Nanny Interview Questions

In any career field you choose, you will be faced with the occasional awkward situation with your employer. From differences of opinion to payment disputes, the nanny industry is no exception to that rule. Handling those situations as a private, in-home childcare provider can be a bit trickier than in other jobs, though, because the relationship between a family and the nanny that runs the household in their absence is, by nature, a bit more personal. Tackling the awkward and uncomfortable with your boss might not be the most exciting item on your to-do list, but it’s an inevitable part of mounting a career.

Be Direct and Honest

On the surface, it’s more appealing to beat around the proverbial bush than to dive headlong into an uncomfortable situation with your boss. Whether you’re addressing feelings of burnout, a claim that you’re being unfairly paid or the looming specter of job creep, it’s very important that you come into the conversation with a direct and honest attitude. That’s not to say that you can’t be gentle and understanding, just that you’re doing no favors to yourself or your employers by making vague allusions to the situation or being less than honest. Your boss needs to know if you’re feeling stressed or on the verge of burning out due to job creep, or that you’re thinking of finding another post because you don’t feel that you’re being paid fairly.

Skip the Confrontational Attitude

You absolutely should be direct and honest with your employer, but that doesn’t mean that you should be abrasive or confrontational. It’s entirely possible to handle a prickly situation without being more forceful than is warranted, and it’s important that you find that balance. Regardless of how you feel at the moment, your employer is still the one that signs your check, and it’s best to approach them accordingly. Remember that respect is key, even when you’re taking the bull by the horns.

Keep Your Temper in Check

Feeling angry or hurt when you discover an undisclosed nanny cam or aren’t being paid fairly is a natural reaction to the situation, but it won’t do you any good to approach a conversation with those attitudes apparent. Even if you’re seething, keeping your temper under control is imperative.

Accept Responsibility Gracefully

There may be times over the course of your career when an awkward situation arises over something that you’ve inadvertently done wrong. It’s never easy to hear that your employer is unhappy with your performance, but it’s important that you handle these situations with grace. Remember that it’s probably just as uncomfortable for your employer to approach the situation as it is for you to hear that feedback.

Know When to Keep Quiet

Some of the most uncomfortable situations in a nanny’s career arise when she finds something of a personal nature over the course of her work or overhears a sensitive conversation. Unless you feel that the children under your care are in danger or have proof of illegal activity, it’s usually best to let these situations pass without remark. Learning that your employers are planning to divorce or are dealing with a similarly painful situation is awkward, but ultimately falls under the heading of “none of your business.” Your employers may feel that it’s appropriate to approach you with further explanation if they’re aware that you’ve overheard them, which would be the only acceptable time to discuss it.

Be Brave

Hopefully, you’ll never encounter a situation in which you feel personally threatened or harassed by one of your employers. If you do find that you’re in one of these rare predicaments, it’s usually best to address it as calmly and matter-of-factly as possibly. Don’t be intimidated into accepting such treatment, especially if you know that the other half of your employer team would benefit from being fully apprised of the situation.

Notifying your employers that you’ve chosen not to renew your contract at the end of your term can also be daunting, but this is another awkward situation in which you’ll need to be courageous and proactive. They’ll need ample time to find a replacement, so it’s important that you give them as much notice as possible of your decision. Putting off the unpleasant conversation might buy you a bit of time in which you can act as if nothing has changed, but will ultimately make everything more complicated when your employers feel betrayed by your lack of notice and stressed about the prospect of finding a qualified replacement on short notice.

Working as a nanny can be a very rewarding and fulfilling career. It can also be one of the most draining and difficult, especially if you’re working for particularly demanding parents. While most of a nanny’s duties are fairly run of the mill, there are those that come out of left field on occasion. The next time that you’re dumbfounded by an odd request or two, just remember that they’re probably nowhere near as strange as those fielded by these nine nannies.

