Working Interview

The Working Interview or Trial

A Working Interview or Trial is a time when you have the candidate work for up to one week in your home performing the duties associated with the position before making the final hiring decision. You will pay the candidate directly for their time but no Agency fee is due for the first week of the trial. If you decide to extend the trial, Agency fees are due for the placement, either temporary or permanent placement fees. Please feel free to talk directly with your Placement counselor about arrangements for extended trials or any other questions you might have about working interviews. We have some suggestions for making this a productive use of time for everyone.

Pay Guidelines

We recommend that you pay Nanny candidates $30 per hour for their time during the Working Interview. For Housekeepers, Chefs, Personal Assistants and other types of candidates, please contact your Placement Counselor for working interview salary guidance.

Length of Working Interview or Trial

The length of the trial should be one to five days or a typical work week.

Purpose of the Working Interview

The goal of the trial period is to decide if your family and the candidate are a good long-term match. During this time, the candidate will perform the duties associated with the position and get to know the family. It is a good time to evaluate both her work and the chemistry with your family.

The candidate has a better chance of being successful if you are very clear in communicating your expectations. Please remember that every household is unique and just because a candidate has prior experience, they may have worked in a household with very different routines and expectations than your home. It is worthwhile to invest some time at the outset of the trial period training the candidate in the important aspects of the position and then using the latter half of the working interview to see how the candidate follows direction. It is also a good time to evaluate the candidate’s communication skills, see how they take feedback, as well as how they engage with the children or the other staff in the home.