Questions to Ask When Calling References
When you do a reference check on a potential caregiver, what should you ask?
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The end of the hiring process is in sight. Whether you've narrowed down your search to a couple candidates or there is one who seems to be the right fit for your family, reference checks should validate what you've observed in the interviews. Make sure to cover everything from work ethics to challenges on the job to personality quirks with their former employers -- the tough stuff matters.
Use this list as a guideline for the kinds of questions you should ask in your potential caregiver's reference interview to help you make a good choice for your family.
Employment History
- How long did you employ her?
- Why did she leave?
- What was her compensation level?
Performance
- What are her strengths, and what about her do you most respect?
- In what areas could she improve? (This is a really important question! Let the former employer complete her list first. If she can't think of anything, you may offer up an instance that the caregiver raised in the interview, such as: "She mentioned that she sometimes loses her patience. Have you experienced that before? If so, can you describe an incident where that happened?")
- How are her communication skills? (Both with the parents and the children.)
- Does she have initiative?
- Is she organized?
- Does she handle stress well?
- Is she warm and social?
- How is her energy level?
- Can she work independently, or does she need very specific directions?
- How would your children describe her?
- If you were to rate her overall performance as a caregiver, would you consider it excellent, average or poor? Why?
- Would you hire her again? Recommend her?
Duties and Fit
- Other than caregiving, what did her duties entail? Was she open to other responsibilities?
- Let me tell you more about the duties I'm planning to give her. I'd love your feedback on whether this is the right job for her given your own experience with her.
Closing
- What advice can you give me on managing her?
- Do you have any final comments?
- Please let me know which aspects of the reference check I can share with others and which ones are strictly confidential.
If you feel uncomfortable reaching out to references, Care.com can record interviews with the caregiver's former employer for you, with the caregiver's consent. Either way, reference checks are essential to the hiring process.
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I'm sorry you are having trouble so far. We do discourage people from sharing their personal contact information right away from safety reasons, but we do want to give you the best possible experience finding a job. Do's and Don't sounds like a great idea for an article! In the mean time try checking out some of the other helpful pieces on the site such as this one http://www.care.com/child-care-14-ways-to-get-families-to-respond-to-you-on-carecom-p1017-q18735037.html If you are looking to increase how often you hear back from seekers. Thanks!
p.s. this is always there is you need it! http://www.care.com/help-faqs-p1009.html
I am seeking childcare, posted an ad and received several responses back. I had been responding back to e-mails, only to learn that they were not receiving my responses, because I had not paid for a package. Perhaps others do not realize that interested caregivers will not receive an e-mail response unless the person who posted the ad has paid for a package.
and have been applying for several positions and havent recieved one response. hmm? I also looked at profiles of Babysitters in my area.. and unfortunately I viewed all 14 pages and didnt see MY profile anywhere. I did not pay the $20 suggested...is this the reason? If so...the site should not advertise as "free". AT
I am a membercare representative who is here to help you with your question. You certainly do not need to upgrade your membership in order to apply for jobs on our site. It is free to have an account and to send out applications. Ultimately, it is the families on our site who initiate contact for interviews and hires. Families utilize the tools on our site to help them with their selection process such as; reviewing background checks, listening to prerecorded references and reading online reviews. Our best suggestion is to make sure your profile is as up to date as possible and that you are utilizing all of the profile strengthening tools that we advertise.
I was under the impression that care.com did background checks and did some verifying too, but...as I stumble around here, I think the parents/person looking to hire, has to pay extra to have all that done? Am I correct?
As long as you are a premium member, you will have access to respond to any caregiver who either applies to your job or sends you a private message. As a premium member, you will have access to run background check options, listen to recorded references, and write and view reviews. All of those features are covered under the subscription fee. I hope that helps you to understand the process a little bit better!