| The objective of job interviews is to uncover what | | | | When interviewing health care aides it is extremely |
| needs to be known about job applicants and potential | | | | important for the family to ask about the interviewees |
| employers. Nothing is gained when household | | | | experience, references, and perform background |
| employee candidates and families answer interview | | | | checks. Family members should also ask: 1. Are you |
| questions based on what they think the other wants to | | | | experienced in administering medications? 2. Are you |
| hear. If the relationship is to last and flourish, it is best to | | | | comfortable speaking frankly with physicians about the |
| answer questions by being truthful. | | | | care of an elder or disabled person? 3. Are you |
| Interviewing household employees such as nannies, | | | | comfortable advising the family of any change in the |
| chefs, personal assistants, housekeepers, health care | | | | plan of care before the change is made? 4. Are you |
| aides, and butlers is important. Each family and home | | | | willing to comply with advance directives in |
| has unique needs. Many potential problems can be | | | | accordance with state law requirements? 5. Are you |
| avoided if the interview is properly conducted. During | | | | willing to make an effort to talk with the individual you |
| an interview the family and the job candidates often | | | | are caring for? 6. Are you willing to listen attentively |
| rely on their intuition. It is not wise to jump to | | | | and respond respectively to our family member? 7. |
| conclusions, but it is natural to get a sense of what an | | | | Can you safely transfer and assist an elder with |
| individual is like in the first minutes of the meeting. As | | | | walking? 9. Are you gentle when bathing an older |
| prospective employees and family members learn | | | | person and know how to prevent skin ulcers? |
| more about each other they can make informed | | | | After asking potential butlers about their references, |
| decisions if the relationship may work. | | | | work experience, and perform background checks |
| Good in-home job placement agencies can help | | | | families may ask specific questions necessary for the |
| families in the search for a household employees and | | | | position they are trying to fill such as: 1. Are you willing |
| with the hiring process. Placement agencies can also | | | | to arrange dinner parties? 2. Can you arrange |
| be the household employee's advocate. The agency | | | | maintenance of a yacht? 3. Do you have experience |
| will inquire about the duties and responsibilities of the | | | | making travel arrangements? 4. Are you willing to |
| job, the daily and weekly hours the employee will be | | | | manage the household budget? 5. Do you helping |
| expected to work, the salary range, and the benefits | | | | house guests? 6. Are you willing to do household |
| the family is offering. Benefits might include vacation | | | | chores such as laundry or do we need to hire a |
| time, sick time, health insurance benefits, and | | | | separate housekeeper? 7. How do you direct other |
| educational stipends. The agency should inform | | | | workers in the household? 8. Are you organized and |
| employers about employee rights and laws including | | | | able to coordinate our family calendar? |
| paying taxes, discrimination laws, minimum wage rates, | | | | Families should also ask potential live-in employees |
| and overtime pay. | | | | about their favorite hobbies. For example, if the job |
| A placement agency must know if the expectations | | | | candidate plays drums in their down time, the family |
| of potential employers and employees are realistic. | | | | may find the hobby intolerable. But if the live-in job |
| The agency should explain that an unrealistic job | | | | candidate is a good swimmer or an accomplished |
| description limits the number of potential household | | | | musician the employee might be willing to give the |
| employees that will want to interview for the position. If | | | | children lessons for extra pay. |
| prospective in-home employees ask for unrealistically | | | | Household employees should be prepared to answer |
| high salaries and benefits it will limit the number of | | | | all the questions they are asked. It is important that |
| families that will ask for an interview. Once the | | | | potential employees keep a positive and upbeat |
| placement agency has collected all of this information | | | | attitude when interviewing. Families and agencies |
| they can select the nannies, chefs, personal assistants, | | | | typically ask job applicants about their previous jobs. |
| housekeepers, health care aides, butlers, and | | | | Families are looking for friendly, cheerful, and caring |
