Choosing a nanny to take care of your kids is not an easy task. Indeed, you will trust a new person that you do not know yet with what is the most important to you in the world. It is therefore a time to be cautious and careful and to follow a proven process to put all the chances on your side in the search for the perfect nanny.
During the hiring process, you should be on the lookout for red flags alerting you that you should not select a candidate.
To help you, we have listed the signs that should make you think twice before hiring a nanny candidate:
- Lack of professionalism: the candidate arrives late; she does not wear appropriate clothing and doesn’t look “tidy” instead wears too much jewellery and perfumes, in short she does not match what is expected of a nanny; her phone rings during the interview and she answers it; she criticizes her former employers; her grammar or vocabulary leaves too much to be desired; she talks more about her personal life than her work.
- Questionable integrity: the candidate doesn’t have references, refuses a background check; never stayed with the same family for a long time; does not look at you in the eyes.
- Affinity with children: If your little ones are present during the interview, the potential nanny is not paying attention to them; the candidate does not ask questions about the kids she will take care of, but only about salary and job specifics.
Of course, in itself none of these signs should necessarily be a reason to exclude a candidate, but they are red flags to remind you to be careful and have a long list of positive things about this babysitter before hiring her, even for a trial period.
And when in doubt, listen to your mom instinct that is often more reliable than all the certificates in the world.