So you’ve found a nanny you’re really excited about. They have a great CV, they aced their interview and now it’s time for one of the final steps before you offer them the gig: reference checks.
Checking references may seem like a technicality when a candidate looks great on paper and is wonderful in-person. But it’s important to do your due diligence, no matter how fantastic a potential nanny seems.
Think about it this way, reference checks are one of the best ways to fill information gaps that might exist in a candidate’s performance history. They are also a good way to get a feel for how the caregiver really functions in a work environment.
This begs the questions: what do you need to know about your nanny and what questions should you ask nanny references? Read on to find out.
What makes a good reference?
The nanny candidate should be able to provide more than one reference, so you get a well-rounded view of their skills.
The industry standard is for candidates to provide at least two to three references and have them not be immediate family members. You want it to be someone they’ve worked for in a higher capacity.
Good references should also be:
- Fairly recent, with at least one having worked with the candidate within the past year, so their evaluation of the person’s performance is fresh in their minds.
- Available to speak on the phone, so you have the ability to ask follow-up questions and get as much information as you need.
Questions to ask nanny references
Ask employment basics
Once you get a reference on the phone, there are some must-ask questions that will ensure you get every bit of information you need to make the right hiring decision. First, verify that the information the employee gave you about their work history is accurate.
Ask questions like:
- How long did this person work for you?
- What were their job duties and responsibilities?
- How old was the child or children they cared for?
- Why did they leave?
- Were you satisfied with their job performance? Why or why not?
Evaluate past performance
Once you’ve verified their employment history, evaluate the specifics of their performance. There are three major areas you should always ask about to get a clear picture of how they behave on the job: communication, reliability and consistency. To find out how they measure up in those areas, try asking questions like:
- Did you feel like you were always informed of what was going on while they were caring for kids?
- Were they always reachable while they were working for you?
- Were they punctual, and did that continue to be the case the entire time they worked for you?
- Does this person work well independently?
- Did this person show initiative?
- What were some areas in which they could improve?
- What was the reason this person gave you for wanting to do this kind of work?
It’s also recommended to ask about a time when the employee dealt with a difficult situation or emergency at work – a tantrum, an injury, etc. – and how they handled it. You can even ask your references to describe what happened. For example, ‘a child fell off the monkey bars and broke his arm, and I was immediately informed of what was going on’. When you ask this, you’re looking to find out whether this person is cool-headed, whether they have expertise and whether they’re a competent adult caregiver that doesn’t lose their head when things go wrong.
If you’ll need the nanny to drive your child, don’t forget to look into their driving record. Checking their driving record really is key if you’re planning to let them use your car and take your kids from A to B. Try asking a question like, ‘Did this person ever drive your child or loved one around? If they didn’t, would you have felt comfortable with him or her doing that?’ This will help you evaluate the employer’s level of trust in their former employee. And, of course, it’s important to do background checks on the potential nanny.
Learn more about personality and values
One thing many people forget to assess when checking references is ‘the fun stuff’. Who are they outside of work, and how does their personality play into their role as a caregiver? Ask:
- What was your child’s feedback about this person?
- Tell me one of the great things they used to do with your kids?
- Did you get the feeling that this person was enthusiastic and happy about doing this job?
- What did this person do to keep the person or people in their care active? (Talk to them, read stories, play music, go for walks, etc. This will help you get an idea of what day-to-day activities might look like.)
- What was your favourite thing about working with this person?
- Is there anything we should know as a future potential employer of this person, either personality-wise, compensation-wise or behaviourally?
Questions to avoid
By law, there are certain questions you cannot ask when checking a reference. These are in line with the same kinds of questions that cannot be asked during a job interview and include personal information that could be potentially discriminatory. Do not ask about their age. Do not ask about their religion. Do not ask if they have disabilities. The Equality Act 2010 also protects against discrimination based on sex, gender, disability, religion and pregnancy status, so it’s best not to inquire about those things during the hiring process.
What to do if there’s a bad reference
Occasionally, you may get a ‘bad’ reference. These are references who barely remember someone, have trouble recalling certain details or give an unexpectedly negative review of the person’s performance.
If the reference barely remembers any details, it’s possible the person worked for them too long ago or exaggerated their role. In these cases, you’ll want to request additional references. If someone can’t provide additional references, that may be a red flag that they’re fabricating their work history or don’t have more recent employers who are willing to refer them.
Similarly, references who only have negative things to say about an employee are a red flag. You can request more references to vet the negative things you heard, and/or move on to another candidate.
