Do you consider it appropriate for me to ask questions regarding your personal stability, the role religion plays in your life, your personal ethics and moral views? Yes or No
If No, I am sorry to have wasted your time but this interview is over.
Name___________ Address____________
Phone _________ Social Security # ______
Previous Employment ( 3 years )
1) Dates _______ Position/Responsibilities _________
Reason for Leaving ________________________
Boss _____________ Phone __________________
References
Name _________________ Relationship __________________ Years ____________
Why do you want this job? ______________________________________
If you find any question difficult to answer due to its personal nature please let me know that you will answer it to your best ability while maintaining certain elements private.
1) You come home to discover that a friend of yours uses your brand new expensive towels to clean up a spill of Big Red. How do you react?
2) The playroom is a mess, you send all three kids to clean it up. You come to check on the progress in 10 minutes to find everyone playing?
3) You have told the two year for the 3rd time to sit in her chair, yet she still continues to climb the side.
4) Describe how you let a child know that you mean business.
5) How many times do you repeat instructions?
6) Tell me about a time when you lost your temper with a child?
7)What do you consider age appropriate chores for my children? What type of instruction/supervision so you think they will need to accomplish these tasks?
8) Why do you think kids should have chores?
9) Should kids be paid to help around the house?
10) How would you motivate children to stay on task?
11) How would you structure a day where you were required to feed the twins, do laundry, feed the toddler, pick up the school agers and oversee chores?
12) How should children talk to others?
13) When and how should a child voice that they don’t want to do something?
14) When and how should a child be able to ask about something you said no to?
15) The twins are crying, Petra is calling for toilet paper when you hear two of my kids playing, then you hear that one of them is crying and they come to you all talking at once. What do you do?
16) How do you react when my 3 year old cries when you say no?
17) What do you consider some unacceptable forms of motivation/punishment?
18) My son comes home from school and you tell him to put his backpack up before he gets a snack. He appears not to have heard you and he gets a snack and a drink. You tell him again to put his back pack up and in the process decides to pretend that he is Sonic and starts swinging his backpack around. In the process his water flies and hits you and gets Petra’s snack all wet. Petra is crying and you are mad and frustrated. What do you do?
19) What does it mean to you to cut kids some slack? When is it appropriate?
20) When home with the babies and Petra what would you do if Petra was suppose to be cleaning her room and the babies needed to be feed?
21) What do you consider to be big lies versus little lies?
22) Is some lying Ok?
23) For how many years have you been working to support yourself?
24) Have you had any gaps in your employment since that time?
25) How many jobs have you had in the last three years?
26) Have you ever been fired?
27) Do you have a criminal record?
28) Do you smoke or drink?
29) How would you describe reliable transportation?
30) What standard do you hold yourself to as an authority figure for my children?
31) Do you think you could do a good job as a Nanny if you and I did not agree about what was good morality, ethics, honesty and personal stability?
32) How does your religion/spirituality influence the way you live your life and work?
33) What kind of personal activities do you expect to be able to do while working? Run errands, phone calls, e-mail, my space, friends over, reading, etc. During an 8 – 10 hour work day how much time do you think you should be able to take for yourself.
34) How long do you think it is OK to let a baby cry?
35) How far away from the house is it OK to be if the babies are inside?
36) Who would you let pick-up the babies?
37) What would you do to stimulate a baby?
38) If you are familiar with the scripture that says a Leader should live a life beyond reproach please speak to how you would apply that to your role as a Nanny?
39) How would you play with Petra?
40) What sort of educational activities would you do with Petra?
41) Do you think that being a Nanny is the best way for you to make money?
42) Do you think it is easy to be a Nanny?
43) What would you look for in a Nanny if you were doing the hiring?
44) What would you look out for?
45) Have you ever used drugs?
46) How consistent are your sleeping habits?
47) How many hours of sleep to you need to function and do you make it a priority to get enough before coming to work.
48) What do you think the effect would be on us if you were 15 minutes or more late to work?
49) Have been late to work often? What have you done in the past when you knew you were going to be late?
50) Have you ever had car trouble that caused you to be late? Are you still driving that car?
51) How would you describe the character of those that you hang out with? Are they people that would be a good influence on my kids?
52) Do you have a good fall back if a crisis were to arise in your life?
53) Do you have a checking account at a bank? Are you with good standing with your bank?
54) Do you feel that you make good financial choices?
55) What do you think of credit cards?
56) Why do you think I want you to help out with laundry and dishes?
57) Do you think it is appropriate for me to expect you to do laundry and watch 5 kids?
58) How much time do you think you will have to be on the floor playing with the kids?
59) If I were to describe this job as an extension of my motherhood what would that mean to you?
60) How do you feel about spanking?
61) How do you feel about being alone with the kids while my husband is working in the Studio?
62) Do you like the park/outside?
63) How badly do you need this job?
64) Have you ever past up a job because you didn’t think you would be a good fit?
I think most of the questions are good, especially the ones about what do you if so and so is crying/acting out, etc. You have to know how someone will react with your children in any given circumstance, however I disagree completly with the bank account and money questions, IMO it is dissrespectful to ask someone that and doesn't apply to the job in any way. The sleep questions seem to me to border on an invasion of privacy as well, although the question about being late made complete sense. Over all its a good application, just those few things IMO (which isn't much lol) were not appropriate. Hope this helps!
ReplyDeleteI would like to response to the money and sleep comments by Wendi. Both of these questions speak to a person’s stability. We had a girl work for us for almost 6 months that we just loved as a person. She was always late and was dragging due to lack of sleep. We also discovered that because of her poor money management she couldn't repair her car, had her utilities turned off, etc. Since a Nanny becomes part of your family it is heart breaking to watch them be irresponsible and even harder to let them go. I asked these types of questions to hopefully guard myself and my children from the hurt of another loss of a caregiver and it worked!
ReplyDeleteI understand why you ask, but maybe different questions could be asked to judge those things, for example tell the applicant your story and ask how they feel about it, some discretion should be used in such personal situations like this, in the end though its your right to ask whatever because you are the boss, but if I were being interviwed these questions without explanation would send up red flags. I suppose I would reword things a bit, ok a lot. I think I'm rambling now, normally I wouldn't write a comment to disagree but you wanted feedback, so maybe another POV helps with your book :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Wendi. I certainly see your POV and I agree that these questions could be softened.
ReplyDeleteI am a nanny first off....
ReplyDeleteI would have to say that some of the questions I have been asked in the past were right along the lines of these questions, and I think the more open and honest you are as a mother/ interviewer is awesome. I can tell what kind of parent most people are by the questions they ask in the interview. I can also tell what kind of personality they have by the type of questions on the application. I know with in minutes of meeting a family if I will be able to meet their expectations; know if I will be able to get along with the parents.
Any truly qualified nanny should be able to run your household just as you would run it while your away. As for house work, in a 8 to 10 hour day there is plenty of time to do laundry and dishes, plus keep the children in order!
In that time frame I have been able to accomplish so many things I often surprise the parents.
The key is to make sure that the children who understand what you are saying follow the directions you give them.