
• Marital status/plans on becoming pregnant.
• Health or any disabilities.
• Spent convictions.

If these things come up in the course of the conversation, they cannot be claimed as justifiable grounds for not hiring the candidate.

Now that you know what to ask your potential nannies, it’s just a matter of time before you find the one that is best for you.