Do you give references before an interview?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Even if references are asked for before the interview, it may just be to see that you have any, and they won't actually be called until after the interview.

I always make it clear in my initial contact that I have references, a background check and a driving record search. Don't other nannies do this? I've still had people ask to see everything first.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it's best practice to check refs before meeting. It's always going to be a risk inviting a complete stranger from care.com over to my house but at least calling refs and hearing how wonderful you are makes me feel a little better.

This might be the best practice for you, but not for the nanny.
I would never risk exhausting a reference because some some stranger needed reassurance before inviting me over.
No way. It is customary to offer a reference after the first interview.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Im a relatively experienced nanny. Normally I give references and my recommendation letters at the interview. I'm currently searching for my next family and have been asked by two people for references. One asked me before we spoke on the phone for references and my recommendation letters ( all 3 of them). The second one had a phone conversation and asked for them but we have an interview for this weekend. I've never been asked for them before an in-person interview.

We only hire by word of mouth referrals so basically already did 1-3 references before we interview the nanny. If I was coming in cold with no referral I would do phone screens with nanny and her references before an in person interview. I float by the job sepc and terms and if there is not a match there then no one needs to waste their time doing an in person interview.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it's best practice to check refs before meeting. It's always going to be a risk inviting a complete stranger from care.com over to my house but at least calling refs and hearing how wonderful you are makes me feel a little better.

This might be the best practice for you, but not for the nanny.
I would never risk exhausting a reference because some some stranger needed reassurance before inviting me over.
No way. It is customary to offer a reference after the first interview.

Most references, if positive, are more than happy to take 20 minutes and discuss their experiences with their former nanny, whom they are helping find another job. They totally understand the process of finding a good person to care for their children. We interviewed 6 candidates and all the references were reachable, real (not fake friends posing as former families), and answered a wide gamut of questions we had.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it's best practice to check refs before meeting. It's always going to be a risk inviting a complete stranger from care.com over to my house but at least calling refs and hearing how wonderful you are makes me feel a little better.

This might be the best practice for you, but not for the nanny.
I would never risk exhausting a reference because some some stranger needed reassurance before inviting me over.
No way. It is customary to offer a reference after the first interview.

Most references, if positive, are more than happy to take 20 minutes and discuss their experiences with their former nanny, whom they are helping find another job. They totally understand the process of finding a good person to care for their children. We interviewed 6 candidates and all the references were reachable, real (not fake friends posing as former families), and answered a wide gamut of questions we had.

That's not what this post is about. My references are happy to sing my praises. I just won't allow people I have never met to call them.
Imagine that you're a nanny and you are looking for a new job. You are in contact with 5 families, but haven't met them. They want to speak with your reference prior to meeting. I give my former employer's contact info to 5 people. She spends almost 2 hours on the phone talking with everyone.
I then meet all these families and decide that I am only interested in 1 of the jobs.
Say I don't get that one job. The process starts over and I have to make my reference spend more time on the phone with people.
She would very quickly get tired of it.
References are for AFTER you've had an in-person interview.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it's best practice to check refs before meeting. It's always going to be a risk inviting a complete stranger from care.com over to my house but at least calling refs and hearing how wonderful you are makes me feel a little better.

This might be the best practice for you, but not for the nanny.
I would never risk exhausting a reference because some some stranger needed reassurance before inviting me over.
No way. It is customary to offer a reference after the first interview.

Most references, if positive, are more than happy to take 20 minutes and discuss their experiences with their former nanny, whom they are helping find another job. They totally understand the process of finding a good person to care for their children. We interviewed 6 candidates and all the references were reachable, real (not fake friends posing as former families), and answered a wide gamut of questions we had.

That's not what this post is about. My references are happy to sing my praises. I just won't allow people I have never met to call them.
Imagine that you're a nanny and you are looking for a new job. You are in contact with 5 families, but haven't met them. They want to speak with your reference prior to meeting. I give my former employer's contact info to 5 people. She spends almost 2 hours on the phone talking with everyone.
I then meet all these families and decide that I am only interested in 1 of the jobs.
Say I don't get that one job. The process starts over and I have to make my reference spend more time on the phone with people.
She would very quickly get tired of it.
References are for AFTER you've had an in-person interview.

[phone]

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it's best practice to check refs before meeting. It's always going to be a risk inviting a complete stranger from care.com over to my house but at least calling refs and hearing how wonderful you are makes me feel a little better.

This might be the best practice for you, but not for the nanny.
I would never risk exhausting a reference because some some stranger needed reassurance before inviting me over.
No way. It is customary to offer a reference after the first interview.

Most references, if positive, are more than happy to take 20 minutes and discuss their experiences with their former nanny, whom they are helping find another job. They totally understand the process of finding a good person to care for their children. We interviewed 6 candidates and all the references were reachable, real (not fake friends posing as former families), and answered a wide gamut of questions we had.

And when the nanny is looking for a specific type of position, like live-in, where it's even more important to find out if nanny and parents are a fit, there would be 50-100 calls if I gave out references before I did the interview. No way, even my former DB who is very laid back and accommodating would get frustrated and annoyed. I do the phone interview, then you are welcome to call references.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it's best practice to check refs before meeting. It's always going to be a risk inviting a complete stranger from care.com over to my house but at least calling refs and hearing how wonderful you are makes me feel a little better.

This might be the best practice for you, but not for the nanny.
I would never risk exhausting a reference because some some stranger needed reassurance before inviting me over.
No way. It is customary to offer a reference after the first interview.

Most references, if positive, are more than happy to take 20 minutes and discuss their experiences with their former nanny, whom they are helping find another job. They totally understand the process of finding a good person to care for their children. We interviewed 6 candidates and all the references were reachable, real (not fake friends posing as former families), and answered a wide gamut of questions we had.

That's not what this post is about. My references are happy to sing my praises. I just won't allow people I have never met to call them.
Imagine that you're a nanny and you are looking for a new job. You are in contact with 5 families, but haven't met them. They want to speak with your reference prior to meeting. I give my former employer's contact info to 5 people. She spends almost 2 hours on the phone talking with everyone.
I then meet all these families and decide that I am only interested in 1 of the jobs.
Say I don't get that one job. The process starts over and I have to make my reference spend more time on the phone with people.
She would very quickly get tired of it.
References are for AFTER you've had an in-person interview.

[phone]

This is really important for parents to understand.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it's best practice to check refs before meeting. It's always going to be a risk inviting a complete stranger from care.com over to my house but at least calling refs and hearing how wonderful you are makes me feel a little better.

This might be the best practice for you, but not for the nanny.
I would never risk exhausting a reference because some some stranger needed reassurance before inviting me over.
No way. It is customary to offer a reference after the first interview.

Most references, if positive, are more than happy to take 20 minutes and discuss their experiences with their former nanny, whom they are helping find another job. They totally understand the process of finding a good person to care for their children. We interviewed 6 candidates and all the references were reachable, real (not fake friends posing as former families), and answered a wide gamut of questions we had.

That's not what this post is about. My references are happy to sing my praises. I just won't allow people I have never met to call them.
Imagine that you're a nanny and you are looking for a new job. You are in contact with 5 families, but haven't met them. They want to speak with your reference prior to meeting. I give my former employer's contact info to 5 people. She spends almost 2 hours on the phone talking with everyone.
I then meet all these families and decide that I am only interested in 1 of the jobs.
Say I don't get that one job. The process starts over and I have to make my reference spend more time on the phone with people.
She would very quickly get tired of it.
References are for AFTER you've had an in-person interview.

[phone]

This is really important for parents to understand.

I agree completely. References are the very last thing.