1. Let’s Get Really Personal – Sometimes the odd questions come before the job. According to a section of SF Gates called the Mommy Files, a New York couple put an ad on Craigslist hoping to find a nanny. They included a questionnaire in their ad. Among the questions was, “How often do you bathe?” Their ad has shown up for ridicule all over the Internet.
2. Can We Also Have Your Eggs? – The Huffington Post reported on a story where a nanny was offered $30,000 for her eggs. The spouse of a New York City financier was unable to have any more children, so she allegedly offered a small fortune to the childcare provider in exchange for a healthy ovum or two. The woman was also expecting the nanny to remain working in the household after the birth of that child, which would leave the nanny forced to look after her biological child in the role of a caretaker. Needless to say, the nanny decided to find a less demanding position with another family.
3. Can You Handle the Laundry for the Entire Household? – Most nannies are used to doing the children’s laundry, which is a duty that often shows up in many contracts, but doing the parent’s laundry is something else. Nannies don’t have a union to look out for their interests, and as a result may end up doing considerably more than they are getting paid to do.
4. Can You Work an Extra Twenty Hours? – It’s far from uncommon for employers to abuse their nanny’s free time, but some really take the cake when it comes to making unreasonable requests regarding working hours. The problem is so widespread that the Huffington Post ran a full feature article about laws enacted in New York to combat overworking to protect the rights of domestic workers.
5. Will You Promise to Never Use Our Facilities? – One nanny tells of a situation in which a constipated charge finally let it all go. Unfortunately, the incident was a nightmare to clean up and she ended up with the mess in her very long hair. After putting the youngster down for a nap, she used the shower to wash her hair. Breaking with the usual routine, her employer, who previously had never come home during the day, happened to come for lunch and had a fit after learning that she had used the shower. The expectation was that the nanny would call the parents and one of them would come home while she took the twenty minute drive back to her own home to clean up, then drive back to finish her duties for the day.
6. Would You Like to Be My Mistress? – According to a nanny who wrote in to “I Saw Your Nanny”, some employers also have no difficulty making advances that amount to workplace sexual harassment. She worked with a family for a few years before the family ended up moving to another city. After a couple of years, she wound up moving to the same city and reconnected with the family and the dad resumed his mildly flirtatious comments. It wasn’t until she asked about an ad he had placed on the local website that she discovered his true motives. She was inquiring about an ad that she thought would be good for her boyfriend, but it turns out that dad actually placed two ads: one for the worker position and another for a mistress. When he found out that she was asking about the worker position, he asked her if she would be interested in the mistress position instead.
7. Can You Do Double-Duty as a Nanny/Secretary? – Nannies are regularly asked to go over and above the job requirements of typical childcare providers by overzealous parents. When in this position, many of them acquiesce because they feel that it could cause animosity if they declined. One nanny writes of a situation where she was asked to do all kinds of chores unrelated to her job, including chauffeuring an adult around, organizing a craft room and picking up dog excrement. She’s also had a family ask her to return calls from the family business while the kids were sleeping.
8. Can You Share a Room With Our Child? – It should go without question that if you have a live-in nanny she should have a room of her own. According to Reader’s Digest, sometimes nannies are asked to share a room with the child they are caring for, and every now and then parents will expect the nanny to share a bed with the kid. Nannies need their own space.
9. Can You Be a Living Nanny Cam? – The nanny’s job is to take care of the children, yet in a post to Nannysupportgroup.com a nanny writes about her experience of being asked to do more than her job description plus a little more. Apparently the parents are in a volatile relationship and the nanny has been asked by the mom to report on what the father does or does not do. Spying on the spouse is not usually included in the job duties.

Your nanny resume is your introduction to both nanny placement agencies and families looking for their next nanny. For this reason, it has to make a memorable first impression in order for you to be able to make it to the next stage in the hiring game. Although there’s no such thing as the perfect resume, here are the biggest mistakes you can make.

You have grammar and spelling mistakes. This one seems like a no brainer, which is probably why it drives agencies and parents crazy. Proof your resume to make sure it doesn’t have any grammar or spelling mistakes, then check it again. It’s always a good idea to have a friend or two look over it also because a fresh set of eyes may catch a mistake you missed.

You try to be too creative. Creativity is a great trait to have as a nanny, but it doesn’t serve you well on your resume. Your resume should be easy to read at a glance, and using different fonts, adding eye catching borders and other creative touches like these just make it harder to find the needed information. There are lots of ways you can show off your creativity outside of your resume design.

You don’t include your full work history. Because you’re applying for a nanny job, it might be tempting to include only your relevant work experience, like other nanny, daycare or childcare jobs. However, agencies and parents want to see your complete work history, even if that includes fast food or retail positions. Readers are looking for gaps in your employment, how long you’ve stayed at each job and the type of non-childcare positions you’ve held. It’s essential that you are honest and provide a complete work history.

You’re still using a generic objective. It’s pretty clear that when you create your nanny resume, your objective is to find a nanny job. It’s best to leave the objective off altogether or use it to state specifically the type of family you’re looking for.

You don’t leave enough white space. Your resume should allow readers to quickly scan it for information. When you cram too much information onto the page, it becomes a jumbled blur. It’s better for your resume to expand to two pages of relevant, well thought out information than to keep it all on one page by sacrificing spacing and borders. Of course, it shouldn’t be too long, but if you have an extensive background and skill set, two pages is appropriate.

