Ways to Conduct Nanny Character References

Choosing the nanny can be a nerve wracking endeavor. Parents want to hire a quality caregiver who will be a good influence on their children. Nannies spend countless hours with the children in their care and help to shape their character. For that reason, parents should hire a nanny who aligns with their family’s character standards and their moral and ethical compass.

Since parents depend on their nannies so that they can fulfill their professional and personal obligations, nannies must be trustworthy, dependable and reliable. Parents entrust nannies to care for their children without constant supervision and rely on nannies to show up on time, provide high quality personalized and customized care. A nanny should have integrity and be excellent communicators. Open and honest communication is essential in successful nanny and employer relationships.

One of the most important things parents should evaluate about a nanny candidate is her character. There are many tools can use to gather information about the character of nanny candidates including the job application, background checks, risk assessments and reference checks. Each tool can provide information parent can use to evaluate the nanny candidate’s character.

Starting with the nanny job application, parents can verify the information the candidate provided by contacting previous employers, verifying educational and credential information and by confirming the identity of the application. If the candidate is found to have provided untruthful information, parents may question her character.

Parents can also contact employment and personal references to help gauge the candidate’s character. Asking open-ended questions like “Can you tell me about a time when you questioned the candidate’s character?” can provide insightful information about a nanny applicant. When speaking to a reference it’s essential to listen to the tone of the reference and what the reference doesn’t say, as much as what she does, to get a clearer picture of how the reference feels about the candidates abilities to provide quality childcare.

Since nannies or any jobseekers typically only provide references who will provide positive feedback, parents should carefully weigh the information provided with their own impressions. If you feel a nanny candidate’s character is questionable, don’t rely on a reference to change your mind. Instead, rely on references to confirm your gut feeling about a potential hire.

Parents should gather as much information as possible about a potential nanny so that they can make an educated and informed hiring decision and select the right nanny for their family.

To be sure that an applicant is of strong character, it is essential to do multiple nanny character reference checks. There are numerous tools parents can use to gauge the character of a nanny, ten of which are listed below.

  1. Use an application and verify information via a background check. Once information is gathered on an employment application parents can compare the information provided with the information gathered from various background checks. If the nanny has good character, the information will match.
  2. Contact former employers. Past employers can be a good source for gathering information about the nanny’s character. Ask open-ended situational questions like “Tell me about a time when you’re nanny didn’t do what you expected” to gain insight into how the nanny has behaved in the past.
  3. Contact character references. Parents should contact at least two character references that are not friends or family members. Clergy, educators and those involved with the community can generally be counted on to provide solid references.
  4. Do a Google search. A quick Google search may turn up a blog the nanny writes or additional information about a nanny you may otherwise not have found. Be sure to search for images as well.
  5. Check social media sites. A nanny’s Facebook or Pinterest account can provide insightful information about a nanny candidate. Often pictures shared can speak a thousand words.
  6. Do a personality / risk assessment. Consider having the nanny take a risk assessment or personality test to gain additional insight into her character. Be sure to utilize an assessment that is designed for pre-employment screening.
  7. Request written letters of reference. While written letters of reference typically are always positive, parents can contact the reference and compare the information provided by phone with the information provided in writing to gain a greater understanding of the reference’s view of caregiver.
  8. Ask about interests, activities and hobbies. How a nanny spends her time and money may provide insight into her character. Parents can consider a nanny’s interests and activities to help determine if the nanny’s values align with their family values.
  9. Run a credit check. A credit check can provide information on a nanny’s fiscal responsibility. A nanny who pays her bills timely and seems to live within her means is a suitable choice for many parents.
  10. Search civil records. Checking civil court records may reveal lawsuits, judgments or leans. This information may help parents gauge the character of the nanny.

Don’t underestimate the importance of considering a nanny’s character. A nanny of good character will be an asset, rather than a liability, to your family.

For more information on background screenings please review our Guide to Nanny Background Checks.