Interview Questions

The interview is a great opportunity to learn about the candidate and their appropriateness for your position. A well-organized interview will give you insights into the candidate’s personality, philosophies and experience as well as the opportunity to review the logistics of your job including schedule and salary. The following questions are designed to help you conduct a thorough and thoughtful interview.

Childcare Interview Guidelines

(To download a copy of these guidelines, click here.)

Personal Background:

What brought you to the Bay Area?
What are your goals for the future?
What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
What are your strengths and weaknesses?
Tell me a little bit about your family background and childhood.
Is there anything else you wish to tell me about yourself?

Professional Experience:

Tell me about your experience working in this field.
How did you originally become interested in this work?
What is your education or training in regards to this type of work?
What were your responsibilities in your last position?
What did you like most about your last position? What did you like least?
Tell me about your relationship with your last employer.
If asked for a reference, what would your last employer say about you?
Do you have any special talents or interests to share with us?
Have you ever been confronted with an emergency situation at work?
-If so, how did you respond?

Childcare Background:

What is your education or training with regards to childcare?
What ages of children have you worked with?
What were your responsibilities in your last position?
What kinds of activities did you do with the children in your last position?
What did you like most about your last position? What did you like least?
If asked for a reference, what would your last employer say about you?
Do you have any special talents or interests to share with children? (e.g. do you play an instrument or sing?)
What would a typical day be like for you and an infant/toddler etc.?
– Discuss specifically what you expect the employee to do with your child(ren).
– Discuss your child(ren)’s daily schedule.
How have you set limits with child(ren) with whom you’ve worked?
What is your philosophy on discipline?
– Discuss your family’s thoughts on discipline and boundary setting.
How would you reward a child for positive behavior?
What do you see as your most important responsibility with a child this age?
-Discuss your own family’s philosophy of raising children.
Are you comfortable driving children?
– Discuss proper car safety such as car seats and seat belts.

Household Duties:

Are you comfortable cooking meals for the household? Child(ren)-only meals?
Would you be comfortable running errands? Household errands? Child(ren)-only errands?
Are you comfortable working around pets?
-Discuss thoroughly each household task the employee will be responsible for and its frequency.
-Describe your housekeeping expectations.

For Live-In:

How do you anticipate spending your free time?
Do you consider yourself a morning person or a night person?
What is the longest stretch of time you have cared for children at one time?
How much time each week do you spend watching television? On the internet?
How do you spend your time on the weekends?
– Discuss if there will be a household curfew. Will this apply to the employee’s days off?

Hours, Salary and Benefits:

How do you feel about working weekends? Evenings? Holidays?
– Discuss the required hours of the position and any flexibility that is needed.
– Discuss vacation, sick days and holidays.
Are you open to travel? If yes, what limit might there be on the duration of travel?
Do you have any evening commitments? If so, what time?
If the employee is taking classes: Will the class schedule stay the same next quarter/semester?
What length of commitment are you expecting?
– Discuss the official start date.
What hourly, weekly or monthly salary is agreeable? How often would it be paid?
– Discuss which taxes are being withheld.
– Discuss any benefits to be provided. (e.g. health insurance, car insurance, cell phone)
Are you comfortable driving for work-related tasks?
– Discuss whose car will be used.
– If the employee’s car is to be used, discuss mileage reimbursement policy and insurance coverage.
– If a car is provided for the employee’s personal use, discuss frequency, cost and restrictions.

Housekeeping Interview Guidelines

(To download a copy of these guidelines, click here.)

Starting the Interview:

Interviewing a candidate for a position in your home is quite different from interviewing a potential employee in a business setting. Many housekeepers are a bit nervous at first and do not have a lot of experience interviewing. It is a good idea to put the candidate at ease.

Welcome and thank the candidate for coming and ask them to tell you a little bit about themselves and their experience. The majority of Housekeeper candidates will speak English as their second language and this initial welcome will give you a better sense of their communication skills and style. Tell the candidate about your position, the details of your home, the responsibilities, requirements and hours. You may want to give them a tour of your home at the beginning or even during the meeting.

Professional Experience:

How long have you been working as a Housekeeper?
Describe a typical day in your current or previous position?
What did you like most about your last position? What did you like least?
Tell me about your relationship with your last employer. Were they present in the home when you cleaned?
Why did your last position end?

Duties and Responsibilities:

How did you organize your cleaning responsibilities and schedule throughout the week?
Please describe your experience with cleansers. Do you have experience with non-toxic cleansers?
What types of cleansers would you use on granite? Marble? Hardwood floors?
Have you done family laundry and/or ironing in your previous jobs?
Are you familiar with fabric types (i.e. cotton, linen, silk) and whether to machine wash or hand wash?
Are you comfortable with reading a “to do” list or grocery list?
Are you willing to do back up childcare?
If asked for a reference, what would your last employer say about you?
Are you comfortable working around pets?
Is there anything about this job that you would not be willing to do?

Suggestions for Interactive Questioning:

Bring the candidate into a room or area of your home and ask them how they would approach the cleaning.
Describe an organizational project or show them a closet/drawer and see if they have a sense of how to facilitate this project.
Present to the candidate a typical grocery list and see if they would be comfortable shopping for those items.
As you take them on a tour of your home ask them if they would be willing to perform certain duties i.e. wiping down patio furniture, sweeping the deck, pet care, washing windows.

