ME --Hire a Nanny?
"You want ME to hire a Nanny for our baby?" I said.
"Yes," he said. "You hire people all day long, how
much harder can it be to hire a Nanny?"
My husband was right, I did hire people all day long. "But
that’s different," I explained, "they are machinists, janitors, and
secretaries -- they don’t have to be perfect!"
However, my husband was right--this time.
Now that I am in the nanny placement and referral business, I have
found that the nanny hiring process is no different than hiring
any other employee. The
steps are simple: advertise, interview, screen, then make an offer of employment. The
trick is to do your homework, be informed, be thorough and trust your judgment. Too often
parents let their fears handicap the hiring process. Don’t confuse being nervous
about a decision with being incapable of making a good sound decision.
Some parents choose an agency to assist them in the hiring process.
But even with the help of an agency the parent still needs to be an informed consumer. The
parent should know and understand the hiring process and make sure that it is followed.
Write a detailed job description. This should be a very thorough
Wish List of everything from job duties to personality characteristics desired of the
person. Remember it is easy to take away from your list -- but next to impossible to add
to it. (If you are a Care Net Member you will be provided with a form for this task.)
Do you want to hire an agency or write and
run your own ad?
If you decide on an agency, you will want to call around to several
to find out how they operate their business. There are vast differences in policies from
one agency to the next. Is it a "referral agency" or a "placement
agency?" Will they conduct a search just for you, or simply send you a list of
‘current’ applicants? Is there an up-front fee? Is it refundable? Do they
guarantee the placement? How long is the guarantee in effect? What is the total cost? When
is it paid?
If you decide to run your own ad, will you screen your own calls or
use an agency to screen calls for you (this service is included in the PTO Care Net
membership). You need to decide when and where to run your ad. What phone number to use in
the ad? Word your ad carefully to avoid indicating ‘long-term’ employment or
making any illegal references to age, sex, race, national origin or religion. Be as
specific as possible without running up the cost of the ad. The less you say in the ad --
the more time you will spend on the phone with ‘un-qualified’ applicants.
Do as much pre-screening over the phone as possible to make sure you
are not wasting your time on someone who does not meet your minimum qualifications and
needs. Schedule interviews quickly as the good applicants do not last long. Let the applicant
know what to bring to the interview. Have the applicant fill out an application. An
application meant specifically for Nannies would be best (we include one in the Care Net
membership). Ask only questions that are job related. Do not get involved in the
applicant’s personal life. Ask the applicant detailed questions regarding how they
would handle situations that might arise in your home. Explain the job requirements in
detail.
Immediately following the interview, write down your impressions of
the applicant. Evaluate each applicant against your ‘wish list.’ If none of them
is right -- start over.
Start your screening process with your number one applicant -- and
hopefully you won’t have to do anymore. At a minimum contact previous employers, call
personal references, and verify their education. If you cannot verify information that
they have given you, be careful about using that information in making your decision.
They may have glowing written references -- but you cannot be sure they are truthful
unless you can contact the people in person.
Additional screening may include fingerprinting, drivers license
check, credit check, drug and alcohol screen, physical examination and tuberculosis
screen.
- Make an offer of employment.
When making your offer of employment review the specifics of the
job.
Write a detailed agreement covering at least the following: work
hours, rate of pay per hour or week, days off, under what circumstances additional pay
would be earned, holiday pay, vacation pay, personal days, sick days, when can vacation be
taken, when will the salary be subject to adjustment and the specific job duties.
Fill out the required state and federal employer forms. Have the
applicant fill out applicable state and federal forms (W-4 and I-9, etc.). You should keep
these forms with your permanent records.
Shari Schroeder is the mother of fourteen-year-old Jason. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in
Human Resources, is the President of Parent’s TIME-OUT, Inc. in Phoenix, Arizona and
the author of The Nanny Hiring Kit. She can be reached at 480-460-1200.
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