Sitter Stumpers

I think "why are you doing childcare?" is a really open ended question. It leads to how a person got into caring for children and may give you a little insight into the providers personality. Turn the tables around a little and ask "what do you think the most important things are to look for in a provider", the answers would give you insight as to that providers care.

I love that you are looking for questions. I absolutly hate it when people come to interview me and have no idea of what they should ask me!!

M

What do you like to do in your free time?

I think the reference check is very very important.

But after the interview and reference check...... I let them meet my daughter. She is the best judge of character I know. If the two of them could warm up to each other in front of me, then I felt I had a keeper.
You can see INSTANTLY if they get along. It's the questions the sitter asks... and how she answers questions my daughter would ask. If I could see they were engaged with each other.

As far as the interview - the basics are really what I did - why are you in childcare, how many kids have you been responsible for, who was your favorite family and why? I also like to ask what she wants in a mom - does she want me to plan activities.... or does she like to create her own things to do? I also like to ask if she's ever been in a situation where she found she didn't like the kid or family... and how she handled that.

What is the last book you read?

This always tells me quite a bit about a person and I have been asked this in many interviews. For me (as an example), I usually respond with "The last professional book I read was _____. I found it to be _____ and I gained knowledge in _____. The last personal book that I read was _____ because I spend the bulk of my day reviewing research and technical articles, I enjoy winding down with historical fiction."

One that I like to ask is : If the power went out while we were gone, what would you do? Would you know where the flashlights/candles etc. Then that leads into what would they do in an emergency. I also ask if they have ever had an emergency while babysitting and if so, what did they do. Safety is # 1 for me and I want to be 1OO% positive that my babies are in the best care and that the babysitter knows what he/she is doing.

I also have them review CPR and First Aid, what to do if someone is choking etc. with me.

Behavioral-based questions are the way to go. Google Behavioral Interview questions and see if you can tailor some of search results you find to your specific situation. I love LivingLife&LovingIt's response below. Questions like "Describe a babysitting challenge you have faced. What was the challenge and how did you overcome it?" Past performance is always the best predictor of future performance. Behavioral-based questions are more probing and force the interviewee to give specific examples of how they have reacted or performed in the past, giving you a glimpse of what you can expect when they are with your child.