Do you Skype immediately or email a bit first?

[Anonymous]

When matching, do you email back and forth a few times with a candidate before moving to Skype? I've sent out a few emails and the candidates seem to want to get on Skype right away. I tend to want to have at least confirmation that they have read our letter and that we are a family that interests them based on the content of the letter, maybe a few follow-up questions from both of us and THEN move to Skyping. I just don't want to take the time to Skype with everyone and then find out shortly into the call that we have something that is a deal-breaker to them.

What's your initial reaching-out process look like? How many candidates do you email? How many do you Skype with? Thanks!

[Anonymous]

I email first and check that our arrival date works for them. Our agency occassionally has gotten au pairs who say on the application that they want to come in May, but when you contact them all of a sudden they can't come until July. So I screen for that immediately. I keep it short though - I say I live outside DC and have two kids ages X and X+3. I also mention that we have a current au pair and have had a good experience but she is leaving and so we need to find someone else. Then if they email back, ok the arrival time and presumably say our application looks nice or our kids are cute or something, then me or me and DH together usually have a phone call. If that goes well, I have them connect with our current au pair, who checks them out over skype and also on Facebook. If all goes well, we may call again. Finally DH and I will skype with them, and sually the kids are around for this. We usually only skype with the kids when are fairly certain that we are planning on picking this au pair though. I find that I get more from a call and reviewing the application than from a skype session where they are nervous and I'm trying to promt the kids to say something nice to them.

[Anonymous]

I certainly have no idea if this is the best system, but I will pick a few candidates, then e-mail them asking them to look at our famliy and see if they are interested in the position. This last time around, many didn't even respond to that. If I get an e-mail back, I will start asking a few questions by e-mail and (depending on how interested I am based on the application), will ask to skype several days away but keep up the e-mail in the meantime. To me, skype goes a long way. I know most of them are pretty nervous, but you can still see certain things about their demeanor and personality that you can't get over e-mail or phone. It is time-consuming to skype, but we find it very valuable.

I'm not sure how I feel about having our current au pair interview. . . we haven't done that, although she has offered to e-mail with them if they have questions. I guess I am worried about being left out of that part of the process. I'm not completely sure what our au pair would say to a candidate--she's a nice girl but pretty reserved and stoic.

[Anonymous]

13:49 here - we basically have our au pairs screen all applications. They have weeded out people who seem fine on email and skype, but look scary on Facebook, or who don't ask good questions when the parents aren't around. Plus they are able to tell them all about us, and let them know more about what the job entails. We have trusted our former au pairs, who usually want only the best for our kids and therefore are realistic about picking "nice normal people" for our au pairs. They only get to choose after we have screened for experience and other qualities though. The similar language is a help too.

[Anonymous]

They don't choose the au pairs, but they do tell us who they like the best. Personality is important - you're living with these girls for a whole year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I certainly have no idea if this is the best system, but I will pick a few candidates, then e-mail them asking them to look at our famliy and see if they are interested in the position. This last time around, many didn't even respond to that. If I get an e-mail back, I will start asking a few questions by e-mail and (depending on how interested I am based on the application), will ask to skype several days away but keep up the e-mail in the meantime. To me, skype goes a long way. I know most of them are pretty nervous, but you can still see certain things about their demeanor and personality that you can't get over e-mail or phone. It is time-consuming to skype, but we find it very valuable.

I'm not sure how I feel about having our current au pair interview. . . we haven't done that, although she has offered to e-mail with them if they have questions. I guess I am worried about being left out of that part of the process. I'm not completely sure what our au pair would say to a candidate--she's a nice girl but pretty reserved and stoic.

+1 I follow this almost to a tee. I select 2-3, email them with general info, see who responds (I've actually never have one not respond). Then email a list of questions I would like to discuss during the Skype conversation. I know they are nervous and the delay on Skype can sometimes be tough, so i think they questions help them out a bit. I also only select from spanish speaking countries and i don't speak Spanish, so it helps me out too. I Skype all candidates twice then decide.

I did not asked my former AP to connect with my candidates, although I have considered it. My decision not to was based more on the personality of the AP than anything else. I think my current AP would provide great, candid feedback to me and a candidate, so it is likely that I will involve her in the next selection.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:13:49 here - we basically have our au pairs screen all applications. They have weeded out people who seem fine on email and skype, but look scary on Facebook, or who don't ask good questions when the parents aren't around. Plus they are able to tell them all about us, and let them know more about what the job entails. We have trusted our former au pairs, who usually want only the best for our kids and therefore are realistic about picking "nice normal people" for our au pairs. They only get to choose after we have screened for experience and other qualities though. The similar language is a help too.

This would be my desire too! Sadly, I have not had that experience. We let our last, really good AP, connect with the new AP and thought it would be a nice resource. What actually happened was that both APs started really mean gossip and developed this us against the evil HPs attitude. it was all about comparing what they got for Christmas and what trips we took them along for. In addition, the talked about how much we fight and how bratty and exhausting the kids are. I think this was caused by our old AP feeling really out of sorts after going home (reverse culture shock) and it was comforting to talk with new AP. New AP, however, is a mean-spirited gossiper.

Truth is my husband and I are stressed, we work fulltime, we have small children, bills, etc. So yes, we bicker and argue sometimes. I think that is normal. Our current AP seems to be someone who never voices her true feelings about anything so open discourse must be bad in her eyes. Also our fights are not about her or in front of her. Why can't she give us the right to privacy?

[Anonymous]

Email first...set expectations, ask some basic questions, tell them about yourselves, etc. The schedudling of Skype is typically a pain b/c of the time diff so I would do a few emails first.