Interviewing a Potential Yaya: Signs to Watch For

When interviewing a potential Yaya, don’t just listen to what she has to say, take note of her body language and manner as well, as in the following:

Eye contact: Culturally, many people believe that shifty-eyed people or those whose eyes seem to wander are more difficult to trust.

Movement: Constant fidgeting could be indicative of anxiety or an attempt to hide something.

Posture or carriage: Good posture is often associated with confidence and pride in a person’s work. Slouching could also be indicative of a tendency to be lazy.

Arm position: Crossed arms are indicative of a closed attitude.

Facial expressions: A smile will always outweigh a scowl. Traditionally, the “bukas ng mukha” is seen as a window to their “inner self”.

Voice modulation: A gentle, calm voice is usually preferred especially whe dealing with children. A loud person may not be well-received.

Physical presentation: Short, clean nails, neatly combed hair, fresh breath, and an ironed shirt are good signs when it comes to hygiene. These are especially important when it comes to caring for a child. If the applicant is not hygienic, how can she care for another’s hygiene?

Filling up her application forms: When filling up forms, the truth is usually automatic. Many erasures on a piece of paper may indicate lack of clarity of thought, nervousness, forgetfulness, or, taken to an extreme, even dishonesty.

Answering questions: Does she answer you directly or is comprehension a problem? Is she a bit hard of hearing? Do you need to repeat yourself?

Preparedness: Did the interviewee treat the exercise seriously? Did she come with all her necessary documents? Did she come on time? Being late for an appointment sometimes indicates a lack of respect for the person. As a yaya, this is not a good trait to have.

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Next story: How to evaluate your Yaya's performance

Main photo by Ocs Alvarez