Importance of Checking Out a Potential Babysitter
Hiring a babysitter is like hiring a professional for a sensitive slot in the company. It is much more important to know you are hiring the right and the best person to baby-sit your children while you are off somewhere because the well-being and comfort of your children depend on the baby sitter’s capability and trustworthiness.
Don’t Rush
Babysitters are hired from agencies, or singled out from classified ads. It might be tempting to hire them on the spot after an interview if you are in a hurry because of the urgency of the need. Take a pause and do not be impressed with the potential candidate’s neat dressing and friendly or courteous talk.
Take the time to check out the babysitter’s background and references. If you go over these carefully you might spot something out of character, and that is your warning not to hire the candidate.
The babysitter’s reference may indicate temporary babysitting assignments. Be cautious about this. Good babysitters stay longer with a family while those who cannot do the job well are not hired again by the same employer. But there are instances you should be flexible about – temporary help, or the candidate is new in the agency circuit but has been baby-sitting for neighbors and friends for years.
If the candidate is from your neighborhood and well recommended by family or friends, you can rely on their advice to take her on. But is she is from the agency, or she found your Babysitter Wanted ad, that is different. So go over the applicants’ references and be willing to spare a few dollars for a background check. Your children depend on your caution so be thorough when inspecting the babysitter’s credentials and background.
What to Watch Out for in those References
References reveal a lot about the applicant’s scope of work, work style and ethics. The information in the reference should be the basis for your interview questions. Sometimes the applicant may utter derogatory remarks about their previous employer; that is a no-no if you are looking for someone who trustworthy.
If there are gaps in-between work assignments, inquire why she had no jobs during the period and what she did for a living. Her information can help you add up or minus her points. Watch her body language and her receptivity to your questions but you never reveal what the references said about her.
Check that reference if is original or faked. You can talk to the previous employer to confirm the accuracy of her information. Don’t rely on a phone call. Meet the previous employer in person. You must also be firm about identification, driver’s license and a DMV record. You can spot faked identifying documents if you purposely state wrong addresses instead of what she placed in her documents.
For background checks you can do this online in find people searches. If she has been telling the truth, her information will be consistent. But if you are hiring a baby-sitter from online agencies, give time to visit the address indicated in the web page. Reputable agencies do the background checks before they recommend baby-sitters to prospective employers.
If you’d like to take the guess work out of the equation, go to our page on the best babysitter services. We offer reviews on the best baby sitting services which offer the references, reviews, background checks and interviews that you need to make a good decision.