Once you have examined the CVs provided by Pearl Childcare and have selected a few candidates to interview, please contact us and we will liaise with the candidates themselves to schedule the interviews at your convenience. The interviewing process is an important stage in finding a good, reliable and caring nanny. Hiring a nanny can sound daunting, however, we trust the simple process explained below will assist you through this process and help in selecting the right nanny for your children.

Below is an explanation of what we suggest parents prepare prior to the interview, how to select and interview candidates, check references and make an evaluation check-list before making a decision. You will also find some important information on contracts of employment, tax and insurance as well as on sick, maternity, holiday-pay and nanny induction.


PRIOR TO THE INTERVIEW

In order to avoid any future misunderstanding, we recommend that you provide a clear and precise job description.

You will need to decide on the following:

  • the duties you wish the nanny to perform
  • the qualities that you are looking for
  • the house rules which the nanny will have to abide by (e.g. use of telephone, visiting friends and boyfriends, meals and eating arrangements)
  • the hours you will need the nanny to work and on how often you will need her to baby-sit.
  • whether you would prefer a live-in or live-out nanny
  • special requirements (e.g. be a non smoker, like pets, be a driver, own a car, have experience of children with special needs)
  • the package that you will be offering (e.g. salary, benefits, holidays, mileage expenses for a nanny using his/her own car whilst performing its duties)
  • the terms and conditions of employment (e.g. length of probationary period)
  • the questions to ask during the interview

 

SELECTING AND INTERVIEWING CANDIDATES

A good interview should consist of at least two meetings. We highly recommend that you conduct your first interview without your children present since this could be distracting. This is an opportunity both the candidate and yourself to learn more about each other. If you still like a nanny after the first interview, then you can schedule a second interview during which he/she can meet your children. 

Conducting the nanny’s first interview

You may want to suggest the following structure:

  • Present the family and children
  • Explain the position and your expectations (e.g. start date, hours, babysitting needs, salary, holidays, use of car, duties, house rules, routines, school classes attended by the children, meals preparation and dietary requirements, medical issues)
  • Explain your routines, what times you are out of the house etc. and also the children’s routine, their school times and/or classes they attend
  • Ask the nanny to tell you more about herself/himself and what she/he is expecting of her new job
  • Ask about the various positions previously held by the nanny
  • Ask about his/her opinion on child care
  • End the interview by asking the nanny if he/she has any further questions. A good nanny will spend time asking you about your family, your children’s interests, current daily schedules and your views on child care.
  • Show the nanny around the accommodation on offer (if applicable).

Shortly after the interview, contact your Pearl Childcare consultant to give your feedback on the candidate. If you did not like a candidate, please feel free to let us know so that we can adjust/narrow down the profile of the next candidate we send you according to your needs. 

Nanny interview questions

For a list of suggested interview questions, please click here.

Conducting the nanny’s second interview 

Introduce the nanny to the children. This will provide you with an opportunity to see how your children like the nanny and how he/she interacts with them. You will also be able to assess how confident the nanny is in her/his childcare abilities, how easy it is to communicate with him/her and how “hands on” he/she is.

Ask the nanny any questions which may have arisen since the first interview.

Interviewing is a two-way process and we suggest that you provide the nanny with your previous nanny’s or a friend’s telephone number to call for a reference on you. 


CHECKING REFERENCES

Although we would have checked a nanny’s references and employment history before sending him/her for an interview, it is ultimately up to you as a parent to satisfy yourself as to the suitability of the candidate and you should take up any references provided to you by the candidate or Pearl Childcare before engaging the nanny. We recommend that you check at least two references. One referee should be the nanny’s last or present employer.

We suggest the following open ended questions to referees:

  • What was the nanny’s role when they employed the nanny?
  • What were his/her dates of employment?
  • How did they rate him/her (in terms of care of the children, reliability, punctuality)?
  • Why did he/she leave the employment?
  • What are his/her strengths and weaknesses?
  • Was he/she reliable?
  • Do the nanny have any reserves about leaving a child in their care?
  • Did the nanny have health problems and how much sick leave did he/she take during their employment?
  • Would they re-employ the nanny?

 

OTHER CHECKS

There is currently no provision for parents to gain direct access to criminal record information in respect of a person that they might wish to employ as a nanny. However, prior to sending the candidate for an interview with you, Pearl Childcare will have requested the candidate to provide an enhanced CRB check about themselves. Pearl childcare also checks candidates’ work permits/visas, passports, driving licenses, First Aid Certificate and diplomas. Please note that it is advisable that the parents also check the work permits/visas, passports, driving licences and medical history of potential employees so that they are fully aware of the employee’s ability to do the job.


EVALUATION CHECK-LIST AND MAKING A DECISION

Make a check-list which you can tick-off at the interview to ensure that you have covered all the areas you wish to.
 
Also ensure that you have seen both the originals and have copies of all the following documentation:

  • References
  • Passport
  • Visa
  • Driving License
  • Diplomas

After the interview, go through your notes for each candidate and try to answer the following questions:

  • Did you like the nanny’s personality?
  • Did the nanny meet your expectations (in terms of child care views, presentation, experience, skills and qualifications)
  • Did your children like the nanny?
  • Did the nanny seem to warm to your children?
  • Could you imagine the nanny living with you?
  • Were the nanny’s references good?
  • Would you feel comfortable leaving your children in the nanny’s care?
  • Did the nanny show a commitment to his/her role and was he/she keen to get the job?
  • Have you discussed responsibilities, house rules, salary, benefits and a start date?
  • Does the nanny need to give notice to his/her current employer and when will he/she be available?

All of the above is crucial, but remember to also trust your instincts!

Make an offer to the nanny, provide the nanny with a contract of employment

Once you have made your final decision, we recommend that you make an offer to the nanny via Pearl Childcare as soon as possible since he/she may be interviewing with other families or agencies.


CONTRACT OF EMPLOYMENT

A written contract is a legal requirement and should be provided within the first eight weeks of a nanny’s employment. However, ideally it should be signed before commencement of employment and its content should be agreed by both parties. Each party should keep a copy. Pearl Childcare can provide you with a standard employment contract should this be helpful and will be able to advise further where possible. 

Any contract of employment should include the following details:

  • The nanny's duties
  • Start date
  • Pay, including details of reviews, whether paid weekly or monthly and whether the rate quoted is before or after any statutory deductions. Please be aware that employers are responsible for making deductions.
  • Holidays, including when these are to be taken
  • Sick pay
  • Hours of work
  • Notice periods for termination of employment
  • Confidentiality
  • Pension arrangements
  • Accommodation arrangements, if necessary
  • Travel arrangements and costs where applicable

 

TAX AND INSURANCE 

It is an employer’s responsibility to pay for its nanny’s tax and national insurance. Failure to do so could make you liable for arrears of tax and would result in your nanny being unable to claim benefits or realise his or her state pension in years to come. HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) provides simplified PAYE documentation for employers of domestic employees. Please feel free to visit their website www.hmrc.gov.uk. Alternatively, you may also want to contact a payroll agency specialised in nannies such as Way2Paye or Nannytax who will manage all the necessary paperwork for you. For more information, please click here for a brief overview of employers’ responsibilities provided by Nannytax and click here for Way2Paye's tax calculator.

Please also feel free to visit www.nannytax.co.uk or call their helpline on 0845 226 2203.

For a tax calculator, please click here.

Employers should ensure that their motor insurance policy covers a nanny to drive their vehicle and that their household insurance policy covers them for employers and public liability insurance.

Health insurance can be offered as an added benefit to the nanny if he/she does not have his/her own health insurance cover yet.

Travel insurance should be covered by employers who require their nanny to travel with them.


SICK, MATERNITY AND HOLIDAY PAY

As an employer you are also responsible for paying a nanny’s statutory sick pay, statutory maternity pay and holiday pay.


NANNY INDUCTION

We recommend that you have at least a week's induction with the nanny you hire. During the induction period, you should also clarify again the list of duties which the nanny will have to undertake, house rules, routines, school classes attended by the children, meals preparation and dietary requirements as well as any medical requirements etc.