- How do you spend your time with your children? …
- How do you Discipline your Children? …
- How will we Communicate? …
- What Should I know About Health and Safety in this Household? …
- What, exactly, will my duties be?
Whether it’s your first time interviewing for a nanny position, or you’re back out there interviewing again after being in a job for a while, you’re bound to come across at least one question that’s difficult to answer. At myTamarin, we’ve compiled a list of some of less obvious or more difficult questions parents may ask during your nanny interview.
To avoid getting caught out the next time a parent asks you one of these questions, follow our guidance and take some time to think about how you’d respond before you answer.
NANNY INTERVIEW I QUESTIONS TO ASK A POTENTIAL NANNY FAMILY
General questions about the job
Obviously, this is something you, rightly, want to know, but LaRowe doesn’t recommend leading with these questions. “Asking this question before seeing if you are a potential match can be a real turn off to parents who want a caregiver that expresses interest in their children before money,” she explains. “Plus, it’s a moot point if you’re not interested in the job.”
“If you are a nanny who’s used to running the show, you likely won’t do well in a position that requires you to stay in the house and be micromanaged,” notes LaRowe.
Finally, LaRowe recommends asking potential employers if there’s anything they’d like you to know about their family at the end of the interview. “Following this question with a long pause is going to get you answers to questions you would never have thought to ask” she explains.
Health questions
How to structure a nanny interview
Salary when you are paying on the books: If you decide to pay your nanny on the books, you will pay about 12% of her salary (your share of Social Security and Medicare, and Unemployment taxes). NOTE: The LAW indicates that you should pay your nanny “on the books” if compensation is more than $2500 in a calendar year. Most nannies who are willing to go on the books at your request ask that their take home salary be commensurate with nannies who don’t pay taxes. If you do this, expect to pay your nanny a salary about 25% higher than the going rate stated above. This is in addition to your tax obligation. For more information about paying on the books, check our section about Paying a Babysitter on the Books. This is a significant added expense, but it does leave you and your nanny better protected. Raises: Raises tended to be 5-10% after 1 year. Some give larger bonuses instead of raises. Bonus: 1 week’s salary. Some give the week off between Christmas and New Year’s in addition. Many families also give a personal gift from the family or a small gift from the child or children.
Raises for a new child: $2-3/hour or $100 more per week. It generally works out as a 20-25% raise. Some families gave smaller raises when they had an older child spending a significant amount of time in school. Vacation: 1-2 weeks off at nanny’s choosing is the norm. In addition to that, most families pay for the time that they are on vacation. Some families that take several weeks of vacation (at least 4) give the nanny that time off, and no vacation days of her own choosing.
Overnights: If you need your nanny to stay overnight to care for your children, expect to pay from $100-150 in addition to her regular salary. Sick time: 75% of families that I surveyed provide sick days. 3-5 sick days per year is typical. Many families did not have a set number of sick days, but felt that it was not an issue since their nanny never asked for them.
