What to ask a nanny during an interview
A structured, fair-hiring question bank for interviewing a nanny — grouped by experience, childcare philosophy, safety, scheduling and contract expectations, with notes on what good answers look like.
The short answer
Interview a nanny with a structured question bank: experience and track record, childcare philosophy, safety and health handling, scheduling flexibility, and contract expectations such as salary, accommodation and leave. Group questions by topic, take notes, and weigh concrete examples over first impressions. Keep the interview fair: avoid questions about age, religion, ethnicity, marital status or nationality, and decide on the ability to do the job.
A structured nanny interview in five steps
Prepare the question bank
Select the questions that matter for your children's ages and your household routine.
Review the profile first
Read the candidate's verified experience, languages and document status before the call.
Interview with a notes template
Score answers per topic so candidates are compared on the same criteria.
Probe with scenario questions
Ask how the nanny would handle a tantrum, a fever or an emergency.
Confirm the contract in writing
Agree hours, salary, accommodation, leave and duties before committing.
Why use a structured interview?
A structured interview asks every candidate the same questions in the same order, scored on the same scale. It reduces the pull of first impressions, makes candidates comparable, and gives you a record you can revisit. For childcare roles — where the stakes are high and the relationship is daily — consistency matters more than a charming conversation.
- Same questions for every candidate, so answers can be compared fairly
- Scores per topic highlight strengths and gaps at a glance
- A written record helps you stay consistent and defensible
- Scenario questions reveal judgement, not just claims
The question bank, by topic
Below are 25 questions grouped into five topics. You do not need all of them — pick the ones that fit your children's ages and your household, and keep the same set for every candidate.
| Topic | Example questions | What a good answer sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| Experience and track record | How long have you worked as a nanny and with which ages? What did a typical day look like in your last job? Which age group did you find most challenging and why? Why did you leave your last position? What training or certifications do you have? | Specific examples with names, ages and routines — not vague claims. A consistent story across jobs, and honest reasons for leaving. |
| Childcare philosophy | How would you describe your approach to childcare? How do you handle tantrums or refusals? What does a healthy daily routine look like for a child? How do you manage screen time? What is your approach to discipline? | A clear, age-appropriate approach that matches your own values. Calm, consistent handling of difficult moments rather than punishments or bribes. |
| Safety and health | What would you do in a choking emergency? Is your first aid or CPR training current? How do you spot hazards in a home? How do you handle a fever or a sick child? What are your rules for strangers and the front door? | Confident, concrete first-response steps. Awareness of hazards and clear boundaries, and a stated plan to inform you immediately about health concerns. |
| Scheduling and daily life | What hours and days can you commit to? How much notice do you need for changes? Are you willing to travel with the family? How do you manage school runs and meal times? What happens when you are ill or need leave? | Realistic availability stated up front, with a clear sick-leave and cover plan. Flexibility on routine tasks, and honesty about limits. |
| Contract expectations | What salary and benefits are you expecting? Do you expect accommodation, and live-in or live-out? How much annual leave do you expect? Which duties are outside your scope? How do you prefer to communicate with the employer? | Clear, realistic figures that align with the written contract. A stated communication preference — often WhatsApp — and no surprises later. |
25 example questions across five topics. Use the same set for every candidate and score each topic.
Which questions should you avoid?
Some questions are discriminatory and should never appear in a nanny interview. They do not predict childcare ability and they put candidates in an unfair position. In GCC hiring, where workers often relocate from abroad, nationality-based assumptions are especially common — and equally unhelpful.
- Age — unless it directly relates to a legal requirement
- Religion, ethnicity or tribe
- Marital status, children of their own, or pregnancy plans
- Nationality or origin-based stereotypes about temperament or honesty
- Health questions unrelated to the job; disability-related questions are only appropriate around reasonable accommodation
How do you evaluate the answers?
Score each topic out of five as you go, and separate facts from impressions. A candidate who cannot give one concrete example from a previous job is weaker than one who tells a specific story, even if the story is imperfect.
- Green flags: specific examples, calm handling of conflict, current safety training, realistic availability, clear contract expectations
- Red flags: vague answers, blame placed entirely on past employers, refusal to discuss salary or leave, no plan for emergencies or illness
- Follow up: verify documents and references through the hiring channel, and confirm claims with the worker's profile data
What happens after the interview?
Decide within a day or two while notes are fresh, then move to contract terms: duties, hours, salary, accommodation, leave and communication expectations — in writing. In GCC destinations, the written contract also feeds the official permit process, so clarity now prevents problems later.
- Compare topic scores across candidates, not overall impressions
- Confirm the chosen candidate's availability and document status
- Put every term in the written contract before the official process starts
- Keep the interview notes until onboarding is complete
Interview preparation checklist
Tick off each item before the interview so every candidate gets the same, fair process.
0 of 8 collected
Common questions
Twenty to twenty-five is a healthy range — roughly five per topic. Asking the same set to every candidate keeps the comparison fair and gives you a usable scorecard.
No. These questions are discriminatory and unrelated to the job. Keep the interview to experience, childcare philosophy, safety, scheduling and contract expectations — that is the fair-hiring baseline in most GCC jurisdictions and good practice everywhere.
Concrete experience with your child's age group and how the candidate handles safety and health situations. Those two topics predict daily reality better than any other factor.
Yes. A scenario question — what would you do if a toddler refuses to eat — reveals judgement and temperament in a way that factual questions cannot.
Qualifications help, but they are not the whole job. Assess practical experience, references and safety training, and state clearly in the contract what training you expect.
Cross-check claims against the candidate's verified profile, request references where available, and confirm document status through the hiring channel. The interview should never be the only check.
Yes — salary, accommodation, leave and working hours should be discussed and then written into the contract. Vagueness in the interview is the most common source of disputes after arrival.
What we can evidence on this page
Ployer does not publish fabricated reviews or self-awarded star ratings. Where evidence exists it is shown with its source and date; where it does not exist yet, it is stated plainly.
- Official service pages — Claims about permits, medical and documents are grounded in official GCC government service pages, checked on 2026-09-21.
- Dated review — Content was reviewed by the Ployer Compliance & Editorial Review team on 2026-09-21.
- Named author — Authored by the Ployer Editorial Team; corrections are tracked with review dates.
- No invented statistics — This page contains no fabricated figures, reviews or service guarantees.
- Verifiable platform behaviour — References to the Ployer workflow describe features that are visible on the platform itself.
Related guides
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