Ten top tips when interviewing your nanny.
1. Use a reputable nanny agency – make sure they do check written and verbal references and that they can give you the contact numbers so that you can speak to the previous employer.
2. Check if your nanny is in debt – ask her if she has any clothing accounts e.g. Edgars and how much does she owe? You don’t want to hire a nanny that starts asking for loans as soon as the contract is signed.
3. Pick a nanny that has a stable family background and relationship.
4. Check if the nanny is hygiene conscious – does she think of washing her hands before she holds the baby?
5. Find out how healthy she is but do expect that at least once a month one of you will be sick – nanny, you or baby, this is normal. Factor that into your work schedule and make sure you do have back up options if needed. Please note that it is illegal to ask her for her HIV status. Have a read through our HIV and TB FAQ’s.
6. Test her reading and writing – ask her to take a message and get someone to call during the interview. This will also test how well she responds to instructions.
7. Find out if she has young children – if they are under three years old, what type of support system does she have in place if they are sick?
8. Don’t judge a nanny purely on age and training but rather on personality – at the end of the day you will probably hire someone based on their personality/character and how they relate to your family rather than their impressive skills on paper. You can always train someone to do it your way. You can’t train a bad attitude.
9. Insist on a trial period – an agency cannot guarantee how a nanny interacts with your children. Yes they can check to make sure that they are reliable and trustworthy but every mother has different expectations and an agency can only try and match accordingly. The trial is the real interview.
10. Before hiring your nanny, seal the deal by insisting that the nanny gets a police clearance from the police station. Please pay for this as it is a big expense for the nanny if she is not working. Also ask them to go for a free TB test at their nearest government medical clinic. TB is a worse household predator than HIV.
There is no such thing as the perfect nanny.
Qualities to look for are a good attitude, honesty, reliability, shows initiative and a willingness to communicate and do the tasks the mother’s way. Skills can always be taught. Remember to trust your gut instinct when making your choice.
The right nanny will love your child and will have your child’s best interest at heart. They are looking after your most precious possession – your child, so it is worth looking after her, treating her with respect, showing or expressing your appreciation and remembering to say thank you even when they are just doing their job!
By: Karin Thomsen
About the Author:
Karin Thomsen is co founder and trainer of Super Nannies SA. She started training nannies when she was a single mother. Super Nannies is a nanny training and domestic placement agency which also provides First Aid courses for parents too.
Karin hired and trained her nanny and realized the importance of trained help whilst having to work and support her family. Over the course of five years she has trained over 490 nannies. “I believe that we are privileged in this country to have the abundance of choice in domestic help at such a reasonable cost to the family” Karin is an avid trainer with a 15 year background in marketing, teaching and corporate facilitation as well as domestic training and placements. She has two young children and loves to write.
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