Nannies for a Fickle ScheduleNeed a Nanny at the last minute? One member asked. We took the responses and consolidated them into this short essay. Getting a babysitter at the last minute is no easy task. Especially if you already have a steady nanny, she may not want to be on-call all the time. Or, you may not be able to find a nanny who is willing to come in at the last minute with little to no advance notice. So what is a parent to do? Some of our members responded to a members inquiry about freelancing. Here are some options: – Use your networks. Ask around the PSP group, or the nanny circuit when you get a freelancing job (this is less last-minute, and more short-term scheduled babysitting). – Websites like nownannyny.com or sittersinthecity.com provide resources for parents who need last-minute babysitters. – Utilize your Stay At Home Mom (SAHM) friends (politely and respectfully, of course). As one SAHM says, “My suggestion to you is to find a SAHM in your area who has a child close in age to your son who would be willing to bring him home with her and her child. Granted your child wont get that one on one attention. But when Im not working I watch my friends child and it seems to work out great for both of us. I guess the trick is to find someone of the same mindset. Youd be surprised at how many SAHM wouldnt mind a little cash. Plus this would be easier than finding a new nanny all the time.” – Use email blasts to potential last-minute babysitters that you trust. One respondent came into contact with a group of NYU students to whom she puts out an email call whenever she needs someone to watch her daughter at the last minute.Live-in NanniesAs with all nanny-related situations, there are pros and cons to having a live-in nanny. A live-in nanny obviously has the flexibility that a live-out nanny does not, yet privacy is compromised. One debate has been on whether it is acceptable to pay a live-in nanny less than you would a live-out nanny, given that you are providing room and board in a city as expensive as NYC. However, keep in mind that your nanny may be sending money back home or otherwise supporting family in NYC. Additionally, she may be sacrificing her time with her own family in order to live with your family. Each individual situation is different, so make sure you communicate with your nanny to find a compromise that is good for both parties. Responses from the Yahoo Group cited salaries of around $140 up to around $500 per week for a live-in nanny. Compensation should vary according to how many children the nanny will be responsible for, and what other tasks and responsibilities she will have (ie: will she do the family laundry? Prepare dinner? Act as a driver for the kids?) Check out the nanny compensation section for more information. With a live-in nanny, it can be easy to assume or expect your nanny to be there “all the time”. Make sure there are clear expectations on both sides about hours and pay so your nanny doesnt feel like she is being taking advantage of, creating tense situations.Laying off your Nanny(Taken from responses from the PSP Yahoo Group) Terminating your relationship with your nanny can be a delicate situation. There are many reasons to do so, both from your end and from your nannys end. Sometimes a nannys schedule doesnt fit with what you need, sometimes she decides that the job isnt a good fit for her, etc. If your nanny leaves, there is no need to offer severance pay, but if you initiate the release, you should strongly consider giving her a couple weeks pay. Two weeks severance pay is standard, but one week severance pay is generally considered acceptable for nannies who have been with you for less than a year. You are not under legal obligation to give your nanny severance pay, and oftentimes how much severance pay you give your nanny may depend on the reason for her termination and her job performance. It is, however, generally more professional to do so in cases in which the nanny did not violate any expectations or do very unacceptable things while on the job (ie: if it was just a bad fit and wasnt working out).Tools for Building a Positive Working Relationship with Your Nanny (Suggestions from nannies about making the employer/employee relationship work, compiled by Pam Potischman of The Nanny Bridge.) It often seems that parents and the caregivers who watch their children are worlds apart. But in order to support their lives outside of the employers’ home, this relationship needs to succeed. When it does, parents feel confident when they go to work that their children are being well cared for by someone they can rely on, and caregivers can enjoy their work and provide financial security for themselves and their families. At Childcare Solutions, I work with parents and caregivers to improve how they work together. An effective collaboration with your caregiver is the most important factor in good care for your child. In that vein I have been talking to parents and nannies about which experiences have supported the working relationship and which have undermined it. In this article, I discuss what the nannies have to say. I spoke to about 30 local caregivers and compiled this list of working conditions that they felt supported their work and job satisfaction. There are two main areas of concern for caregivers. The first is about the compensation package and job expectations. I highly recommend that you write up a work agreement detailing these elements. It will protect you and your nanny. Too often there is a miscommunication that could easily be cleared up if there is a written document to go back to. (For a sample contract, go to http://www.4nannies.com/forms/workagreement.pdf .) The other area of concern is more personal. It is a sense that the employer appreciates the work being done and respects the person who is performing it. What I discovered is that little things really count and can greatly impact job satisfaction. Fair pay Fair pay is the basis of a lasting working relationship. Nannies talk to each other and know what