Host Family Interview Guide

How to Find the Right Match for Your Family

Choosing an au pair is an exciting step and one of the most important parts of your host family experience. The interview process is your opportunity to get to know potential candidates and discover whether your lifestyles, values, and expectations align.

Plan to Have Several Interviews Before Offering a Match

The best matches come from honest, thoughtful, and open conversations. A thorough matching process sets the foundation for a successful year. Plan to have a minimum of two video interviews with an au pair before offering a match. Involve your children to see how the au pair interacts with them.

Start with Compatibility in Mind

When reviewing au pair profiles, think beyond the basics like nationality or childcare hours. You will want to consider:

• Personality fit: Is the au pair’s temperament a good match for your family’s pace and energy level?
• Lifestyle alignment: Does the au pair prefer quiet evenings or a busy social life? How does that compare to your family’s rhythm?
• Childcare skills: Do they have the experience and skills required to provide the childcare you need?

Prepare Before the Interview

Before your first call, take time to write down a few qualities, traits, or skills that are “must-haves” and “nice-to-haves” for an au pair to be successful in your family. This will help you stay focused and avoid making a decision based on emotion alone.

• What qualities would make someone thrive in your household?
• What routines, skills, or rules are most important to you?
• What type of personality will work best with your children and family?

Video Conferencing Tools

We recommend using WhatsApp for the video interviews. Connecting on this free video call and messaging platform is an easy way to communicate and interview au pairs. You can also use Zoom or Google Meet. If you are interviewing a Chinese au pair, we suggest using Microsoft Teams.

Speak English During the Interview

Be sure to interview the au pair in English so that you can assess their language skills, even if you speak the same language as the au pair. Allow the au pair to take time to answer questions before moving on. There may be silences while the au pair thinks about how to answer in English. Don’t rush to fill in those silences. Give them some time to think. Au pairs have varying levels of English proficiency, so it is important you have an accurate understanding of their ability to speak and understand English. As a host family, you will need to determine if you can verbally communicate with the au pair without their use of a translator to answer your questions.

Suggested Topics and Questions

Below are some common topics and questions that you may want to consider when conducting your interviews.

Introduce Your Family

★ Introduce your family - ages of children, occupations, interests, and activities.
★ Describe your home and where you live.
★ Describe a typical day in your household.
★ Cover special circumstances such as dietary restrictions, special needs, unique living circumstances, etc.
★ Discuss the pets in your home. Remember, au pairs are not responsible for pet care.
★ If there are other household members in the home (ie grand parents, older children, etc), describe their schedules and frequency in the home.

Childcare Experience and Skills

★ Tell me about your childcare experience.
★ What ages of children do you have experience working with?
★ What are some challenges you have faced in caring for children?
★ Have you cared for more than one child at a time? How did that go?
★ Have you cared for children by yourself?
★ What types of activities do you enjoy doing with children?
★ How would you like to receive feedback if we want something done differently?
★ What types of food can you prepare?
★ Have you ever been in an emergency situation while working with children? If yes, how did you handle it?
★ Describe a time you were caring for a child who was misbehaving. How did you handle this situation?
★ If applicable, discuss special needs experience and care requirements for your child(ren).

Driving Experience

If you need a driver, it is important that you understand the au pair’s driving ability. You will want to ask probing and open-ended questions to determine if the au pair’s driving experience and history will meet your family’s needs.

★ When did you begin driving?
★ When did you get your driver’s license?
★ How many days a week do you drive?
★ Where do you drive to? How many miles/kilometers away from home?
★ What kind of roads do you typically drive on? City, country, multi-lane highway?
★ What are the usual speed limits for the roads you drive on?
★ Do you own your own car? If not, whose car do you drive and how do you get around when you do not have access to the car?
★ What type of cars have you driven - manual or automatic transmission? SUVs or compact cars?
★ What is the furthest distance you have ever driven?
★ What driving situations make you nervous?
★ Have you driven in snow or heavy rain?
★ How often do you drive at night?
★ Have you ever been in a car accident or received a ticket?
★ Do you ever use your cell phone while driving?
★ Do you like driving? Why or why not?
★ Ask about the process for obtaining a driver’s license in the au pair’s home country.

Personality and Lifestyle

★ How would your friends describe you?
★ What do you like to do in your free time?
★ Do you have any special hobbies or talents?
★ Tell me about your parents and siblings.
★ What are your career goals?
★ What do you want to do after the au pair program?
★ What is your experience with household chores (laundry, cooking, etc.).
★ Have you ever lived away from your family?
★ Do you smoke or vape?
★ What types of food do you like to eat? Do you have any dietary restrictions or preferences?
★ Discuss any health-related topics that are important to your family such as vaccinations, food or pet allergies.

Motivation and Expectations

★ Why are you interested in becoming an au pair?
★ What type of host family are you looking for?
★ What are some things you want to do while you are in the U.S.?
★ What is the earliest and latest date you are able to arrive?
★ Tell me about what you expect from a host family?
★ What type of host family do you NOT want to live with?
★ Discuss household rules, car usage, curfew, stipend, allowances, etc.

After the Interview

If after the first interview you would like to continue the conversation with the au pair, we recommend the following:

• You can make personal notes and rate each au pair on your Connections page.
• Send a follow-up message and let the au pair know you are interested and include additional information such as the expected weekly schedule, duties, house rules, transportation options and any other information you’d like the au pair to be aware of.
• Share additional photos or videos about your family.
• Schedule a time for another video call. We highly recommend you speak at least two to three times before offering the position.

If you aren’t interested in a candidate after meeting with them, send a message letting them know you appreciate their time but will be pursuing other candidates. This is helpful so that the au pair is not left wondering if you are interested.

Making a Decision

After you’ve reviewed all the information and completed your interviews, listen to your gut. A compatible match feels natural, mutually respectful, and exciting for both you and your future au pair.

• Did the conversation flow easily?
• Can you picture this person in your home?
• Do you have an understanding of their experience/skills?

If you are unsure about what au pair to select, reach out to your Placement Specialist. They can offer you valuable insights and help you make the decision that is right for your family.