For new parents, seeking out a regular babysitter or day-helper for the first time can be a scary undertaking. The key to breaking through the anxiety of looking for a babysitter is preparation. Help lift the mental load from your working parents with this list of parent-recommended interview questions for babysitter and nanny candidates.
First up explore what motivates them in terms of working with children, is it something they’ve always wanted to do and are they passionate about it?
- What do you love about looking after children?
- What do you enjoy most?
- What do you enjoy least?
- What’s been your proudest babysitting moment?
Then talk more about their paperwork to ensure they have everything you need and can show recent examples if needed – these would include driving licence, first aid training/CPR, and any other trainings or accreditations
If hiring a sitter or nanny through Bubble for Work then you can rest assured that all applicants are vetted and license checked.
Then move onto exploring what their attitude is to looking after kids and whether their ‘style’ fits with yours
- How many families have you provided childcare for? And how old were their kids?
- How many years have you worked in this area?
- On a typical day, what kind of things would you do with the children?
- What sorts of tools do you use to keep them engaged? (listen out for toys/crafts/screens etc.)
- Do you have specific experience caring for children of similar ages to my own? Can you tell me about it in more detail?
- What happens if my child is feeling sad? What would you do?
- How do you handle conflict and tantrums?
- What do you do when a child refuses to go to bed?
- Under what circumstances would you think to call me for help?
- Imagine I’m talking to a child that you’ve looked after – how would they describe you?
- Can you share any past experiences of having to multitask?
- Can you share a real-life example of having to make a split-second decision without parental input? What was the outcome?
Then finally agree on some of the specifics of the job to see if you are both on the same page
- What are your rates?
- Do you live nearby? If not, would you be willing to commute? How would you make the journey each day?
- What’s your weekly schedule availability? Which days and hours?
- Are you looking to stay with a family long term?
- Do you have any other commitments?
- Can you drive in case of an emergency?
If hiring a sitter or nanny through Bubble for Work then this information will be immediately visible for all applicants.
How else can HR teams help working parents?
Business leaders across the nation are investing in more flexible, accessible childcare for their working parents. With the coming return to work, flexible childcare has become integral to ensuring the performance and wellbeing of employees at every stage of life. Without childcare, the 3 in 7 parents making up our workforce—and the businesses that depend on them–would not be able to function.
Now is the time to improve your family support offering for working parents.
