How to interview my Au pair?

First I recommend that you read her entire application, is important to make a list of questions before you give her a call.

You can find a list of questions at our family Interviewing guide.

You need to keep in mind what time is in her country before you call, some parents prefer to Skype which allows them to talk and see the au pair when you finally get on the phone with your match.

Remember that is a lot harder to speak English over the phone than it is in person, so she may be nervous, I recommend that you speak very slowly, ask her about her family and her personal interests and her childcare experience.

She will also like to know about your family so give her opportunity to ask you questions. Is important to communicate to your au pair what do you expect from her while she is here, for example if she is going to be doing a lot of driving, do you expect her to work in the weekends, ask her about this.

Sometimes you know in your first call whether the match is the right one for you, other times you may need a second phone conversation, I always recommend a second phone call but sometimes you just know on your first one, you have to trust your own instincts, but also, don’t wait for that perfect au pair either because there may not be such a person, if you pass on a candidate because she is not a world class piano player, you may regret it later when she is matched with someone else, is important to take your time to prepare for your interview and give yourself plenty of time to get to know each other over the phone because a quality interview will really help to make this important decision.