Because an au pair lives with their host family for a year and are a great distance from home, the interview process is vital. During the interviews, the host family needs to evaluate each candidate to find a suitable au pair that matches their particular needs and beliefs. Try some of these tips to learn how to find important information needed for each applicant in order to make the selection easier.



Choose The Right Questions:

Standard questions to ask an au pair include details about their employment background and personal interests. However, questions pertaining directly to your family needs also need to be included in the interview in order to provide you with the most useful information to help you choose between candidates. Since these questions vary from family to family, you will need to discover what these questions are.

Decide which morals, values, and rules your family is not willing to compromise on and make a list of questions. The various topics covered in this list should include things such as methods of discipline, the play needed for your children as well as an acceptable level of organization and cleanliness.

Include The Applicant:

When searching for a suitable au pair, be sure to listen to what the applicant is saying and what they think about each topic discussed during the interview. If they disagree with your thought or opinion, they may very well have an excellent reason for why they feel the way they do. Questioning their standpoint can also give you excellent insight into the maturity level and thought process of the person applying for the childcare position.

Find out what the applicant is looking to gain from their experience as an au pair. This will help you to decide whether your family can meet these expectations. Be sure to answer any questions that the applicant has as well.

Get Ready To Conduct The Interview:

Preparing to conduct the phone interview is perhaps the most important aspect of the entire process. Getting organized before the interview takes place will ensure that both you and the au pair can get the necessary information you are looking for. Who will ask the questions? In what order would you like to ask the questions? Many people start with what they consider non-negotiable first. This way, if they are dissatisfied, they can end the interview sooner to save time and avoid tense situations.

When you are preparing for the interview, create a quiet surrounding that is free from distractions. This will ensure that you can give full attention to the au pair so that you both get the most from the interview. How will you record the information you gain from the interview? It is a good idea to have a pad of paper and a pen during the interview so that you can make notes under each question. After the interviews are complete, you can refer back to this information to help you remember what the applicant said. This also comes in handy when comparing applicants.

Conducting an interview effectively will help both you and the au pair get the information needed to make a good decision. When both sides are aware of each other's expectation and ideals, there are no nasty surprises when the au pair arrives. Most importantly, it allows both sides to become comfortable with each other before the adventure begins.