You don’t include the ages of the children you have cared for. Parents are usually looking for nannies that have experience caring for a specific age group. If they’re unable to find that information quickly on your resume, it might end up in the rejection pile. When you’re detailing your childcare jobs, make sure to include how old the children were during your time. If you worked with a group, include a general range, like toddlers or preschoolers.

You fail to highlight your uniqueness. Because most nanny jobs have similar core job descriptions, many nannies describe their responsibilities in similar ways. For parents, this means that after just a few resumes, all the information begins to blur together. To avoid that, find ways to highlight what makes you unique. What do you bring to a job that others don’t? What education, experience and skills do you have that others are lacking? By highlighting your uniqueness, you’ll be more likely to catch the attention of potential employers.

Your information isn’t relevant to the employer’s needs. Although the basic information will stay the same, your resume should be customized so the details speak to the job you’re applying for. That could include highlighting your experience with a particular age or with children with special needs, or highlighting a specialized skill set like a foreign language or advanced cooking. When you tailor your information to a specific job description, it tells the employer that you have the right qualifications and that you care enough about landing the position to put in some extra effort to customize your approach.

You ignore transferable skills. Being a successful nanny isn’t just about childcare experience and training. There are lots of other skills you’ve learned in non-childcare jobs and through life experience that are very valuable to nanny employers. Spotlight those skills throughout your resume. Being a well-rounded caregiver is a big plus in today’s competitive job market.

No resume is perfect. However, with some thought and planning you can create a resume that really connects with agencies and parents and reflects all the things you will bring to your next nanny job.

In today’s competitive nanny market, your interviewing skills can mean the difference between landing and losing the job. Whether you’re just starting out as a nanny or you’re an experienced veteran, you can always improve how well you interview with a family. Here are some tricks of the trade that will help set you apart from your competition.

Focus on connecting with the family. The primary purpose of the interview is selling yourself to the parents. However, if you focus on the selling aspect of it too much, you run the risk of sounding too much like a used car salesman. Instead, focus on just connecting with the family and talking about the things you’re passionate about. Take the time to really listen to what the parents are saying and what they really need. Get down on the floor and play with the kids. If you can build a connection with the parents as a person they’re going to be more receptive to you as a candidate.

Bring a copy of your resume and most recent reference letters. Even if you’ve sent the parents the information before, bring it with you to the interview. Parents are often overwhelmed during their nanny search and appreciate help in connecting the dots about your background and experience.

Be on time but not too early. Punctuality is a key quality that nanny employers are looking for. If you’re unable to make it to the interview on time, that doesn’t give parents a lot of hope that they can count on you to make it to work every day on time. They also don’t want you to show up 30 minutes early. They may still be talking to another candidate, they might be involved in a family activity or they may just be enjoying some down time. Arriving 5 minutes early is the best timing formula.

Stay positive when talking about your current or past jobs. The question of why you’re leaving your current job or why you left previous jobs will come up in the interview. When answering, be honest but don’t talk badly about your employers. Find a way to state your reason in neutral language. If you talk badly about your current employer, the parents you’re interviewing with will assume that there’s a good chance you’ll talk badly about them in the future. If you can’t find anything good to say about your current situation, simply focus on the core reason you’re leaving. A short positive answer is much better than a longer, more negative response.

Talk about how you can help the family. The family is hiring you because they have certain needs they want met. Focus in on those needs and show them throughout the interview how you can meet their needs. Use examples of similar things you’ve done in past jobs, especially if you’ve faced many of the same challenges that the parents are or will be facing. If you have solid experience with a specific age or behavior challenge, talk about your approach and how it has worked in past jobs. Reassure the parents that you’re confident that you can meet and exceed their expectations. The reason that experience counts so much in the nanny world is that parents find comfort in hiring a nanny they feel has the know-how to handle what their job requires.

Connect with the child. Sometimes nannies get so caught up in selling the parents that they forget about the child. The child, however, is the focus of any nanny job. If you’re interviewing with a family that has an infant, make sure you wash your hands before asking to hold or play with him. With older kids, bring something to capture the child’s interest and spend time focused just on him. Not all children warm up to strangers quickly, so you never want to force a child to interact with you. However, it’s important that you show parents you have the interest, skills and personality to connect with their child, even if it’s just a small connection.

Ask smart questions. You’re interviewing the family just as much as they’re interviewing you. Bring a list of questions that show you’ve really thought about their position and what it would entail. Don’t grill the parents, but ask the questions you need to in order to make a well-informed decision about the job. They will appreciate your interest and you’ll have the information you need to know if it’s the right job for you.

