Background Checking: Professional Reference Checks

Investigate before you hire! Your child depends on it!

4nannies.com advises that it is a best practice to thoroughly screen a nanny before you hire. This includes full reference checking as well as obtaining a full criminal, driving, and sex offender registry clearance. Many families choose to outsource the reference checking, including checking a nanny's former employers, as a double check, in addition to personally checking these references themselves!

4nannies.com, Inc. is committed to your success and your child's safety. We have proudly teamed with Verifications, Inc, a leader in employment screening, to offer families the ability to have a childcare or nanny candidate's references professionally checked.

About 4nannies.com Reference Checking Services

How does this work?

Reference checking is done by trained staff of Verifications Inc., a national leader in pre-employment screening.

4nannies.com candidates are able to store the name, address, contact information and relationship information on up to four personal references. Candidates who have included this information in their profile are noted with the icon.

Candidates retain total control of their references. Families who wish to order a reference check, or to personally check a candidate's references, may request that the candidate 'release' their references to them. This is accomplished via the FamilyFolder. The candidate then decides whether they wish to do so at that time or not.

When is it appropriate to request a candidates references?

All candidates for employment are generally careful to whom and when they provide their professional and personal references. This is typically done after an initial introduction process, whether an in person or telephone interview, when there is a reasonable expectation that a job offer will be imminent. This means you and the candidate have discussed the particulars of your job, including responsibilities, hours, compensation, benefits and start date. Additionally you have discussed with the candidate his/her relevant work or educational experience, and in general feel comfortable that this candidate might be a good fit for your job. A request to proceed with reference checks is appropriate at this time.

How do I request that the candidate release their references?

This icon, when clicked, will launch a window asking you to confirm that you want this candidate to release his/her references. Click OK and the candidate is notified in two ways. First, an email is sent to the candidate. Secondly, the candidate's member dashboard, seen when they log onto their 4nannies.com account, will have a bold message advising that you have requested their references. The candidate is totally responsible for releasing these references.

How do I know when the references have been released by the candidate?

This icon will appear in your FamilyFolder associated with the candidate's record to advise that the candidate has released his/her references to you. Simply click the icon to view the details. From the reference detail window you are able to link to order the professional reference check from Verifications Inc.

How does a family order Reference Checking?

1. The candidate's profile must include one or more references, as indicated by the icon. Candidates may add references to their profile at any time.
2. The candidate must be in the family's FamilyFolder

3. From the FamilyFolder, click on the candidate's References Available icon. You will be asked to confirm that you are requesting this candidate's references. The request is then emailed and logged to the candidate's record.

4. The candidate will release her references to the family.

5. The FamilyFolder will then display a References Ready icon. Clicking this icon will open a new browser window with the references in it. There is a link in this new window to Order a reference check now! Click Here.

6. The Reference Check Ordering Process is a standard shopping cart situation. Simply follow the on-screen instructions to complete your order.

What type of questions are asked by the Verifications Inc. reference checkers?

The prepared questions focus on demonstrated job-related strengths, attitude displayed on the job, and observed areas for improvement. Verifications Inc.'s trained interviewers use answers provided and ask follow-up questions to obtain additional detail and/or examples.

The following are the questions that will be asked of the references by Verifications Inc. The reference checker will transcribe the reference's responses and these are made available to the ordering family.

General:

• Please describe the childcare situation you observed the applicant in?
• Please describe the applicant's childcare style - ie. How did s/he relate to the children?
• Can you comment on the applicant's communication skills, level of maturity and common sense?
• Can you comment on the applicant's ability to provide quality care to children in an unsupervised setting?
• Would you recommend the applicant for childcare employment?

If Employment Reference:

• What were the applicant's responsibilities while employed by you?
• Can you describe any difficulties the applicant had carrying any of these responsibilities out?
• Can you describe the applicant's receptivity to directions or suggestions you gave her regarding the care of your children?
• Did the applicant have any occasion to handle emergencies? If yes, was the emergency handled to your satisfaction?
• Can you comment on the applicant's honesty, reliability and punctuality?

Why would a family use this service? Can't a family check references themselves?

Professional reference checking is yet another tool provided to hiring families to insure that appropriate due diligence has been done before a candidate is left in sole charge of children.

Tracking down employment references can be time consuming. Busy families, juggling multiple careers and their family responsibilities, many times find it is faster and easier to outsource this aspect of pre-employment screening. 4nannies.com does not preclude a family from personally checking a candidate's references; we simply provide you a professional alternative for when time is in short supply.

How long does it take to receive results?

The completion of candidate reference checks is depended on the availability of the references themselves. Verifications Inc. commits to making the initial contact, or attempted contact, of the reference within 3 business days. They report that the average completion time on a reference check order is 3 - 5 business days.

  More Information on Background Checks.