everyone is getting paid. This does not mean you must pay the highest rate, but it is wise to at least pay within the norm of the neighborhood. Still childcare can be prohibitively expensive for many families. If you feel you can only pay on the lower end of the fair wage scale, you may want to negotiate more time off, certain days with shorter hours or provide lunch, for example. Yearly wage increases are expected. Benefits Sick days and vacation days go a long way in making the relationship secure. A babysitter doesn’t have to worry about getting sick and losing pay. As well, you do not want a babysitter coming in when she is too sick to work. Vacation time is expected. Nannies feel they should have at least one week of vacation at their choosing. They should also be paid when the family takes vacation or does not need her to work. When you set up a salary, you are guaranteeing that the nanny will be available to you during those contracted hours. That also means, you are guaranteeing pay for her during those hours, even if you don’t need her to work. Medical insurance is a wonderful benefit that is greatly valued by nannies. Unfortunately, the extra cost is out of reach for most families. But if you can afford it, it provides a great deal of security for your employee. Here is a link to one provider of insurance www.workingtoday.org. Paying on time This may seem obvious, but it is enough of an issue that several nannies mentioned it. Coming home when expected, or letting the nanny know in advance when coming home late. An overwhelming number of nannies complained about parents often returning home late. They report that this is a problem that often grows slowly over time. The slow and subtle change can make it very hard for babysitters to address this problem. Be honest with yourself and your caregiver from the beginning about what time you can get home. If you tend to work late, let them know and negotiate hours and pay with that in mind. If you have an unpredictable work schedule, hire someone who can stay late on short notice, or can work late for periods at a time. And be conscious of when you return home. If you realize that 6:30 has become 7:00, try to come home at the time you originally agreed on or discuss changing the hours. Overtime On a related note, nannies spoke well of getting overtime. Particularly if you have negotiated a weekly salary, you should discuss how your caregiver will be compensated for work beyond those hours. Clear job expectations Many nannies say that they feel that they are given more responsibilities than they initially had agreed on. Running errands or doing laundry may not have initially been part of the bargain. When hiring someone, or reviewing a contract, be honest about your expectations and negotiate around them. If you find that you need more help keeping things in order than you thought, talk to you baby sitter about it and how you can work that out in your arrangement. Petty cash and emergency cash When kids have play dates, they often get snacks or go to places that need payment. This is something you may want to discuss if you have concerns about how the money will be used. Will it be for the occasional lunch out with a friend from school or music class? Is it for a book at Barnes and Noble? Should it never be used for candy? Find out from the nanny what she feels she needs it for and let her know what you want it used for and work out general guidelines. You can certainly expect an accounting of the petty cash. Courtesy and consideration Many nannies said that a little courtesy goes a long way. A lack of courtesy can be felt as an insult and lack of respect. For example, several nannies told me that they felt very demoralized when their employers neglected to greet them in the morning. Over and over again, nannies mentioned how much this can mean to them. Letting her go home if you come home a little early, offering a cup of coffee or having some food in the house that the nanny likes shows that she is included in your household. And that tends to result in them feeling more giving of their time and energy to the children and parents. Support for the nanny when there is conflict with the children When parents do not back up the babysitter in front of the children, it undermines her authority when you are not there. It also feels disrespectful. If you disagree with the way she has handled something with the kids, you can discuss it in private. This is important for many reasons. It projects to the children that you trust the person that who cares for them when you are not there. It helps the nanny be more effective with the children; it is important to work toward being a united care giving front. Gratitude Acknowledging hard work goes a long way toward keeping a babysitter happy in the job. It shows that you notice what she does and that you appreciate what goes into it. Communication The babysitters who said that they had open communication with their employers reported more job satisfaction. When you are concerned about something or you need to make changes, be direct and discuss it. When problems are left unresolved, or changes are made without discussion, bigger problems and feelings of resentment on both sides can arise. Try to set up regular meetings to share thoughts about the kids and to make adjustments. In summary, here are the most important factors for a successful working relationship from the care givers’ perspective: fairness, clarity, and consideration. Fair compensation is important. But so is the interpersonal relationship. A little consideration goes a long way to job satisfaction for all concerned.
FAQ
What questions should a nanny ask in an interview?
What do parents look for in a nanny?
- What are you looking for in a nanny?
- What are the hours?
- How long of a commitment are you seeking?
- What are the daily duties?
- What did you like about your previous nannies and what are you looking to change?
- Do you travel? If so, would you require me to travel with you?
How do I talk to my parents as a nanny?