The nanny interview can be intimidating, but with the right attitude and a good strategy, you can easily put your best foot forward.

Your sterling resume, glowing letters of recommendation and impeccable list of references are all valuable tools when it comes to landing the perfect post, but they’ll only get you so far. After you score an interview, the impression you make on your prospective employers will have a major impact on your likelihood of walking away with the job. These are ten of the things that nannies do in interviews that immediately make them less attractive candidates, and reasons why you should avoid them.

1. Dress Inappropriately – It’s easy for younger nannies with less experience to fall into the trap of dressing inappropriately because they simply don’t know what is appropriate for an interview. Modest, business-casual attire that isn’t too tight, too short or cut too low is the best choice for an interview. There’s no reason to wear anything revealing. In your attempt to be appropriately conservative, however, don’t reach for baggy, ill-fitting clothing that looks unkempt or needs ironing. You’ll want to present a clean, pulled-together image.
2. Arrive to the Interview Late – Arriving to a job interview thirty minutes early puts your prospective employers under pressure and makes them feel rushed to accommodate you before the scheduled time, which can leave a bad taste in their mouths. On the other hand, showing up late speaks volumes about your reliability. In an age of Internet map services and smartphones with GPS, there’s very little excuse to be late.
3. Chew Gum – Chewing gum is a great way to relieve some nervous energy, and to make sure that your breath is fresh as a daisy before you meet the family that will be interviewing you. Make sure that you dispose of that gum before the interview starts, however. Snapping, popping and chomping on a mouthful of gum is distracting and can make you seem juvenile.
4. Ramble – Job interviews are stressful situations, so it’s easy to lose your train of thought. Rambling on incessantly not only makes your prospective employers lose interest in what you’re saying, but also makes it more difficult for them to decipher your meaning in a sea of senseless verbiage. Keep your answers concise and too the point, and squelch the urge to launch into a long-winded anecdote about your last post.
5. Submit a Bad Resume – A wrinkled, badly-formatted resume that’s clearly outdated shows that you’re not all that invested in the image you project, and can make it difficult for an employer to take you seriously. If you’re meeting a family through an agency and are bringing the first copy of your resume over, take the time to make sure that it’s up-to-date, cleanly formatted and in good shape.
6. Resort to Questionable Jokes – Risqué humor is a great icebreaker at a bar, but it will almost certainly fall flat at the interview table. Unless you want to be greeted with the chirping of crickets and a disapproving expression on the face of your interview, keep the commentary G-rated.
7. Speak Poorly of Former Employers – You may have the worst employers in the history of the world as your last reference, but speaking negatively of them will put your interviewers on the defensive immediately. If you’re so eager to share your scathing assessment of their characters and ability to parent properly, what’s stopping you from saying the same mean things about them in your next interview? It’s okay to gently allude to differences of opinion, but never share specifics and always keep it professional.
8. Clam Up – Focusing on not rambling your responses to every question can make you uncharacteristically terse, projecting a grim and unfriendly image. Make sure that you’re not trying to hard to avoid rambling that you clam up altogether, as it will almost certainly make your prospective employers nervous.
9. Focus on the Financial Particulars – Yes, a nanny post is a job that you perform in exchange for financial compensation. No parent wants to think, though, that their nanny is only in it for the money. Approach the subject of compensation carefully, and never let it become the focus of the interview. There’s enough time for negotiation after you’ve received an offer; the interview is a preliminary step in that direction and may be your last stop if you make the conversation all about the money.
10. Bring a Cell Phone – Unless you have a pressing family emergency, there is no excuse for bringing your cell phone to a job interview. Turn it off and leave it in your purse, or better yet, in your car. If you have to carry it on your person, make sure that your interviewers never even know it’s there.

Interviewing well is a skill that can be honed, but it will take a bit of practice before you master the art. If you tend to fidget or stumble over your words out of anxiety, it may be wise to explain to your prospective employers that job interviews make you nervous, and that interviewing is not in your particular wheelhouse. After sharing that information, however, try to let the anxiety go and do your best. Don’t fall into the trap of a self-fulfilling prophecy, crashing and burning in the interview just because you believe that you will. Smile, be confident and let your awesome personality shine through!

Finding the right nanny is no easy feat, which is why the idea of firing one can be so confusing. Whether you’re angry over reduced work performance or you’re forced to part with a great childcare provider through no fault of her own, firing a nanny may not be as easy as sending her away with her last paycheck in hand. Before you give your private childcare provider the axe, these are ten of the things that you might want to give at least a bit of consideration.