For Positions Including Meal Preparation or Cooking:

Briefly describe your cooking experience.
Do you cook any specialty dishes?
Are you comfortable preparing a healthy snack for the children? What would you choose to make?
Would you be able to follow a recipe?
Are there any foods you do not feel comfortable preparing?

Personal Background:

Tell me a little bit about your family background and upbringing.
What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
Is there anything else you wish to tell me about yourself?
What are your goals for the future?

Hours, Salary and Benefits

(Note: These questions may be more appropriate during a second interview)

Discuss the required hours of the position and any flexibility that is needed.
If relevant, ask how do you feel about working weekends? Evenings? Holidays?
Discuss vacation, sick days and paid holidays.
Are you open to travel? If yes, what limit might there be on the duration of travel?
Discuss when you are looking to have someone start.
What length of commitment are you looking to make?
For salary, you can either present what you are planning to pay for the position or ask the candidate what hourly, weekly or monthly salary she is looking for?
– Please note that under California law you may not ask about prior salary, wage or benefits history.
How frequently would you like be paid?
– Discuss which taxes are being withheld.
– Discuss any benefits to be provided. (e.g. health insurance, car insurance, cell phone)
Are you comfortable driving for work-related tasks?
– Discuss whose car will be used.
– If the employee’s car is to be used, discuss mileage reimbursement policy and insurance coverage.
– If a car is provided for the employee’s personal use, discuss frequency, cost and restrictions.

Describe your House Rules and Policies:

Discuss cell phone use and personal phone calls.
Discuss rooms in the home that may be off limits.
Discuss timing and policies around breaks.
Discuss lunch break policy with the candidate and whether she should bring her own food.

Estate Staff Interview Guidelines

(To download a copy of these guidelines, click here.)

Personal Background:

What brought you to the Bay Area?
What are your goals for the future?
What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
What are your strengths and weaknesses?
Tell me a little bit about your family background and childhood.
What is most important to you in working in a private home?
Is there anything else you wish to tell me about yourself?

Professional Experience:

Tell me about your experience working in this field.
How did you originally become interested in this work?
What is your education or training in regards to this type of work?
What were your responsibilities in your last position?
What did you like most about your last position? What did you like least?
Tell me about your relationship with your last employer.
If asked for a reference, what would your last employer say about you?
Do you have any special talents or interests to share with us?
Have you ever been confronted with an emergency situation at work? If so, how did you respond?
Which software programs do you have experience using?
Please describe an instance when you have effectively used an internet search to accomplish a work-related task?
Do you have experience handling travel arrangements? Please describe a sample itinerary you have planned.
Please describe an event you have planned as part of your job (include # of guests, level of responsibility, etc.).
Have you managed construction/home improvement projects as part of your job?
Please describe your experience managing a household budget and what level of responsibility you held.
Have you ever managed other household staff members? Tell me about your experience.
Are you comfortable working around pets?

For Chef Positions:

Briefly describe your culinary experience (training, style, specialties, etc.)?
Do you specialize in any particular cuisine(s)?
Do you have experience preparing meals that involve dietary restrictions?
Describe an event that you have cooked for as the lead chef in the past 3 year(s).
Do you have experience in a professional capacity managing a budget for a private household?
Would you be comfortable pairing wine with meals?
Are you comfortable being solely responsible for the presentation and clean-up of a meal?
Are you familiar with formal service and table setting?

Hours, Salary and Benefits:

How do you feel about working weekends? Evenings? Holidays?
– Discuss the required hours of the position and any flexibility that is needed.
– Discuss vacation, sick days and holidays.
Are you open to travel? If yes, what limit might there be on the duration of travel?
Do you have any evening commitments? If so, what time?
What length of commitment are you expecting?
– Discuss the official start date.
What hourly, weekly or monthly salary is agreeable? How often would it be paid?
– Discuss which taxes are being withheld.
– Discuss any benefits to be provided. (e.g. health insurance, car insurance, cell phone)
Are you comfortable driving for work-related tasks?
– Discuss whose car will be used.
– If the employee’s car is to be used, discuss mileage reimbursement policy and insurance coverage.
– If a car is provided for the employee’s personal use, discuss frequency, cost and restrictions.

Baby Nurse Interview Guidelines

(To download a copy of these guidelines, click here.)

What do you find most rewarding about your work as a Newborn Specialist?
Describe the details of a typical shift.
– What is the first thing you do?
– What is usually the last thing you do before you leave?
Specifically what duties will you be taking on?
What is your philosophy regarding feeding on demand vs. feeding on a schedule?
Do you have experience getting a baby on a schedule and what is your approach?
What will you be doing when the baby is sleeping?
How will you communicate with me/us about the baby’s feedings, sleeping schedule, etc?
– Do you keep a log or do you communicate verbally?
What would you expect a typical baby’s sleeping and feeding schedule to be at one, two, three and four months of age?
What do you see as your primary role with me/us?
What are your expectations of me/us?
What kind of accommodations would you expect? Consider showing the candidate where they’d be caring for the baby.
If Mom is planning on breastfeeding:
– What is your philosophy regarding breastfeeding?
– What breastfeeding techniques are you familiar with?
– Specifically how do you work with and support a breastfeeding mother?