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Ten Tips for Effective Nanny Screening

1. Verify applicant identity. Ask the candidate to show you a valid, government issued photo identification. Consider making a copy.
   
   
2. Require an application. A formal job application should include the candidate's name, address, and all phone numbers, and a chronological job history and educational history. Confirm name and address agree with the photo ID.
   
   
3. Require References. Character and employment references should not be friends and family of the applicant.   Red Flag: Candidate cannot or will not provide non-related references.
   
   
4. Interview Carefully. Make sure you have the candidate speaking more than you are! Behavioral interviewing is a best practice. Ask the candidate to relate her history to a particular situation. For example, "Tell me about a time when you had to deal with a crying baby. What did you do? How did you feel?" Evaluate her experiences and responses against your requirements.
   
   
5. Check References. Personally speak to all references. Verify how they know the applicant. Ask questions and wait for answers. Avoid giving verbal clues of agreement (umhum) or disagreement (really?). Consider 'outsourcing' reference checking to a service like 4nannies.com for both a second opinion and verification of story consistency.
   
   
6. Schedule a Second, Working Interview. This should be a time when you and the children are both present. Allow the applicant to observe your typical family rhythms, patterns, and interactions. Allow some time for the applicant to interact with the children independently (you observe). Pay the appliant for her time.
   
   
7. Evaluate Logistics. For the live-in applicant, has she ever lived away from home before? Is she mature enough for the relocation? Does her family support her (if a younger candidate). For the live-out applicant, does she have a reasonable, reliable means of transportation to your home daily? NOT her boyfriend dropping her off or catching a ride with a friend!
   
   
8. Obtain Consent to Perform a Background Check. The candidate's signed consent is needed to order the pre-employment background check. The firm conducting the background check will have a document available for your use.
   Red Flag: If the candidate refuses to sign the consent or provide her SSN, DMV license number and/or date of birth, move on immediately.
   
   
9. Begin Background Check with SSN Trace. A SSN trace will provide all names and addresses associated with this Social Security Number over the last 7 years as known to the credit bureaus. This is NOT a credit check, but relies on header file information from the credit bureaus, created by such actions as applying for a car loan, rental application, utility application, insurance application, cell phone service application and other related activities. Services such as 4nannies.com make these checks easily available.
   
   
10. Finalize Background Checking. Best practices are to search criminal records under all names and in all jurisdictions as reported on the SSN trace. Consider including Driver's License History, sex offender registry and National Criminal Records Locator (a database) checks.

A word to the wise - be very wary of 'instant' background checking services, the online services that let you check out your sister's boyfriend's history. These rely on compiled databases, do not cover all jurisdictions, generally do not include misdemeanor offenses, and are by definition out of date the day they are published. Court systems charge for database dumps, and with more than 3000 jurisdictions across the country it is economically unfeasible for the databases to update any more frequently than semi-annually or annually.

Other helpful information:

 10 Tips to Hire the Best Nanny
 10 Common Nanny Hiring Mistakes
 10 Tips Set-up Nanny Payroll
  Article: So What is a Nanny Anyway?
 Sample Live In Nanny Work Agreement