It can be hard after having a child and needing to return to work, school, or even just to go out to eat. But it is the way of life oftentimes, and even if you do stay at home full-time to parent, there is still going to be a need for a babysitter. But where do you start?
Start with Applications
Whether you choose to find your babysitter off of app sites specifically for that, or just through personal resumes, it’s always a good idea to get the basic info and work history from them first. Make sure you follow through on the info they are given, such as references. Look for experience, and ideally, where the experience is for a longer amount of time. People can jump from one family to the next without issues, but if they are staying with those families for an extended period of time, that means they may be excelling at their job and are asked to stick around.
Multiple families and work histories may hint at them needing to find other families and could mean commitment issues. Make sure to do a deeper dive into those applicants if they sound otherwise good, and ask for references to follow up on. If you see multiple families but are for extended periods of time, this can be a good thing as they are showing responsibility in sticking with the same job, while also juggling multiple families during the same time period.
Interviewing Process
Once you have a few good candidates, start with a phone or in-person interview. This can give you a chance to meet or at least speak, and ask some general questions to get a feel for their babysitting style and personality. If you feel good with how the interview went, ask for some references in case you want more details. Make sure to follow up with them, even if you decide to go with someone else.
Last Stages
When it’s narrowed down from the interview process, you can then check out the references and give them a call. If you have it down to your last candidate, be sure to get their permission for a background check. This can give you peace of mind that there’s nothing else that could be a determining factor in choosing a sitter. You can always have the first day be a half day or you and your partner going out to eat just so it’s a shorter amount of time before hiring the babysitter full time.
Katie Kyzivat