Questions that Get You Great Teachers

Carsen, J. (2014)
 58 THE POWER OF QUESTIONS Beginnings Professional Development Workshop www.ChildCareExchange.com
EXCHANGE JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014 Copyright © Exchange Press, Inc.
Reprinted with permission from Exchange magazine.
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Questions that Get You Great Teachers

by Jennifer Carsen

High-quality teachers who are a good fit with your program applicant, clarify any questions you may have about her
and who stay with you for the long haul can seem as application or ­credentials, and get an overall sense of
­elusive as the Loch Ness Monster. These teachers are whether a second, in-person interview is warranted. At this
worth their weight in gold in terms of the experience and stage, you want to be evaluating the applicant’s poise and
continuity they bring to your program, as well as the peace professionalism, too: Does this sound like a person you’d
of mind they bring to ­parents. be comfortable having speak to current and prospective
parents?
Unless you are very, very lucky, these teachers won’t just
show up at your doorstep by chance. You need to hire Good questions for the telephone pre-interview:
them — and the right hires start with the right interview
n What first attracted you to this position? Watch out for
questions.
answers that are all about why the position is good for
the applicant rather than what she can do for you.
The Pre-Interview
n Why are you leaving your current/previous position?
Beware applicants who badmouth former employers or
So you’ve posted your job opening, you’ve sorted through
supervisors.
the applications, and you’ve identified a few candidates
you’re pretty excited about. The next step is to ask these n Can you tell me about this gap in your resumé? It’s
people to come in for an interview, right? Wrong. Many best to address potential red flags like this earlier,
applicants look good on paper, but don’t hold up nearly as ­rather than later.
well in person. To save everyone’s time — yours as well as
n Do you have any questions for me about the position?
the applicants’ — make interviewing a two-step process,
Again, watch out for self-serving questions (“How much
with the first interview scheduled as a 15-minute phone
time off will I get?”). Ideally, the applicant will have at
call.
least a few questions for you, and those questions will
reveal that she has done some homework. For example,
Have the applicant call you rather than the other way
strong applicants will ask questions relating to some-
around. That way, you can automatically eliminate anyone
thing they saw on your website, rather than asking,
who calls in late (or not at all)! This may sound harsh, but
“Do you have a website?”
anyone who isn’t prompt and proactive about an initial
phone interview — a time when she should be eager to
impress — is not likely to be a superstar employee.
The Main Event
Good news! Your applicant has cleared the telephone
What should you ask during this pre-interview? This is a ­interview with flying ­colors, and you’re excited to meet in
good time to gather more general information about the person.

Jennifer Carsen is the founder of Daycare In Demand, which specializes in

Child care centers can be hectic places, but in order to get
working with preschools and child care centers to grow their enrollments the most out of the interview experience you must be
and attract/retain the very best teachers. She is a member of the National
­prepared to focus on it 100%. Plan to have someone else
Association for the Education of Young Children and the American Society
of Journalists and Authors. Jennifer is a former employment lawyer who was answer the phone during your interviews, and be clear that
named a “Top 25 Online Influencer in Employment Law” by HR Examiner in 2012. She is you are not to be interrupted, except for an emergency. You
a member of the New Hampshire Bar Association and the author of HR How-to: Employee
Retention (CCH, 2005). Visit her website: www.daycareindemand.com. need to be able to focus your full attention on the candi-
www.ChildCareExchange.com Beginnings Professional Development Workshop THE POWER OF QUESTIONS 59
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014 EXCHANGE

date, and she, in turn, Some good questions:

