Our Top Tips for Requesting a Reference
who to ask for a reference
what key things they should obtain
how to make a call
making assessment
Firstly choose whom to ask wisely
Typically you would like to request two references from the most recent employers or the most relevant. For example if the candidate’s two most recent jobs were in a nursery and she is applying to work as a nanny then it is a good idea to also check a reference from her previous nanny job even if it isn’t one of the most recent ones. This will give you a good picture of what she was like in a similar setting and should be easier for you to make an assessment of her suitability for the job.
How to make a call?
Once you’ve selected the most relevant referees but before you make a call you need to prepare your questions. I know from experience that some parents will give you all the time in the world to provide a reference, while others don’t even answer the phone. So you need to be prepared and try to keep your call short and straight to the point.
The key facts you should establish
We advise that the absolute minimum you should try to establish are the following facts:
The start and end date of employment,
The ages of the children,
The duties of the job: sole charge role, proxi parenting, tutoring, housekeeping, driving requirements and other details such as live in or live out, numbers of hours per week, full time or part time etc, reason for leaving, and would they recommend them or re-employ them.
Making assessment
When you are on the call try to make notes of the information and ask for clarifications if you are unsure of anything. Remember that some employers might have been difficult to work for, might have had very high expectations or weren’t happy that a nanny left and therefore might not give them a good reference. In your assessment you should try to decide if this might be the case.
If you hear a negative feedback try to also decide if it is relevant to your job requirements. For instance, if the mum was at home and they clashed with the nanny and found it hard to work alongside each other all day long and you are going to be out all day then that is not relevant to your situation.
Lastly if something is still troubling you or if you are unsure about something you should call back and ask specifically about an issue or particular concern.
Also talk to other referees and see if this was also a problem. Finally bring the issue up with the nanny and get her perspective and her side of the story. It could be that the family had a long list of jobs for the nanny to complete in the house and with the children with not enough time.
Next steps
Once you have finished taking up your references and are satisfied with your answers and your assessment you can narrow down your pool of candidates and move to the next step such as an interview or a trial.