1. Your Nanny Contract – Every working arrangement you have with a private, in-home childcare provider should be governed by a written work agreement. Your nanny contract is an invaluable tool for preventing disputes and difficulties borne of misunderstanding, but it may also be a bit restrictive if you’re thinking of terminating your nanny before the contract ends. Carefully review your section on early termination, and be sure that you’re following the agreed-upon procedure to the letter.
2. Your Kids’ Level of Attachment – No matter how much of a personality conflict you have with your nanny or how much of a talent she has for getting under your skin, you should still consider the impact that abruptly firing her will have on your children. If they’ve formed a strong bond, it could be upsetting for them to lose her and may even impact their relationship with the next childcare provider.
3. Whether or Not the Situation Can Be Remedied – In the heat of the moment, letting your nanny go may seem like the only solution to a situation that’s become untenable. Before you let the hammer fall, however, you might want to sleep on your decision for a night or two so that you can look for any possible solutions. Reaching some sort of compromise might be a more favorable outcome than upsetting your kids’ routine and being forced to undergo the process of searching for a new nanny all over again.
4. Severance Packages – Depending on the wording of your nanny contract and the circumstances under which she will be leaving, severance pay might be an issue you need to think about before you break the news. It’s especially important to provide a nanny who’s being dismissed as a result of personal changes severance pay, as firing her without notice or severance when she’s done nothing wrong can be financially crippling and is patently unfair.
5. How Well You’re Communicating Your Dissatisfaction – Your nanny is a childcare provider, a meal preparer and probably a competent household manager, but she is not a psychic. If you’re carrying around enough resentment that you’re considering early termination of her contract but haven’t bothered to communicate your dissatisfaction with her performance, you can’t blame her for not remedying the situation. Before you make the final call, you should give the situation some unbiased, objective consideration. If she has no idea that you’re unhappy with her performance, simply communicating your thoughts to her will probably make all the difference.
6. Placement Assistance – People lose jobs, move away or suffer a change in financial status that makes it difficult to maintain their current standard of living, and nanny employers are no exception. Termination of your nanny that’s not directly related to her performance and is not her fault can be devastating to her financially, so you should stop to give a bit of thought to ways that you can assist her in finding a new position. Allow her paid time off to go on interviews, provide a glowing letter of recommendation and look for ways to make finding a new post as easy for her as possible.
7. A Probationary Period – Before you lose your cool and fire your nanny, remember that you will have to make alternate childcare arrangements until a new nanny is found, and that finding a new nanny won’t happen overnight. If her lackluster performance isn’t reckless or dangerous to your children, a probationary period in which she has the chance to shape up may be the perfect solution for all involved parties.
8. Administrative Issues – When you’re determined or forced to let your nanny go, there are some administrative issues that you’ll need to work out as soon as possible. The schools your children attend need to be informed that she’s no longer approved for pick-up, and that emergency contacts for your children have changed. Your car insurance provider will need to be notified that she will not be an approved driver if you’ve provided a family car for her to use during work hours, as well.
9. Your Tax Compliance – Some nanny employers are tempted by the prospect of saving money into tax fraud or non-compliance. If you’re one of them, you may be facing quite a mess when you fire your nanny. There’s nothing to stop her from filing for unemployment benefits, especially if the parting isn’t amicable. That single action could bring your tax transgressions to light, leaving you responsible for back taxes, interest and hefty penalties.
10. Alternative Lodging – Live-in nannies aren’t as common as they once were, but they’re certainly not uncommon. Before you fire a live-in nanny, you’ll need to give careful thought to where she’ll go after the deed is done.

If you feel that your children are in danger, swift action is always called for. But, regardless of whether irreconcilable differences was the driving inspiration behind your decision to terminate your nanny or you’re both just victims of unpleasant circumstance, be sure that you remember to get back the keys to your home and reset any home security system codes. Doing so is not implying that your nanny would ever break into your home, it’s simply part of being conscientious and putting the safety of your family and home first.

Whether you’re returning to work after the birth of a child or have decided to move your child from daycare into private, in-home care, hiring a nanny is an exciting but somewhat stressful time. Before you extend an offer to a candidate who seems promising, or perhaps even before you begin your nanny search in earnest, these are ten of the things you might want to take into consideration.

