These are some interviewing tips we have gathered over the years. If you have any more suggestions, please contact us and we will gladly add them to this list.
Tips
Before the Interview/s
Clarify and perhaps make notes of your requirements, your children's requirements and the overall Au Pair job description. All the primary and secondary duties that might be required.
Prepare for the interview by reading all the information on the candidate. You can download from the website once we have given you your code or we can email it to you.
Write down a list of questions pertinent to your family's particular situation and au pair requirements.
Included in your candidate's information pack will be the written references and our reference checks but please do reference checks as well (this can be done after the interview, if the candidate is a strong possibility).
At the Interview
Au Pair At Home's au pair application forms filled out by our candidates are easy to use as a springboard to asking general and probing questions during an interview.
We address all pertinent questions in the application forms and you can ask the candidates to embroider on their written answers.
Explain a bit of what you require, then encourage the candidate to talk. Later on in the interview you can go back to your job requirements.
Observe the candidate during the interview with regards to communication skills. Some candidates being nervous need to be drawn out. So push and probe until you see the personality emerge.
In your probing, trust your instincts. Ask ‘difficult' questions if they come to mind. Get to ‘know' the candidate.
Ask questions around your children's age group, age-appropriate childcare, their general child-rearing approach and how they would handle certain issues and behaviour.
Observe the interaction between the candidate and your children. Your children's instincts are also very important in the selection process. (Some parents prefer to do the first interviews without the children, to filter and select the appropriate candidates to introduce to the children. This is a personal preference depending on the personalities of the family and the children. We have a tendency to believe in the children being present as the au pair is for them - but this is our personal view)
Can you see this candidate fitting into your environment home with your children?
Is there a match? What are your instincts saying? Ask yourself this a number of times during the interview and in the reflecting afterwards.
After the Interview
If you are interviewing a number of candidates make notes and summarize your thoughts on the candidate.
Do some telephonic reference checks and ask questions around your concerns. We have done the relevant checks but advise you to do your own checks as well.
Identify who are your top candidates and invite them for a second interview to spend time with your children - we advise an hour and a half plus.
Make this an interview in the home and let the candidate ‘slip' into the family routine or ask the candidate (depending on your children's age group) to prepare an activity.
During the time that the candidate is at your home - leave the room a number of times and go back in unexpectedly to observe:
Are your children at ease with the candidate?
Did the candidate instinctively interact with the children?
Is an effort being made to talk and play with the children?
Has a bond naturally occurred between them?
Are your children relaxed and do they display enthusiasm at spending time with the candidate?
What is the atmosphere like in the room / house? Does it feel relaxed and comfortable to have the candidate around?
The Decision
Ask your children about their instincts, who they most favoured of the candidates and why?
Your children might favour different candidates. Some reflection and checking your notes etc will be required.
Who would the children best benefit from? What are the candidate's talents and strengths? What will the best candidate bring to the family? Who is the best match?
Please don't delay too long as often candidates go on a number of family interviews and you could lose your chosen au pair.
Once the au pair position is offered and accepted, we send you an employment contract and job description. We encourage you to meet with the au pair as soon as possible so that both parties have clarity and understand the requirements.