Direct answer
As of August 2026, interview every shortlisted nanny with the same scorecard: children’s ages and a typical day, rest days and overtime, live-in or live-out logistics, salary and start date, visa situation, emergencies, and two recent family references. Score each area 1–5. WeNanny Readiness and Caregiving Compass results help you compare profiles; they do not replace interviews, reference checks, or your judgment.
How profiles and assessments work · Dubai hiring guide · Salary bands
Before you start
How to run the interview
- 1
Read the profile before you meet
Note arrangement, expected salary, start date, visa situation, and assessment summaries. Write three must-haves for your household so you are not interviewing from memory.
- 2
Run the same questions with every candidate
Use this list and keep notes on one worksheet per person. Prefer consistent mid-high scores over one dazzling story.
- 3
Call two recent families
Ask how long she stayed, what a typical day looked like, how she handled illness or overtime, and whether they would hire her again.
- 4
Optional structured trial
A paid shadow or trial day with a parent present beats an unpaid “see how it goes” week. Write the hours and duties before she arrives.
- 5
Put the offer in writing
Salary, rest day, overtime, probation, start date, and who funds first-aid training. Then collect identity, visa, and reference documents before day one.
Experience and children’s ages
Tenure patterns matter more than a polished story.
1. Walk me through the last two families you worked with — ages, hours, and why each role ended.
Listen for: Clear dates, specific ages, and a calm account of endings. Vague “I love children” with no timeline is a weak signal.
2. What is different about caring for a newborn versus a school-age child in a typical week?
Listen for: Routines, sleep, feeding or school runs, and how she would adapt if your children span more than one age group.
3. Which parts of the job do you prefer not to do, and how do you say that early?
Listen for: Honest boundaries (heavy housekeeping vs childcare) without hostility. Better now than after she starts.
A typical day
Ask her to design the day you actually run, not an ideal day.
1. Our earliest drop-off is 06:30 and latest pickup is 19:00 twice a week. How would you structure rest days around that?
Listen for: A workable rest-day plan, not “whatever you need.” Live-in is not unlimited on-call.
2. Walk me through a school-morning and an after-school evening in this house.
Listen for: Sequence (wake, meals, bags, handover), not generic “I keep them busy.”
3. How do you handle screen time for a four-year-old after school?
Listen for: A rule she can keep when you are not watching, plus what she does instead.
Safety and emergencies
You want a procedure, not a reassurance.
1. Walk me through what you would do if a child was choking.
Listen for: Call for help, back blows / age-appropriate first aid, and when she would go to hospital. “I would panic” is not enough.
2. When was your last paediatric first-aid or CPR course, and are you willing to refresh it before start?
Listen for: A date, a provider if she remembers one, and no resistance to a paid refresh.
3. A child has a high fever at 14:00 and I am in a meeting. What do you do in the first 20 minutes?
Listen for: Temperature, fluids, when she calls you vs emergency services, and she does not give medicine you have not authorised.
Hours, rest, live-in or live-out
Logistics end more placements than personality.
1. What do you say when a parent asks for unpaid overtime?
Listen for: She can name a fair process (agree extra hours in advance, paid overtime) rather than silent resentment or automatic yes.
2. For a live-in role: what do you need from a room, and what are your rules about guests, days off in the house, and evenings off?
Listen for: Privacy for both sides. If you cannot provide a private room, say so before the interview.
3. For a live-out role: how do you plan commute, lateness, and a school run that overruns?
Listen for: Transport method, buffer time, and how she would message you — not “Inshallah traffic.”
Salary, visa, start date
Ask her situation. Do not take a handshake as legal clearance.
1. What monthly salary and rest-day pattern are you looking for in this role?
Listen for: A number she can live on, not “whatever you think.” Compare to current Dubai bands on the salary guide — those are market ranges, not law.
2. Describe your current visa or work authorisation. What would need to change for you to start on our date?
Listen for: A plain description. Families or a licensed Tadbeer centre sponsor domestic-worker visas — WeNanny does not. Confirm with official sources.
3. When can you start, and what notice do you still owe your current family?
Listen for: A date plus respect for an existing contract. Pressure to skip notice is a red flag in both directions.
References
If she will not allow two recent family calls, pause the process.
1. May I speak to two recent families, and what should I ask them?
Listen for: Names she expects you to call, and she is not coaching you to skip the most recent employer.
2. Is there a family I should not call, and why?
Listen for: A specific conflict can be fair. A blanket “please don’t call anyone” is not.
Scorecard (1–5 each)
Prefer consistent mid-high scores over one dazzling story. Add notes — a number without a reason will not help tomorrow.
| Area | What you are scoring | 1–5 |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | First aid, emergencies, medicine rules, and whether she stays calm under a scenario. | ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ |
| Warmth with children | How she talks about real children, not slogans. You will confirm this on a trial day. | ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ |
| Reliability signals | Dates on the CV, notice to a current family, and whether references match the story. | ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ |
| Communication | Can she say no, flag a problem the same day, and take feedback without shutting down. | ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ |
| Household fit | Hours, rest day, live-in/out logistics, languages, and duties she will actually do. | ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ |
Reference-check questions
Call two recent families after the interview. Written testimonials are not a substitute.
- How long did she work with you, and why did the role end?
- What did a typical day look like, including start and finish times?
- How did she handle illness, overtime, or a change in the children’s routine?
- Was she on time, and how did she communicate delays?
- Would you hire her again for the same ages?
Documents to collect before an offer
| Document | Why it matters | Who provides it |
|---|---|---|
| Passport and visa / Emirates ID | Identity and legal status — still verify with the relevant UAE authorities | Nanny |
| CV with dates | Gaps, tenure, and whether the interview story matches | Nanny |
| First-aid certificate | Safety baseline; refresh before start if it is old | Nanny / training centre |
| Two reference contacts | Real employment history, not only written testimonials | Nanny |
| Offer letter and draft contract | Salary, hours, weekly rest, leave, and probation in writing | Family |
Do not collect more personal data than you need. Store copies securely. Visa sources · Rights sources · Salary methods
Red flags
Candidate
- Refusal to allow reference calls, especially the most recent family
- Dates on the CV that do not match what she says in the room
- Pressure to skip a written contract or to start without rest days
- No first-aid plan beyond “I would call you”
Family
- Unpaid trial weeks framed as “seeing if she fits”
- “Help with everything” with no hours or duty list
- Asking to hold her passport beyond a specific visa errand
- Verbal-only salary promises
Frequently Asked Questions
How many nannies should I interview?
Do WeNanny assessments replace interviews?
Should the first interview be video or in person?
Can I ask about visa status?
Should a trial day be paid?
Ready to shortlist?
Browse profiles, then use the printable PDFs on the hiring toolkit interviewing stage.