deserves a chance to
shine. Additionally, even . . . the right hires start with the n Scenario-based:
candidates who are accus- “You’ve just heard one
tomed to the hectic atmo- right interview questions. of the preschoolers tell
sphere of a busy child care a classmate that his
center will be turned off by dark skin is ‘dirty.’ How
a constant stream of inter- do you respond?” or
ruptions during a job inter- “You strongly suspect a
view; it makes you appear un­professional. child in your class may have autism and recommend an
assessment to his parents, but they say he’s fine and
If there’s no way to guarantee an interruption-free interview that they don’t want to take the time away from work.
at your center, hold it off-site — maybe at a nearby ­coffee What do you do?”
shop. Then, if there is still mutual interest at the conclusion
of the interview, bring the candidate over to your center for n What accomplishments are you most proud of in your
a tour. Note that the tour itself is a good opportunity to life? Everyone has something they can — and should —
observe how the applicant interacts with both her prospec- be proud of, and the best candidates will probably be
tive co-workers and the children at your center. Being com- able to talk about more than one thing.
fortable with young children, and excited about spending
time with them, is a skill that’s very difficult to fake.
n Where do you see yourself in five years? There’s no
­single right answer to this question, but the answer is
Additionally, promising applicants are polite and respectful
always illuminating. “I have no idea” is never a good
to everyone they encounter during the interview — whether
answer. Neither is something like, “I see myself as a
it’s a parent, a teacher, a child, or even the vendor servicing
­manager at a large corporation” if you’re looking for a
your balky boiler. Curt or dismissive behavior directed
long-term hire.
towards someone the applicant perceives as unimportant
(due to the person’s lack of involvement in the ­hiring pro-
n What would your previous (or current) manager say
cess) provides a revealing glimpse into her character.
your strengths and weaknesses are? This one is illumi-
nating as it requires an additional level of thinking
Finally, if at all possible, have another administrator or
beyond the candidate’s own self-assessment.
­master teacher present for the interviews. She will be able
to ask questions you may not have thought of, and will also
be able to provide an additional perspective after the inter- n What did you like most and least about your previous
views are over. job? The answer will reveal not only the applicant’s job
and task preferences, but also her professionalism and
Depending on your management style and the formality level of diplomacy.
level of your center, you may wish to conduct the interview
seated in adjacent chairs, or across a low table, rather than n How do you resolve personal conflicts at work? Every
on opposite sides of your desk. This can make the interview job presents challenges in working with others. Strong
more relaxed and conversational, and applicants tend to applicants recognize this and will have developed strate-
open up more in this type of setting. gies for effectively addressing — rather than avoiding —
them.
Interview Questions: The Good
Interview Questions: The Bad
Ultimately, the best interview questions help reveal both
who the applicant really is, and how she would perform on
the job. Always ask open-ended questions, rather than The following sorts of questions don’t tend to elicit a lot of
those with “yes” or “no” answers, and avoid leading helpful information:
­questions where the correct answer is implied. For example,
“How do you enjoy working in a close-knit team environ- n If you were a tree, what kind of tree would you be?
ment?” No ­candidate is going to respond, “I don’t!” to that Whatever the applicant answers, it’s probably not going
one. to tell you anything useful.
 60 THE POWER OF QUESTIONS Beginnings Professional Development Workshop www.ChildCareExchange.com
EXCHANGE JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014

n What’s your favorite n Are you planning to

animal, and why? If start a family soon?
you’re hoping for the . . . regardless of how great someone n Is your spouse
applicant to reveal ­supportive of the long
seems during the interview,
something about a commute you’ll have if
desired characteristic resist the urge to offer the person you work here?
(“I like mules because n How old are you?
they’re very tenacious!”),
the position right then and there. n When did you graduate
it’s much better to ask Sleep on it from high school/­
about that characteristic college?
directly. For example,
before making a final ­decision. n Do you live with
“Tell me about a time in ­anyone?
your previous work n You have an interesting
­history when tenacity accent/last name.
paid off for you.”) Where is your family
from?
n What are your weaknesses? Applicants have been con-
ditioned to spin a negative into a positive here (“I’m a If you have a legitimate job-related concern, ask about it
relentless perfectionist!”), so you’re not going to get a directly. For example, “We’d need you to rearrange the
truthful answer. No job applicant is going to volunteer classroom furniture from time to time, and some of the
info about his spending problem, or her procrastination. tables weigh 25 pounds. Would you be able to do that?” is
legally safe. “Do you have any physical disabilities?” is not.
n How do you feel about workplace gossip? Again, even
if she is an enthusiastic participant in workplace gossip, Final Tips
the applicant is not going to level with you on this one.
Additionally, this type of question can make applicants It’s important to ask all candidates the same questions,
worry that your workplace has a gossip problem — which both so you are comparing apples with apples when
will drive away the strongest candidates. reviewing your notes, and also to avoid any potential alle-
gations of illegal bias down the line.
n Tell me about yourself. This is too broad, and too vague
to elicit the type of information you’re seeking in an Keep detailed notes, but make sure that all of your notes
interview situation. Additionally, it opens the door wide are job-related. You never want to write down something
for disclosures about the applicant that you’re better off like ‘middle-aged Latina woman’ or ‘gay man,’ even if it’s
not knowing from a legal standpoint (more on this in the just to help jog your memory about which candidate is
next ­section). which.

Interview Questions: The Ugly Ask all candidates for references, and be sure to actually
check those references. While many former employers will
Sometimes, especially in a people-oriented field like child play it safe and only confirm the dates of past employment
care, interview chit-chat can wander into illegal territory. — which itself can be valuable information — some will
You should always avoid questions relating — even tangen- ­volunteer more. Always ask, “Would this candidate be
tially — to an applicant’s marital status, religion, age, ­eligible for re-hire with you?”
­ethnicity, disability, or other protected characteristic:
Finally, regardless of how great someone seems during the
n Are you married? interview, resist the urge to offer the person the position
n Do you have kids? right then and there. Sleep on it before making a final
n Do you attend church regularly? ­decision.
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