Most families will call a nanny's references before hiring her. Pro-tip if you're considering a Nanny Share: ask your nanny candidate for four references, have each family call two, and then deliberate together over what you learned.
Questions about her work history
- How did you find/meet (name of nanny candidate)?
- How long did she work for you?
- Why did she leave?
- Does she ever still work for you?
- What was her hourly rate?
Questions about the nanny’s responsibilities
- What was a typical day like in your house for (name of nanny candidate)?
- Did she offer to go above and beyond?
- Did she keep the house clean?
- Did she ever have to manage household responsibilities (like a plumber stopping by), and did you feel comfortable leaving her in charge of those types of issues?
- If she stayed late, did she put the kids to bed on time?
- Did she do the kids’ laundry?
- What were some activities you may have asked her to coordinate for the kids, and how did she respond?
Questions about the nanny’s personality
- How would you describe (name of nanny candidate)?
- Can you give me an example of how she showed initiative to solve a problem with your child(ren)?
- Can you give me an example of how she was organized?
- How did she handle stressful situations?
- On a level of 1-10, how would you describe her energy level?
- Did you do the planning, or could you leave the daily activities in her hands?
- What types of games and activities did she plan for the kids?
- Did you feel comfortable talking with her about your concerns?
- How did she respond to constructive feedback?
- Did she ever show up late?
- Was she good at following house rules?
- Would you hire her back or refer her to a family member?
Communication style
- How did you communicate about the week ahead?
- Was she flexible with last-minute changes?
- Could she come early/stay late when needed?
- How did you discuss issues that came up?
Nanny Share specific
- How was she at caring for the needs of more than one child?
- Can you give an example of a time when there was a lot of chaos, and how she handled it?
- How do you think she will respond to working with two different families, and their different needs and requests?