INTERVIEW GUIDE & SUPPORTS: Screening Applicants & Organization

/
2 Comments
SCREENING APPLICATIONS:

The first step of the interviewing process is to decide WHO to interview. We received over 110 applications in the first 24 hours of posting the job so there was a big task at hand! I would say of the 110 applicants, there were 20 viable and complete applications (by complete application, I mean someone who has submitted a resume, a personalized cover letter, and any supporting documents that they deem suitable...photos, references etc.). We did receive a LOT of applications with insufficient resumes and cover letters. At first 110 applicants may seem like an overwhelming number and a daunting task, but here's how we looked at it...the more applicants the better because it provides a bigger pool of individuals to choose from, and it becomes clear very quickly which candidates are qualified and worth pursuing, so don't be intimated because so long as you develop an organized system (don't worry, I'll provide you with one) you'll get through it.

I personally feel that it is best practice (and in good taste) to respond to every single applicant. I developed some verbiage that I would use to reply to each candidate and by cutting and pasting it, it doesn't take too long to get back to everyone. Once I had decided who would be interviewed (we'll get to how I got there in a minute) I sent out an email to the rest of the applicants that went something like this: "Thank you for your application for our nanny position. Due to the overwhelming number of strong applicants, we are unfortunately unable to offer you an interview at this time. Should we proceed with interviews and find ourselves unable to secure a nanny, we will revisit your application and you may be contacted for an interview. Best of luck." (Of course feel free to copy and paste my response).

So how did we screen applications? I developed a basic checklist of what was required to obtain an interview and then provided "wildcard" spots to people whom didn't meet the requirements but my gut was saying that they would be a great fit (example: someone who has a disorganized and incomplete resume, no formal cover letter, but writes me a nice email that resonates with me). Our checklist went something like this:

  • Complete resume (Name, education, job experience, skill set)
  • Identify minimum 3 of the 5 traits we're looking for (either directly or indirectly in cover letter or resume) which are: playfulness, hardworking, creative, patient, caring. 
  • Have formal childcare training or live-in caregiver course
  • Have experience working for multiple families (demonstrating that they have experience adapting to different families and environments, and have stuck with nannying as a profession) 
  • Cover letter
    • Minimum 1/2 page in length
    • Personal in nature (must tell me something about themselves, why they want the job etc.)
I was able to quickly narrow down the application pool to about 20 applicants, and then from there, I spent time reviewing each application and getting a feel for each candidate before choosing our 8 candidates for first-round interviews. 

ORGANIZING THE APPLICANTS:

There's one thing that is for certain if you want to find your own nanny and that's that you must be organized in your approach. This will ensure that you don't miss out on a good candidate (disorganization means someone might slip through the cracks), you can keep everyone straight (because there are a lot of applicants), and you won't find yourself putting your cellphone in the refrigerator due to unnecessary sleep deprivation and stress of insomnia at 4am wondering if you accidentally sent out the rejection emails to the candidates that you wanted to interview. 

When I posted the position to a moms & nannies group that I'm on, I requested that all applicants submit their applications via email. This way I was able to save all applications (you never know when you might need a bigger pool of applicants). From there, I created folders for the top 20 applicants. I used colour coating as I walked through the steps towards the interview. This is where you'll want to use something that works well for your brain (everyone's organizes things differently), but this is how I proceeded:
  1. Once I had chosen our top 20 (actually 17) candidates, I emailed all of them a more detailed explanation of the position (the Pre-Interview Email). Hiring for any position is a two way street so in conveying that to the applicants through this process structure, I think we ended up with a more reciprocal situation. See bottom of post for sample Pre-Interview Email.
  2. Once candidates had confirmed their interest they received a green circle (or blue if they were a front runner - ie. there were a handful of applicants who we loved right off the bat).
  3. I then used other colours to organize for when I had scheduled and confirmed the interview, and then colours for how they did in the first round interviews. I won't go through all of the colour coating here because again, you really need to find a system that works for you, but here's a screenshot (to the right) of how I organized applicants.
  4. Once I had confirmed interview times, I started working on interview guides (check back tomorrow for SAMPLE INTERVIEW GUIDES)...


You may also like

2 comments:

  1. Jenn- I love this blog!! Just wondering which website you posted your add to, that got you so many responses?? Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hey Kaley, thanks for your kind words. The main source of traffic was actually by posting the document to the Facebook Moms and Nannies group and several of the group members posted it to every site under the sun (care.come among many many others). We ended up hearing from candidates that it was all over community sites in Hong Kong and in other parts of Canada. I think the important piece is to not just start a thread with the information in the thread, but to attach a PDF or Word document to your post and then people will just download it and share widely. We also said "please share widely with your networks" on the post. In addition we posted to Kijiji, Craigslist, a local library board, and Job Canada, but it was the FB group that powered the sharing across other sites.

      Delete

Powered by Blogger.

The 411 on Nanny&Me

I am SO excited to have my son, Logan, provided with the one-on-one care of a nanny in our home. The process of recruiting and keeping a nanny seems intimidating at times and there are so many things to think about and consider. The goal of my blog is to support, encourage and empower parents who are considering and pursuing the path of a nanny.

Nanny&Me provides free resources and information that will support you in finding, selecting, and keeping a great nanny. Nanny&Me will also share our family's journey on the road to building a strong and positive relationship with our nanny.

About Me

My photo
Hi! (not sure the exclamation mark was necessary, but I'm just excited to say hello). My name's Jenn. I am a passionate mom, non-profit executive, real estate hobbiest, and athlete. I'm an enthusiastic person with a growth mindset. I love learning and growing every day!