| caretakers that meet the criteria of the job and begin | | | | people to hire. Job candidates should not place blame |
| referring appropriate candidates to the family. A | | | | or discuss negative details about a past job or |
| responsible placement agency clearly provides an | | | | employer. An in-home job applicant should convey |
| objective description of the family's needs and desires | | | | enthusiasm and a sense of pride and dedication to |
| to the job candidate. | | | | their chosen career. Job candidates should agree to |
| It is best for placement agency staff to meet the job | | | | respect the family's privacy. |
| candidate personally. If agency staff is not able to | | | | All prospective household employees can adapt the |
| interview the potential household employee in their | | | | following questions listed here that nannies should ask |
| office the agency should advise the family how they | | | | parents to their specific job interview. Questions nanny |
| have screened the job candidate. Some agencies | | | | candidates should ask parents include: |
| may conduct a telephone interview, while others may | | | | 1. Have you employed a nanny before? |
| have agents that meet with potential employees on | | | | 2. Why did the previous nanny leave the job? |
| behalf of the placement agency. | | | | 3. What were the previous nanny's duties? |
| The family may have questions for the prospective | | | | 4. What would you have changed about your |
| employee which are of a personal nature. Their | | | | relationship with your former employee? |
| questions should reflect their own priorities in selecting | | | | 5. How would you describe yourselves as parents? |
| the right employee. Families must always obey fair | | | | 6. How would each parent describe himself or herself |
| labor hiring laws and not discriminate against job | | | | as an individual? |
| candidates due to race, religion, age, gender, or | | | | 7. How would you describe your children? |
| disability. | | | | 8. How do the children exhibit emotions such as anger, |
| Families should conduct a telephone interview to start | | | | sadness, or excitement? |
| the process. If the initial conversation is promising then | | | | 9. How do you discipline your children? |
| they should invite the potential employee to their home | | | | 10. How will we discuss discipline and issues that may |
| for a more in-depth interview. The family should ask | | | | come up with your children each week? |
| open-ended questions that do not solicit just a "yes" or | | | | 11. Will you travel often and will I be expected to |
| "no" answer. | | | | accompany you? |
| For example, in a nanny interview the parents can | | | | 12. Will I be expected to drive? What limitations and/or |
| judge how the nanny and children interact. Parents can | | | | reimbursements will I receive when using your car? |
| describe activities their children enjoy to see if the | | | | 13. What type of relationship would the parents like the |
| nanny has an interest in those areas. The parents will | | | | nanny to develop with the children? |
| have an opportunity to see what the nanny's | | | | 14. Would you allow me to speak with the previous |
| personality is and if the nanny is compatible with the | | | | nanny, a neighbor, or a relative of your family about |
| children and the parents. | | | | your family? |
| Families can adapt the following questions that parents | | | | 15. What is the most important characteristic a nanny |
| might ask a nanny candidate to use with all household | | | | should possess to work well with your children? |
| employees. For example, parents may ask the nanny | | | | For the interview the job candidate should dress |
| candidate: | | | | conservatively in a clean, well-pressed, appropriate |
| 1. Why do you want to be a nanny? | | | | outfit. The job candidate should not wear large jewelry |
| 2. What activities do you like to do with children? | | | | or clothing that exposes tattoos. The potential |
| 3. Do you prefer indoor activities or outdoor activities? | | | | employee should present a portfolio that includes a |
| Do you like structured play or free play? | | | | fresh copy of their resume and letters of |
| 4. What age children are you experienced working | | | | recommendation. The portfolio may also include |
| with? What ages do you prefer? | | | | anything that they would like their prospective |
| 5. Are you interested in helping with general household | | | | employers to take into consideration such as degrees, |
| chores or with child related chores only? (Be specific | | | | classes they have taken, workshops they have |
| about chores.) | | | | attended, awards they have won, and so on. Nannies |
| 6. What was the best part of working as a nanny in | | | | and home health aides should include current CPR and |
| the past? | | | | first aid certificates. |
