Effective Interview Strategies for Hiring in Childcare

Finding and sourcing the right people for your childcare center is one thing. Making sure they’re actually a fit is another. This is where the interview comes in. It’s one of the most important aspects of hiring.

Here are some tips and strategies to help you when interviewing candidates for your center.

Make sure you have thoroughly reviewed the candidate’s resume.. Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko:

Preparation is Key

Before the interview starts, make sure you have thoroughly reviewed the candidate’s resume. You would be doing them a disservice by going into the interview blind. You don’t expect them to not know anything about your center, right?

Take down notes so you’ll know what to ask the candidate, and be intentional about the time you’re spending with them.

Build Trust and Create a Comfortable Environment

Think back to your very first job interview and try to remember how you felt. You were probably nervous, right? That’s probably how any candidate feels right before you interview them. That’s perfectly normal, but you can help reduce their nervousness by building trust from the very beginning.

As the interviewer, it’s on you to create a comfortable environment. You need to calm them down and remind them that it’s just a conversation. It may work out or not, but at the end of the day

Sell them on the Program, the Environment, and your Values

An interview isn’t just for you to get to know candidates, it’s also for them to get to know you and your center better. It’s your opportunity to show candidates your values and the way you work.

The benefits you offer are important, but so is the working environment in your center. While it may not be perfect (no workplace is), it’s important that you’re able to show a candidate that you foster a respectful and thoughtful work environment.

Ask Insightful Questions

You want to get to know a candidate well before you offer them a position in your team. This will help ensure you get someone who will be a culture fit and will work hard to help you achieve your goals. Here are some examples of questions you can ask:

1. What are the top three qualities you’re looking for in your next employer? - Asking a candidate this question will help you figure out whether they would be a good match for your center. It also keeps you from hiring someone who may not fit the culture in your center and be compatible with the way you work. Catching mismatches early in the hiring process will eventually reduce your attrition rate and help you get people who are likely to stay with your center for long.

2. What type of work environment do you prefer? - Again, this question helps catch mismatches early on. You can ask a candidate to expound on whatever their answer to this question is, which could then help you figure out if they’re being sincere or just trying to get a job.

3. How do you care for other children? - It’s pretty obvious why you should ask this question. After all, the candidate is interviewing for a job at an early childhood education center, which means they will have to work with children most of the time. How they respond to this question will tell you a lot about what they think of children and how they interact with them.

Use the STAR Method

STAR stands for Situation, Task, Action, Result. This interview method involves asking candidates behavioral questions that can help you assess their problem-solving, collaboration, and communication skills. STAR interview questions usually start with “Tell me about a time when…” or “Have you ever had to deal with…” and are usually asked to make candidates describe actual difficult situations they’ve been in and how they resolved them.

Be Transparent About the Hiring Process and Timeline

Make sure your candidates know and understand your hiring process. Be honest with them, especially about timelines. Tell them what they need to do next, if they have to do other assessments, and when you’ll get back to them. 

It’s important for you to contact candidates even if you’re not going through with their application. It shows that you appreciate their time even if you think they’re not the right person for the position. It might also be helpful to give them some feedback so they can get better in case they get another opportunity at a different center or maybe even with your center again at a later time.

Hiring in childcare is not easy, but we hope these interview tips will help you as you try to find the right people to join your team.