5 ways to ensure you hire the right nanny

Hiring a nanny was once only something for the elite, but today it has become a much more common childcare solution, with families understanding the value that a nanny can provide.

Not only can a nanny offer more personalised care, in the family home, but with multiple children, a nanny can often work out to be relatively cost-effective too.

Hiring a nanny is an important decision with serious consequences for family life, so to ensure that these are all positive it’s crucial to select the right candidate. Here are five ways to ensure that you hire the right nanny.

Hire through a trustworthy source

Many people rely on their friends for recommendations when finding a nanny, but this is not possible for every parent. Luckily, you can go to a nanny agency that has a good reputation.

They will help you find a nanny according to your needs and can even create a contract to govern the terms of service. This will make sure you find a nanny that will be a good fit for your family so that you feel confident leaving your children in their care.

Ask the right questions

While hiring a nanny, you should ensure that you ask the right questions while interviewing. This will help you to decide whether the person is right for the job or not.

You can ask questions about their expectations of the role, their experience working with children, their aims and values and get to know them better as a person.

Consider the nanny’s educational background

Hiring a nanny is a very important decision as your children will spend a lot of their time with them.

Some nannies have qualifications in education, childcare, or child development which many families find reassuring as they know that the nanny will be prepared to work with their children and plan appropriate activities.

If the nanny is well-educated themselves, they are more likely to be able to help your children with homework. You should consider the candidate’s education and whether this will be a good fit for your family before hiring them.

Do reference checks

Checking references should be an important part of hiring a nanny, you should carry out at least 2 childcare related reference checks; if the candidate has worked as a nanny before then you should contact their previous employers and check the information about the role that they have provided you with.

You can also ask about the nanny’s performance and strengths.

Have a trial before hiring

A trial day is a good option where circumstances allow for this. A trial day should always be paid, to show respect for the nanny’s time, but it is a good opportunity for you to get to know a candidate better, observe their behavior towards the children and how they handle new situations. This can help to give a better overall sense of someone’s abilities and working style.

Hiring a nanny can be a complicated process but, you can consider asking the right questions, observing their behavior, and running background checks to make sure the candidate is suitable and trustworthy.

We at International Nanny conduct two thorough background checks. We also carry out an extensive interview of the Nanny and undertake further reference checks as necessary. We assist parents when they hold interviews with potential candidates by preparing questions for them and staying present whenever needed. This all helps to ensure that you select the best Nanny for your children. 

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