Coming up with a list of questions for the person who may be taking care of your loved ones might feel daunting, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Having a list of questions handy when you’re interviewing nanny candidates will help you feel prepared and confident. Asking each candidate the same questions also helps when you’re deciding who to move forward with.

To make your nanny interviewing process easier, you can start with our list of sample interview questions and discussion points. Be sure to add questions that are specific to your situation.

Experience & Job History

• How many years experience, and in what setting (daycare, nanny, church?)

• What were their most relevant and recent positions, and what were their primary responsibilities in those positions?

• How much experience do they have your child(dren)’s age?

• Why did they leave their last position?

• What did they enjoy most in their previous positions, and what could have been better?

Training & Education

• CPR, First Aid certifications?

• What is their education level?

• What classes have they taken in child care?

Work Style & Situations

• Have they had negative work situations or challenges with their previous families? How did they handle them?

• How have you handled difficult situations, either with the family or the children they cared for?

• What are they looking for in a family?

• How would they structure the day for your child(ren)?

• Where do they go for inspiration, activity-planning?

• How do they prefer to work with parents?

• How have they addressed behavior issues or other challenges with parents?

• What do they like best about working with children?

• What do they find the most challenging?

About the Position

If, at this point, you feel like it may be a good fit, you can talk about what you’d like your nanny to do on a daily basis, what you think the typical day will look like. If there are benefits, such as paid time off, holidays, etc., you could discuss those as well.

You may want to share your general guidelines about screen time, nanny’s phone use, and how frequently you’d like to get updates.

This is also the time to talk about your parenting style, what you expect from your nanny (house rules and other expectations).

Other questions you may want to ask:

• COVID precautions - how are they staying safe, how large is their social circle?

• Schedule flexibility and weekend / overnight availability

• Other tasks, like light housework, laundry, etc.

• Activities that they’d be interested in doing with your child(ren)

• Activities or responsibilities that they can’t or won’t do

• Experience with:

  • Dietary restrictions (food allergies, diets)

  • Religious or cultural practices

  • Special needs (autism, ADHD, or other conditions)

  • Medical needs (Epi-Pens, inhalers, medications)

  • Any other family situations (both parents working from home, challenging work schedules, co-parenting, divorce)

Questions You Cannot Ask

Since you are a potential employer, you have to follow legal guidelines about the questions you ask. You cannot ask a candidate about their:

• Age

• Race / ethnic background

• Religious views

• Sexual orientation

• Marital status

• Disability

• Arrest record

Next Steps

You can conclude your interview by sharing next steps, like how and when you’ll let them know whether they’ve moved on to the next step of a paid trial day.

Once you’ve concluded your interview, you’ll want to take a moment to note your first impressions and your gut reaction. This is a great time to trust your instincts and note any red flags.

Questions to ask yourself after your interview

• Did we have good chemistry? Did you get a good vibe? Did they seem easy to talk to?

• Did they have good communication skills? It’s normal to be nervous in an interview, but did they warm up after the first few questions? Did they smile, laugh, and open up to you?

• Did they ask good questions? Did the candidate ask the right questions about your child, their routines, schedules, and hobbies?

• Could I see this person in our home and as part of our family? Remember that this person will be in your home with you and your child(ren). Based on your conversation, would you feel comfortable with interacting with them on a long-term and regular basis?

If you feel good about the candidate, we recommend a paid trial day. This gives everyone an opportunity to see how things feel and how the nanny and your child(ren) get along. Make sure you or your partner are there for at least part of the day so you can if the nanny meets your expectations. And you may want to get to try to get to know your nanny as a person - learn about them, their family history, and what they enjoy doing outside of work - this is a great way to show that you care about them not just as an employee and helps you know whether you could see this person becoming a part of your family.

Download our handy nanny interview questions & checklist.

Have more questions about interviewing nannies? We’re here to help!