You are looking at employing the services of an Au Pair for your children, and might be thinking about all of the different factors you should consider during this employment process and finding the right Au Pair for your Children.
Index
1. Factors to Consider
Here we put together some of the factors that you should consider when looking to employ an Au Pair for your household and family:
Compatibility
Au Pairs should have a personality and temperament compatible with your family's lifestyle and values. You also need to consider their motivation.
Are they primarily interested in gaining work experience or do they have a passion for childcare?
Experience and Skills
Consider their prior experience with children, especially children of the same age as your own.
Also consider the Au Pair's skills, such as cooking, driving, swimming, or first aid.
These skills may be relevant depending on your family's lifestyle and needs.
Your Family Rules and Value Systems
You need to be clear with your new Au Pair what your expectations are in terms of specific rules and values you wish to bring across to your children, this includes discipline, house rules, technology screen time as well as your religious believes.
Work Hours and Expectations
Be clear about your expectations.
How many hours per week do you expect them to work?
What tasks do you expect them to perform?
Will they have set hours, or will their schedule vary from week to week?
Will they have to work on weekends or in the evenings?
Living Conditions
If the Au Pair is live-in, you need to have adequate space and ensure that they have their own private room.
For live-out Au Pairs, it's important to discuss transportation to and from your home.
Legal; and Financial Aspects
Understand and comply with South Africa's labour laws.
Make sure you're clear about salary, working hours, leave entitlement, etc.
Cultural Differences
Even though your Au Pair may be local, there may still be cultural or socio-economic differences to navigate.
It's important to treat each other with respect and understanding.
Support and Backup Plan
You need to provide them with a support network, including contacts they can call in an emergency.
You also need to consider a backup plan in case they get sick or need a vacation.
Contracts and Agreement
Everything agreed upon should be put in writing to avoid misunderstandings.
A clear and comprehensive work contract is crucial.
Agency or Direct Hire
Consider whether you want to hire an Au Pair directly or through an agency.
Agencies can help with screening and paperwork but typically charge a fee for their services.
Educational Background
While not all families require this, some prefer an Au Pair with a background in education or child psychology, especially when the children are of school age.
Having an Au Pair who can assist with homework can be a great help.
Criminal Background Checks
This is vital for the safety of your children.
You need to ensure that the Au Pair has no criminal record.
A reputable agency usually conducts this check, but if you are hiring independently, you'll need to arrange it.
References
Ask for and actually contact past employers to get an idea of the Au Pair's work ethic, skills, and compatibility with children.
Contact references and check the details.
Driving Skills
If your Au Pair will be driving your children, make sure they have a valid driver's license, and a clean driving record.
You may also want to ensure that they are comfortable with driving in South Africa, as driving conditions and rules can differ regionally.
Trial Periods
You may want to consider a trial period with the Au Pair.
This allows both sides to ensure a good fit before committing to a longer-term arrangement.
Communication Skills
Effective communication is crucial in any working relationship.
The Au Pair should be able to clearly communicate with both the parents and the children, as well as express their needs and concerns.
Emergency Preparedness
Your Au Pair should know what to do in case of an emergency.
This includes knowing the location of the nearest hospital, how to contact emergency services in your town, and potentially having basic first aid training.
Training or Orientation
It's also a good idea to provide some form of training or orientation at the start.
This would involve showing them how you manage your household and care for your children, including any specific routines or strategies you use.
Part of Family
Remember that an Au Pair is an employee who often becomes a part of the family. Open communication, respect, and understanding will go a long way in ensuring a successful experience for everyone involved.
2. Interview Questions
Here we put together some Interview Questions that you can use to interview potential candidates, we also added the questions as a free downloadable file for you at the end of this article:
Introduction and Background:
Tell me about yourself and your background.
Childcare Experience:
How many years of childcare experience do you have?
What age groups have you worked with? Do you have a preference?
Can you describe a challenging situation you faced while taking care of children and how you handled it?
Please explain your comfort level and approach in assisting with homework and engaging in educational activities with children?
Please explain your knowledge level on different stages of child development? Can you provide examples of activities appropriate for different age groups?
Please explain your knowledge level on stimulation of a child's cognitive, social, and emotional development?
Please explain your knowledge level about age-appropriate discipline techniques?
How do you approach technology usage and screen time limits for children in your care?
Are you familiar with age-appropriate online safety practices and guidelines?
Can you provide examples of activities or alternatives to screen time that you would engage children in?