1. Experience Level – Even if you’ve decided that you don’t mind hiring a rookie nanny, you’ll still want to make sure that you tailor your contract and approach accordingly. It’s true that everyone has to start somewhere, and giving a new nanny her first shot can be a rewarding experience for you both. Still, you’ll need to be prepared to show her the ropes in a different way than you would a seasoned veteran.
2. CPR/First Aid Training – Regardless of your new nanny’s experience level or education, first aid training and CPR certification should be non-negotiable. Should an emergency arise, you’ll want to know that your children are in competent, capable hands.
3. Education – Some parents have a more rigid stance on education than others when it comes to a nanny, and you’ll need to figure out where you fall on that spectrum before you place an ad or create a job listing. Whether a high school diploma will suffice or you’re in the market for a nanny with a master’s degree, you’ll need to disclose that information from the outset to narrow the field of potential applicants.
4. Parenting Style – Some parents subscribe to a by-the-book parenting philosophy espoused by an expert of their choice, while others take a bit more relaxed approach. Either way, you’ll need to have a basic idea of how to share your parenting style with a nanny to ensure that her own childcare methods are a good fit.
5. Discipline Philosophy – While most nannies would never dream of using physical discipline, the one that seems best for the job at first blush may still have disciplinary ideas that you disagree with. You’ll need to have a discussion about discipline and clearly explain your own philosophies before making a formal offer.
6. Live-In or Live-Out? – Live-in nannies aren’t as common as they used to be, but the practice is far from antiquated. Depending on your own living situation and the childcare needs of your household, a live-in nanny may be a more suitable choice than one that lives out. If you are looking for a live-in childcare provider, you’ll need to make sure that she has her own private bedroom and that all of her personal boundaries are respected during her hours off.
7. Tax Compliance – It’s tempting to skip state and federal employment taxes so that both you and your nanny can pocket a bit of extra money, but it’s absolutely not worth the risk in the long run. Should you be discovered, you’ll be responsible for the back taxes with interest and any penalties. A candidate that urges you to be non-compliant is probably not the best choice.
8. Running a Background Check – Before you even start interviewing nannies, you’ll want to have a plan in place for background checks and be well versed in your local and state laws governing their use in a hiring capacity. It’s important to be as informed as possible regarding your nanny’s background, but it’s also essential to make sure that you’re adhering to the law.
9. Results of Reference Checks – Although references can be manipulated, it’s still important for you to check them. Aside from the fact that professional nannies carefully guard their references for just this reason, you may also be able to learn more from a candidate’s previous employers about her work ethic and performance level than you will from her.
10. How She Interacts With Your Children – While you probably won’t want to introduce your children to every candidate you interview for a nanny position, you should observe the way they interact with someone before offering her the job. If your children still seem standoffish and aren’t warming up to her at all by the end of the meeting, it could be an indication that your search isn’t quite finished.

While you’ll want to be as thorough as possible, it’s also important that you make sure to adhere to proper hiring practices to avoid allegations of discrimination. Once you’ve made sure that all of your bases are covered, you’ll be well on your way to enjoying your new arrangement in no time!

Regardless of where you stand on immigration reform, there’s no denying the fact that undocumented foreign workers will typically perform the same job duties as a native nanny for a lower salary. Taking advantage of the lower rates of an illegal immigrant nanny can be very tempting for cash-strapped families, as paying employment taxes on top of a living wage is nowhere close to cheap. Before you take that leap into the murky waters of illegal hiring practices, however, you’ll want to keep a few things in mind.

Initial Savings Versus Steep Tax Penalties

While there are a staggering number of undocumented workers that actually do pay taxes, it’s not a far jump from illegal hiring practices to the decision to pay your undocumented nanny under the table. Navigating the waters of legal nanny employment taxes can be a challenge, so most employers that hire an undocumented alien for domestic positions simply don’t bother. In addition to the problems that come with hiring an illegal nanny, you can potentially be held liable for a small fortune in back taxes, penalties and interest. When you weigh those costs against the savings you’d gain from not paying taxes on a nanny whose salary is far below the industry standard, you’re still looking at a cost that probably far outweighs any perceived bargains.

Fines and Penalties for Breaking Federal Employment Laws

Taxes and IRS problems aside, illegal hiring practices can be exorbitantly expensive if you’re discovered. Civil and criminal penalties that include fines and even the potential for imprisonment are a very real risk when you hire an undocumented worker that’s in the country illegally.

The Impact of an Arrest on Your Children

While you may escape arrest for your illegal hiring practices, an undocumented illegal worker is likely to be arrested for deportation if she’s discovered. Even taking all of the steep penalties and the cost of protecting yourself during a legal fiasco that accompanies discovery out of the equation, you will still have to deal with the impact that seeing their nanny arrested could have on your children. A great nanny, regardless of her nation of origin and legal status, will come to be an important part of your kids’ lives. Being forced to watch someone that they love carted away in handcuffs can have far-reaching emotional implications for your children, and is a situation that can almost certainly be avoided by making the choice to hire a nanny with the legal right to work in the United States and a clean criminal background.

