1. If you interview as a couple, sit in separate chairs. This puts the candidate more at ease. This feels more like three people having a conversation and is friendlier.
2. If you interview as a couple, make sure only one of you speaks at a time. This avoids confusion about who to look at and who to answer first.
3. If at all possible, spend some time alone with the nanny first, then bring in the children. Children are big attention grabbers and can make it more difficult for both the parents and the candidate to focus on having a productive interview.
4. It’s useful to have written questions or a checklist but review this before the interview so you’re not just reading from a paper. Making good eye contact helps establish an authentic connection between you and the nanny candidate.
5. If you have negative nanny stories, don’t share them with the nanny you are currently interviewing.
About – COMMUNICATION STYLES
THE BROADCASTER: The Broadcaster is comfortable expressing his/her own ideas, opinions, thoughts and feelings. What is important to the Broadcaster communicator is being clearly understood. The Broadcaster will make statements more frequently than ask questions. Receiving others’ ideas, opinions, thoughts and feelings may be less interesting to the Broadcaster than making sure he/she has fully expressed. The Broadcaster generally puts out more information than he/she takes in.
THE RECEIVER: The Receiver is comfortable listening to the ideas, thoughts and feelings of others. What is important to the Receiver is knowing that he/she has clearly understood the other’s communications. The Receiver frequently asks questions and often will express his/her own ideas and opinions only when asked directly to do so. The Receiver may answer a question with a question rather than putting forth an opinion and will generally take in more information than he/she gives out.
THE BROADCASTER/RECEIVER: The Broadcaster/Receiver is as comfortable expressing his/her ideas, opinions, thoughts and feelings as he/she is listening to the ideas, opinions, thoughts and feelings of others. The Broadcaster/Receiver easily offers opinions and will also ask questions to learn more about the other’s points of view. The Broadcaster/Receiver is most comfortable knowing that he/she has fully understood the other’s communication and that he/she has fully expressed. The Broadcaster/Receiver gives out and takes in information equally well.
Good Communication
…everyone wants it, what is it really? See the Articles Page for tips on identifying your communication style.
When calling references for nanny background checks try this:
After you identify yourself and the purpose of your call, ask “Is this a good time to talk?”
Ask some friendly questions about the person’s family to establish a rapport.
