Management Queries - In action

Q.We are wondering how best to observe job candidates interacting with children. Should we ask interviewees to prepare an activity or read a book with a small group of children?

Isabel Harvey, project manager and teacher, Hersden Under 5’s Project

‘In the past we’ve tried different approaches, such as asking candidates to plan an activity or set up resources. We’ve also tried observing candidates during child-initiated activities. But now we always ask candidates to read a story,

‘We’ve learned over time that a story gives candidates more chance to succeed. An activity with children you don’t know is really tricky to plan. People tend to go for arts and crafts. But they don’t know what capabilities or skills the children have. We’ve seen some candidates come in having done lots of preparation – they’ve cut things out and have many resources. But it’s hard to adjust an activity as you go along if it’s not meeting abilities.

‘With a story, especially if the candidate is experienced, it’s easier to adapt to meet the needs of the children. If the candidate sees the story is a bit tricky, they can change the language. You can look out for the candidate making the story more interactive, such as talking about what children can see on the page. They could ask the children to act it out – maybe the candidate has brought props or a story sack with them. You can pretty much do anything with a story.

‘Ideally, I’d ask them to read for a group of four to eight children. I’d give the candidate the choice of preparing a book or choosing one of ours. The children usually love having a visitor reading to them. It’s a different voice – it’s a novelty. If the person does it well, that’s even better.’

Ben Hasan, head teacher, Wentworth Nursery School and Children’s Centre

‘Preparing an activity or reading a book can be quite useful within a group of children aged three to five. If you ask a candidate to prepare a learning activity in advance of the interview, I recommend you give them a scenario to work with. For example, “Please share a story with a group of no more than six children aged three to five, some of whom have communication and language difficulties.” Or suggest a topic or subject on which the children have recently focused. Taper the scenario to meet your needs as a setting, then you can begin to see the thinking and strategies the candidate might use if they came to work with you.

‘It’s important, however, that you also ask an applicant to interact with children in a free-flow session, not just a structured experience. Let the children engage in their environment as they would usually do, and let the candidate engage with them in their play. This is immensely difficult for a stranger coming into the setting. The children may be wary of them. But even if they do not engage with them fully, as an employer there are still many benefits of seeing candidates interacting with children this way. You can observe the applicant’s sensitivity, behaviour and use of language. The candidate should be bending down and getting to the children’s level, and not asking so many questions that they’re bombarding them.

‘By doing both approaches, you get to see different skillsets.’

Vanessa Lawrence, manager, Childbase Brinds Well Day Nursery

‘I would choose a book reading every time, as candidates are usually unfamiliar with our curriculum or the resources available to them in nursery. The idea of the exercise is to remove as much pressure to “perform” as possible for the candidate, enabling them to focus on the children.

‘Not only does a book reading give candidates the chance to reveal more of the skills and talents I would be looking for, but it is also a natural gateway to further activities and play during the observation. For example, I would be looking out to see if candidates are asking open-ended questions. Are they communicating down to the children’s level? Are they pretending to be a tiger, for example, if they’re reading a story about tigers? And do they have the confidence to use different sounds or voices and adapt their body language?

‘When the reading is over, I would observe how the candidate extended the interaction. How are they responding to the children’s play? Are they supporting a child to walk or catch a ball?

‘As well as an activity such as this, in an interview I would expect the interviewee to have the confidence to ask other staff questions about the children, the room, our curriculum and the background of the company.

‘Our “peer on peer observation” process is another vital element. Staff operate as a tight and fully supportive team. Their ideas and impressions about a potential new addition are important to the effectiveness and wellbeing of the team going forward.’