Useful interview questions to set your ECEC service apart

In such a competitive recruitment environment, early childhood education and care (ECEC) providers need to stand out. 

 

Candidates are hearing the same “Tell me why you want to work with children?” and “how would you describe yourself as an educator?” questions wherever they go. 

 

Keep reading for five “sure fire success” questions to help your service not only find its next amazing hire, but also stand out from the crowd. 

 

How can you contribute to our ECEC community? 

 

Why we love this question: It gives candidates an opportunity to tell you more about what lights them up inside, and gives you an insight into their true passions as part of a broader team. 

 

Maybe they love all things environmentally friendly, and that’s a goal on your QIP. Maybe they are known in their current team as a bringer of sunshine, who always keeps the mood bright. 

 

This is a fantastic question to open an interview with, and really gets people talking. 

 

What’s a current ‘trend’ in ECEC that upsets you? What’s something you’ve seen recently that you love? 

 

These questions not only tell you more about your candidate, but also tell you something about their pedagogy and practice, and the theorists that drive their work. 

 

They also give the interviewer some insights about how the candidate would fit in with the existing team and their ways of working, and insight about how familiar they are with best practice. 

 

How would the children you work with describe you? 

 

For interviewees who may be a little bit nervous, this question is a great chance to breathe out! Thinking about the children they educate and care for often brings a sense of comfort and calm. Here too, the interviewer can learn more about the personality of the person they are interviewing, and what strengths they bring to the team. 

 

Can you tell me/us more about your plans for professional growth? 

 

This question not only serves as a vehicle to learn more about how your candidate views themselves as an ECEC professional, it also serves as a way to factor them into any future plans you may have for your team. 

 

For example, you may be hiring a room leader, with the intention of supporting them to become an educational leader or 2IC down the track. Your candidate may let you know that when it comes to professional growth for them, room leader is a perfect fit, and is as far as they want to go. Having this knowledge at the start of the recruitment phase can help you choose the best candidate.

 

What kind of team members do you work best with? 

 

Again, this question is designed to learn not just how this candidate may fit with an existing team, but also to learn more about the personality of the job seeker. 

 

While the immediate and “job interview friendly” answer is likely to be “I get along great with everyone!”, if the interviewer can encourage some deeper reflection, and ask some follow up questions like “do you do better in a space where you have control?” or “are you someone who prefers to be given a description of the end result and left to get on with it, or do you like to have some more instruction and information?”, a deeper insight into the candidate can be found. 

 

While this list is by no means exhaustive, and of course to be complimented by questions that establish the candidates knowledge of the approved learning frameworks, their understanding of how to connect with children and families, and other service-specific information, we hope it is a good starting point to help you find the perfect applicant for your role.