Personal Attributes and Qualities:
What qualities do you think are important for an au pair to possess?
How do you handle stressful situations or emergencies?
Please explain and expand on your patience and understanding when it comes to children's behaviour?
Practical Skills:
What specific certifications do you have related to childcare (e.g., CPR, first aid)?
Please explain your comfort level and experience in preparing meals and snacks for children? Do you have any dietary restrictions or preferences?
Please explain your comfort level to assist with light household chores related to the children's care?
Interests and Activities:
What are some activities you enjoy doing with children?
Please explain your comfort level in helping children with extracurricular activities (e.g., sports, music, arts)?
Provide more information on any hobbies or special skills you can share with children?
Schedule and Availability:
What is your availability for working as an au pair (e.g., part-time, full-time, live-in)?
Are you available to work on weekends or evenings if needed?
What is your preferred duration of an au pair placement (e.g., a few months, a year)?
Cultural Exchange and Adaptability:
Please explain your comfort level on immersing yourself with any specific cultures and customs as it relates to our family?
How do you handle being in a new environment or adapting to different household rules?
Please explain your comfort level in different languages as it pertains to our family.Do you speak any additional languages?
Safety and Security:
How do you prioritise the safety and security of the children you care for?
Are you familiar with basic safety guidelines, such as childproofing, administering medication, or handling emergencies? If not, are you willing to attend such training?
How would you handle a medical emergency involving a child (e.g., injury, allergic reaction)?
Are you familiar with emergency contact numbers and procedures in the area where you'll be working?
Are you comfortable being monitored, if applicable, by security cameras installed at our home, and do you have any objections as this relates to looking after our children
Driving and Transportation:
Do you have a valid driver's license? If yes, for how long have you been driving?
Please explain your comfort level driving children to school, extracurricular activities, or appointments?
Have you ever been involved in a traffic accident? If yes, please provide details.
Communication and Conflict Resolution:
How do you communicate with children of different age groups effectively?
Can you provide an example of a time when you had to resolve a conflict between siblings or children in your care?
Please explain your approach in communicating with parents about the children's progress, activities, or any issues that arise?
Boundaries and Professionalism:
How do you maintain professional boundaries while working as an au pair?
How do you handle situations where the parents' rules or expectations differ from your own?
Please explain your approach and comfort levels following the guidelines and instructions provided by the family?
Expectations and Motivations:
What are your expectations for your role as an au pair, both professionally and personally?
How do you plan to balance your personal life with your responsibilities as an au pair?
What are your long-term goals, and how does being an au pair fit into those plans?
References and Background Checks:
Can you provide contact information for references (e.g., previous employers, teachers, coaches) who can vouch for your character and reliability?
Are you comfortable undergoing a background check, including criminal record verification?
Have you ever been involved in any legal disputes or issues related to childcare?
Remember to maintain a conversational tone during the interviews, allowing the applicants to elaborate on their answers and provide relevant examples. These additional questions should help you gain a comprehensive understanding of the applicant's suitability for an au pair position.
3. Au Pair Links and Services on The Go-To Guy Site
Here are some helpful links to the Au Pair Services offered by The Go-To Guy
Register as an Au Pair > Link to Page
View Registered Au Pairs > Link to Page
Register an Au Pair Job Opening > Link to Page
View Au Pair Job Openings > Link to Page
4. Child Care and Education Services
There are a number of Childcare and Education Services as well that may be of interest to you as a parent, these are as follows and we added the links on the page for you as well:
Baby Sitters, Creches and Playgroups > Link to Page
Art, Dance and Music Lessons > Link to Page
Breastfeeding and Nutrition > Link to Page
Clothing, Toys and Accessories > Link to Page
Development and Therapy > Link to Page
Education, Schools and Tutoring > Link to Page
General Maternity, Pre and Post Natal > Link to Page
Gynaecologists and Obstetricians > Link to Page
Paediatricians > Link to Page
Swimming, Sport and Outdoor Activities > Link to Page
5. Baby and Child Care Products
You may also want to view some of the baby and children products we review from time to time with some of the companies we have an affiliation agreement with, these are always interesting and aimed at assisting our parents with their daily childcare challenges, we added these or you below as well as the relevant links:
Baby Knee Pads for Little Explorers > Link to Page
6. Download Section
Below we have added for you in convenient format the different interview questions covered in this article, you can download this for free.
Click on Icon to Download
For Convenience we also added the link to the Master file that we regularly update for your convenience and ensuring you always have the latest version available: