Best interview questions for a Nanny

Nanny Interview Questions

Nannies are childcare experts who will work with families to provide care, support, and assistance to their children. Nannies will often work with children within their own home, and work closely with one or two families.

These are the most important qualities to look for in a Nanny:

Patient and caring nature
Understanding of children’s behaviour and needs
Strong cooking skills
Ability to drive and transport children
Strong punctuality
Flexible schedule

Interviewing a Nanny

A great nanny can significantly impact a child’s life and future development. So, choosing the appropriate person for the job is crucial. Your interview process for this position needs to assess the necessary skill sets for this post in order to make sure you make the right hire.

These sample Nanny questions have been put together to aid in this. They should be used to determine whether to advance the candidate to further stages and so should be asked at the beginning of your hiring process.

How to open the job interview

It is a good idea to put the candidate at ease and make sure they feel comfortable before your Nanny interview even begins. This will ease their anxiety and guarantee that you have a more accurate picture of their abilities and character.

You can achieve this by lightening the mood with a few light-opening questions.

Job Description available

See our Nanny job description here

For the interview

A positive opener to start

What do you enjoy most about being a Nanny?

Why did you choose a career working with children?

Behavioral Questions

Name a time you went above and beyond for a client?
- Nannies will essentially become part of a family, and will need to earn the trust of their clients. Knowing your candidate can go above and beyond for the children they work with is a huge plus in this role.
Tell me about a time a child was having trouble with something, how did you help?
- At times a Nanny will be the main caregiver for a child, meaning they will often need to help them overcome challenges and learn from these moments. Here, you’ll see whether this is something your candidate is capable of.
Tell me about a time a child had a problem or task you couldn’t help with, what did you do?
- Nannies aren’t superheroes! Sometimes they won’t be able to solve a problem for a child, knowing that they can communicate this with their client, or pass the task onto someone who can help is essential.
Talk me through a time when a child was exhibiting disruptive behaviour or causing trouble, how did you deal with this?
- Here a Nanny should be able to explain how they discipline a child. This should be calmly and clearly, with an explanation to the child as to where they went wrong.

Soft Skills

How do you prioritise tasks when working with a child?
- Childcare can be a chaotic and challenging environment, so your candidate must have a priority list. This can involve categorising immediate needs, and working first on these.
What steps would you take if you received constructive criticism from a client?
- Here, you’re looking for a potential Nanny who can take this feedback and turn it into actionable improvement.
What skills do you have that are important as a Nanny?
- This is a Nanny interview question that gives your candidate time to shine. They should be able to mention a combination of soft and hard skills.
If working in a household with multiple children, how do you split your attention?
- This question, again, tests a Nanny’s prioritisation skills. Your candidate should be able to mention a list of factors to consider, including age of the children.

Hard Skills

What is the largest group of children you have provided care for?
- Here, you’ll be able to measure a candidate’s experience against your current needs for the role. Working with a group of children is, of course, different from providing one on one care to a child.
Which age children have you provided care for?
- As above, this will let you assess a candidate’s experience. Working with school-age children is much different than working with toddlers or babies, for example.
Have you taken any specific first aid, or safeguarding training?
- In most cases, a Nanny will be required to take first-aid and safeguarding courses. Knowing if this is the case with your candidate and which courses they have taken is crucial.
Are you experienced with working with children with special requirements or needs?
- This Nanny interview question is especially important if they will be working with clients where this is the case.
Have you ever provided overnight care for a client?
- Again, this may be the case for some clients, so it is important to clarify whether it is something your potential hire has experienced.

Operational / Situational Questions

If a child was complaining of feeling unwell, what would your next steps be?
- Urgency is of the utmost importance here, a Nanny should quickly assess whether the child is in danger and provide medical care from there, based on the situation.
If taking the child on a trip or leisure activity, what safeguarding steps would you take?
- Here, you test the candidate’s safeguarding training. They should be able to list a range of steps, such as establishing a meeting point if the child were to get lost, and providing the client with details of where the child will be going.
Imagine a child comes to you with a confidential problem. What are your next steps?
- The Nanny should be able to pass this on to the relevant stakeholders, whether this is parents, teachers, or relevant child services.
If you were to be offered a position as a Nanny, what would your first steps be?
- The Nanny should get to know the children they will be working with regarding dietary requirements, schedule, and schooling.