Hesitance to Contact the Proper Authorities

Should something go wrong in your home or an emergency arise, you want a nanny who can calmly and competently handle the situation. A nanny who’s in the country illegally and working when she shouldn’t be will be naturally hesitant to contact police or emergency workers when they’re needed to avoid the chance of being discovered. As a result, your children could miss the care or emergency attention that they need because your nanny is too frightened of the authorities to call on them when their services are required. Even if she knows CPR and first aid like the back of her hand, you’ll want the peace of mind that comes with knowing your nanny is willing and capable of pursuing the help of emergency workers should the need arise. That’s not something you’ll be able to say truthfully when your nanny is an undocumented worker.

Your Political or Professional Aspirations

It’s not unheard of for a promising political career to be derailed by the discovery of illegal hiring practices in terms of domestic workers. Many high-profile political figures have found themselves in the public crosshairs for just such behavior, with their careers and reputations forever damaged. Even if you don’t have aspirations of holding political office, there can still be professional ramifications for hiring an undocumented domestic worker. Attorneys can be disbarred, and those whose work depends on their ability to maintain a spotless reputation may find themselves in serious professional trouble if they’re discovered with an illegal nanny. Remember, there’s no statute of limitations for failure to report and pay federal employment taxes. Even if you feel that you’ve gotten away with something, you could still face the consequences of a poor choice years after you and your illegal nanny have parted ways.

While it may require a bit more effort and time, not to mention steeper costs, to hire a legal nanny, the benefits of doing so are well worth it. By making sure that you follow employment laws to the letter, you’ll be able to rest easy at night knowing that there are no nanny skeletons in your closet.

Getting the call from a prospective employer inviting you to interview for an available nanny position is exciting, as it’s proof that your resume stood out amongst a sea of other applicants and that your qualifications have placed you one step closer to a new post. Still, you have to ace the interview to ensure that you walk away with the job. While interviewing for a nanny position hardly differs from other interviews in regard to the importance of being punctual, presenting a professional and polite demeanor and indicating that you’re prepared and capable to handle the demands of the job, there are some ways that you can set yourself apart from the competition and ensure that you’re the candidate the parents ultimately choose.

Be Prepared

When you walk into your first interview with a new family, make sure that you have any documents that pertain to your experience, certifications, qualifications or training. This is especially important if you have a unique area of study or training that qualifies you to care for children in a way that more traditional applicants may not. Be ready to present your diplomas, certification, letters of recommendation and references at a moment’s notice, without fumbling for them or appearing disorganized. Have your identifying documents on hand, as well as a list of questions that you’ll want to ask at the end of the interview.

Dress for Success

You’ll definitely want to dress professionally, but make sure that you’re striking a balance between appearing both professional and casual enough to interact with your potential charges, if you’re introduced to them. Some parents prefer to wait until after the first interview to introduce their children to a nanny candidate, but others may be eager to determine how you’ll interact with them as soon as possible. You won’t want to be wearing clothes that are tight, binding or restrictive, because they’ll keep you from being able to move freely as you interact with the little ones.

Save the Salary Talk

You may have absolutely non-negotiable salary requirements and be unwilling to even consider a position that doesn’t pay exactly what you’re looking for, but you should never introduce the topic of compensation at the first interview. Most parents opt to discuss the matter on the second interview, after they’ve had time to consider their offer in relation to their chosen candidate’s experience level and desirability. Squelching the urge to talk money during the first interview will help ensure that you’re called back for the second.

Connect With the Kids, But Remember Who’s Conducting the Interview

If your prospective employers introduce you to the children you’ll be caring for, it’s important to make an effort to connect with the children and interact with them. However, it’s equally important that you remember who’s conducting the interview. Ignoring the parents in favor of cavorting with the kids could come across as a strong and immediate connection, but it’s more likely to seem as if you’re trying to simultaneously ingratiate yourself with the children and avoid the questions of your potential employers.

Clean Up Your Social Networking Presence

If you haven’t changed the privacy settings on your social networking profiles to prevent access to people who aren’t on your friends list, do it before the interview. If your interviewers feel a rapport with you and are interested in pursuing a working relationship, they will almost certainly check your Internet presence. Make sure that your profile picture is a respectable one, and that as much of your personal information as possible is hidden.