| 7. What was the worst thing when working as a | | | | The agency referring a job candidate will confirm the |
| nanny in the past? | | | | family's proper home address, directions to the house, |
| 8. How do you discipline children? Give an example of | | | | and names of the family members. In preparation for |
| what you have done when...." | | | | the interview the potential household employee should |
| 9. Have you ever had an emergency situation while | | | | take a practice run to ensure that they will arrive on |
| caring for a child? How was it handled? What would | | | | time for the scheduled interview. They should arrive at |
| you do if my child were stung by a bee, fell off her | | | | the family's home a few minutes early, but wait until |
| bike, was having an asthma attack, etc. | | | | the appointed time to approach the door. The |
| 10. May we obtain written letters of recommendation | | | | household employee should bring a comb, tissues, and |
| from your references? | | | | some breath mints, but should never chew gum during |
| 11. May we perform a background check on you by | | | | an interview. Job candidates should not smell like |
| obtaining a copy of your driving record, do a | | | | cigarette smoke, coffee, or wear perfume or cologne |
| background check, and drug screening? | | | | to interviews. The job candidate should be confident |
| 12. Do you have recent CPR and First Aid | | | | that s/he knows the family member's names and how |
| certifications? If your certification has expired, are you | | | | to pronounce their last name. Demonstrate respect by |
| willing to get certified if we will help pay for the | | | | addressing the adults appropriately using Mrs., Miss., Mr., |
| courses? | | | | or Dr. and their last name unless the adults tell you to |
| When interviewing a personal chef the family should | | | | call them by their first names. If children are present |
| ask the same questions about work experience, | | | | the prospective employee should be sure to greet |
| references, and background checks that they would | | | | them with warmth and a friendly smile. |
| ask a potential nanny but might also consider asking: 1. | | | | As the interview ends, the job candidate should thank |
| Will I get new menu options to choose from or will the | | | | the family for the opportunity to meet with them and |
| selection be the same all the time? 2. Do you have | | | | express his/her interest in the position. If the potential |
| experience with formal dinners or parties? 3. Do you | | | | employee is not interested in the position s/he should |
| have a "Food Handler's" certificate? 4. How do you | | | | still be polite and thank the family for the interview. |
| feel about following our specific preferences such as | | | | They should call the agency they are working with to |
| vegetarian or Kosher meals? | | | | inform them if s/he is interested in the position. The |
| When interviewing a personal assistant candidate the | | | | interviewee should write a hand written thank you note |
| family should ask the same questions regarding work | | | | to the family the next day. If the interviewee is not |
| history, references, and background checks and | | | | interested in the job the agency can help them choose |
| questions such as: 1. Are you an organized person? 2. | | | | the appropriate words to write to decline the position in |
| Are you familiar with Internet and computers? 3. What | | | | a thank you note or the placement agency staff may |
| database software are you comfortable and | | | | prefer to talk to the family directly to explain why the |
| experienced in using? 4. Are you comfortable keeping | | | | job candidate is not interested in the job. The agency |
| our intimate and family issues private? 5. What are | | | | will usually call the family to discuss their impressions of |
| your areas of expertise? 6. What did you do before | | | | the interview. If the candidate hears from the family |
| becoming a personal organizer? 7. What is your | | | | directly they should return all telephone or email |
| educational background? 8. Are you a member of any | | | | messages immediately and keep the placement |
| professional guilds? | | | | agency informed. |
| When interviewing housekeepers families should ask | | | | Neither the job candidate nor the family need be |
| about their work experience, references, and perform | | | | discouraged if an interview uncovers that they are not |
| background checks and should also ask: 1. Are you | | | | compatible. Each interview is a learning experience. It is |
| allergic to cleaning products? 2. Do you consider | | | | most important for families and household employees |
| yourself a tidy person? 3. Are there any household | | | | to be honest during the interview process to |
| chores you would refuse to do? | | | | encourage a great working relationship. |