five common nanny hiring mistakes

Many times we get calls from clients who have recently had a bad experience hiring a nanny on their own. Most often, the reason that things fell apart can be traced back to the hiring process.

Here are 5 common hiring mistakes to avoid:

  1. minimal screening
    It is tempting to hire someone because you get a good feeling about them, or you have heard about them from a friend. We always ask “Would you marry your best friend’s husband?” You take a great risk if you skip any of the checks that we believe are fundamental to a nanny-hire. Extensive background checks (criminal, driving, sexual offender database, etc.) and reference checks of all past employers are all steps you can’t afford to leave out!
  1. hiring without a working interview
    We recommenda “trial time” for all of our families/nannies because it is the best test for both parties with respect to “fit”. A week of trial time with one or two nannies will provide indication with regard to how well things will work long term.
  1. ignoring red flags
    Families sometime look at on-paper experience and education over the connection made between the two parties. They convince themselves that the nanny must be good based solely on his/her resume. If your gut is telling you that there is a personality clash or a difference in philosophy, chances are that things will only get worse!
  1. unrealistic expectations
    If you think you got a good deal with your nanny, it’s probably too good to be true.
    If a nanny’s duties/job description is/are not commensurate with his/her pay, she will most likely 1) become resentful, and/or 2) keep her eye out for a better job. Make sure that you are paying market price for your nanny… nannies talk.
  1. no employment agreement
    You thought it was perfectly normal to have him/her cook dinner, or to stay late when you have to work late or to not pay him/her on a holiday when he/she’s not working. He/She thought that his/her only duties were childcare and that his/her work hours were set, and that you would pay him/her for all major holidays. If you were too casual in the hiring process, you probably left off important details.
    We always ask families to complete our Employment Agreement Templateto start things off professionally (but friendly) and keep them that way! This agreement and other legal templates can be found in the client resources section of our website.

Handling these issues upfront will ensure a long-term relationship!