Be Honest

Truly impressing an interviewing family will require you to be open, up-front and honest. If you’re exaggerating your skills, there’s a good chance that it will be apparent to them, ruining your credibility altogether. Answering questions about your parenting philosophy, disciplinary style, level of experience and education with absolute honesty and sincerity will shine through, especially if you’re genuinely enthusiastic about caring for the children involved. Rather than taking a boastful, truth-stretching approach, be confident in your own abilities and accomplishments, and share that confidence with your interviewers. Show that you’re excited to work for them, willing to adhere to their rules and that you have a sincere love of working with children. With this winning combination, you’ll ace the interview and make the post your own.

When you’re in the process of interviewing a candidate for a nanny position, there are some safety questions that you absolutely should ask. Even if she seems like the most gregarious, enthusiastic and innocent person that you’ve ever met, it’s important not to judge a book by its cover. The most promising candidates can answer these questions in ways that you may find surprising and immediately off-putting, showing viewpoints or experiences that you may not have discovered otherwise. These nine questions are among those you should ask when interviewing a potential nanny, in the interest of safety.

1. “Are You First Aid and CPR-Certified?” – The first and most basic safety question that most parents ask during a nanny’s interview is in regard to her certification in cardiopulmonary resuscitation and first aid injury management. A candidate who isn’t certified is not only one who’s ill-prepared for working with children professionally, but is also likely to be quite inexperienced. A lack of CPR certification on an otherwise impressive resume may be a red flag that at least some of her experience could be falsified, as it’s quite unlikely that many families would engage a nanny without this very basic skill set.
2. “Do You Have a Basic Understanding of Food Allergy Management?” – Nanny candidates who have absolutely no experience with the management of food allergies can present a very real safety risk to children who actually suffer from serious sensitivities or allergies. It’s easy to assume that any professional would have a basic, working knowledge of allergy management, but this isn’t always the case.
3. “Have You Ever Been in an Emergency Situation While Working?” – This question is designed to determine how a nanny candidate would react in the event that an emergency arises in your household. If she’s never been in an emergency situation, asking her how she would hypothetically proceed can give you an idea of whether or not you think she would be capable of handling it appropriately.
4. “How Have You Reacted When You Were Angry With a Child?” – Answering in a manner that doesn’t jibe with your parenting philosophy is a red flag, but stating that she never gets angry with children and is never discouraged by misbehavior could also be a sign that she’s simply trying to say what you want to hear to secure a post. Realistically, even the most accomplished nannies have almost certainly been at least frustrated with a child under their care at some point in their career. Figuring out how she handles that frustration, however, is imperative.
5. “If My Child Asked You to Keep a Secret, What Would Your Response Be?” – If a nanny forms a bond with your children and continues to work for your family as they get older, there will probably be a situation in which your child asks her to keep a secret. While it’s important for your nanny to respect your child’s need for privacy, it’s even more important that she be willing to pass along a secret that could be damaging or dangerous for your child.
6. “Will You Submit to Pre-Employment Drug Screening?” – Nanny candidates that balk at the idea of drug screening may have some chemically-enhanced skeletons in their closets, which is why you should proceed with caution if she isn’t amenable to the idea of submitting to testing.
7. “Do You Have Any Objections About Granting Permission for a Background Check?” – A pre-employment background screening has become par for the course for most nanny jobs, so a candidate who refuses to grant permission may have something in her past she’d like to hide. While there are legal constraints regarding the information that you’re allowed to take into consideration when making an employment decision, you’re well within your rights to pass on a candidate who won’t consent to background screening.
8. “Have You Ever Caused a Car Accident?” – While it may not be in your best interest to hold a fender-bender from her youth against her, a nanny candidate who has an established history of negligent or reckless driving may not be someone you’d trust to drive your children around. Unless you absolutely will not be requiring your nanny to drive your children anywhere, it’s in the best interest of your children to determine whether or not she’s a safe driver.
9. “Are There Any Problems in Your Personal Life That Could Pose a Safety Risk to Our Family?” – While you certainly don’t want to pry into a candidate’s personal life in an intrusive or rude manner, you should keep in mind that there are situations in even an experienced and highly-qualified nanny’s life that could present a safety risk to your children and home. 

The answers to these questions are important, but so is the manner in which a candidate addresses them. Be sure that you’re paying attention to her reactions, as well as the responses that she offers. In order for your working relationship with a nanny to be productive and effective, you will have to maintain a measure of trust in her ability to keep your children safe, which may mean being forced to ask some slightly uncomfortable questions during the interview process. You also must ensure, however, that your questions are compliant with employment laws to avoid legal problems in the future.