My Top 10 Favorite Interview Questions
To build a strong childcare team
If you are still asking "What is your biggest weakness?" It is time to mix it up!
Hiring the right teachers and assistants for your childcare center is about finding people who truly align with your culture, values, and the unique needs of early childhood education.
However, most interviews rely on predictable, surface-level questions.
Candidates have heard “Tell me about yourself” and “What’s your biggest weakness?” so many times that they’ve prepped cookie-cutter answers that don’t tell you much.
If you want to dig deeper and hire people who are not only skilled but also passionate, adaptable, and team-oriented, it’s time to update your interview strategy!
Why Mix it up?
Instead of asking what someone has done, these questions help you understand how they think, solve problems, and interact with children, parents, and colleagues.
You’re not just hiring someone to fill a spot—you’re building a team that will shape young minds and create a positive learning environment. Let’s make sure you’re bringing in the right people.
My Favorite Interview Questions to Use (And Why They Work)
1. "If I walked into your classroom on your best day, what would I see?"
✅ What This Tells You:
This question helps you understand their teaching style, priorities, and what they consider a “good” day. Do they focus on engagement, structure, creativity, or relationships? Their answer will give you a glimpse into how they would fit in with your center’s philosophy.
💡 Follow-up: “Now, what would I see on your hardest day?” This gives insight into how they handle challenges and tough moments. And even what they consider to be a tough moment.
2. "Tell me about a time a child challenged you. How did you handle it?"
✅ What This Tells You:
Working with young children means facing big emotions, tricky behaviors, and unexpected situations all the time. This question reveals:
How they respond to challenges
Their patience and problem-solving skills
Their approach to discipline and emotional support
You want someone who sees challenges as teachable moments, not just frustrations. It is also critical that they understand positive discipline rather than punitive discipline. Did their answer align with how you want your staff to handle the tough moments?
3. "If a parent came to you frustrated about something in your classroom, how would you handle it?"
✅ What This Tells You:
Parent communication can make or break trust in your program. This question helps you see:
How they manage difficult conversations
Whether they stay calm and professional under pressure
How they prioritize relationships with families
Look for answers that focus on listening, validating concerns, and finding solutions—not just defending themselves or placing blame. If they are an experienced teacher, you can also ask them to tell you about a time that a frustrated parent did come to them, and how they handled it.
4. "What’s your favorite children’s book and why?"
✅ What This Tells You:
This may seem simple, but their response will tell you:
If they understand early childhood development
Whether they love working with children
Their values and interests in literacy and learning
A strong candidate won’t just name a book—they’ll tell you why it’s meaningful and how they use it in their classroom.
5. "Imagine a two-year-old is having a full-blown meltdown. What’s your approach?"
✅ What This Tells You:
This is a real-life scenario every childcare worker faces. Their answer gives insight into:
Their understanding of child development
How they handle emotional regulation
Whether they rely on calm, empathetic approaches or quick discipline
Look for someone who validates emotions, offers comfort, and redirects when needed—not someone who sees tantrums as a problem to be “fixed.”
6. "What’s one professional skill you want to improve? How are you working on it?"
✅ What This Tells You:
A strong candidate is always learning. This question helps you see:
Their self-awareness
Their commitment to growth
Whether they’re proactive about improving
Great educators never stop growing. And the toughest employees to manage have the hardest time looking inward to see how they can improve. Look for candidates who embrace learning opportunities.
7. "If you could only bring one item into the classroom to connect with new children, what would you bring and why?”
✅ What This Tells You:
This question was actually one shared by a recruiter I worked with in the past and she said it gave her the most insight into the candidate! She could learn more about a candidate’s teaching style, priorities, and how they build relationships with children. Their answer can reveal a lot about how they engage, structure their day, and adapt to different learning styles.
A book? They may value literacy, storytelling, and connection through shared experiences.
A musical instrument? They likely lean into movement, rhythm, and sensory engagement.
A set of blocks? They may prefer open-ended play and fostering creativity through hands-on exploration.
A puppet or stuffed animal? They likely use imagination and social-emotional learning to create comfort and trust.
A structured game or visual schedule? They may focus on routine and predictability to help children feel secure.
There’s no “right” answer, but it helps you see how they approach engagement, classroom dynamics, and child-led interactions.
8. "Tell me about a time you made a mistake at work. What did you learn from it?"
✅ What This Tells You:
No one is perfect—but the best employees know how to own their mistakes and grow from them. This question helps you see:
Their accountability and honesty
How they handle setbacks
Whether they blame others or take responsibility
Hiring humble, growth-minded employees will improve your entire team.
9. "If I asked your previous co-workers or supervisor what it’s like to work with you, what would they say?"
✅ What This Tells You:
This makes candidates reflect on their teamwork, reliability, and communication style.
Do they see themselves as collaborative and supportive?
Are they self-aware about their strengths and areas for growth?
If they struggle to answer, it could be a red flag.
10. "Why do you want to work at this center?"
✅ What This Tells You:
Are they just looking for any job, or are they genuinely interested in your program? Look for answers that show:
They’ve done their research
They align with your center’s mission and values
They aren’t just looking for any job—they want this job
A candidate who cares about where they work is much more likely to stick around long-term.
Final Tips for Better Interviews
✨ Ditch the script. Make it a conversation, not an interrogation.
✨ Ask follow-up questions. Dig deeper into their responses to see how they really think.
✨ Look beyond experience. A great attitude, willingness to learn, and alignment with your values matter just as much—if not more—than years in the field.
✨ Trust your gut. If something feels off, it probably is.
Hiring is About More Than Just Filling a Spot
The right interview questions help you identify candidates who will thrive in your center—not just those who can do the job, but those who will love doing it.
So, take a fresh look at your interview process. Are you getting the insights you need? Or are you just checking boxes?
💡 Need help crafting the perfect interview process? Grab my Childcare Director’s Interview Question Bank—filled with proven, insightful questions to help you hire with confidence.
What’s your favorite unexpected interview question to ask? Drop it in the comments! ⬇️
