5 Shortcuts to Avoid When Hiring a Nanny

We’ve all seen the horror stories on the news that depict when nanny care has gone wrong.

The nanny who would not leave her employer’s home.

The nanny who wasn’t who she said she was.

And the nanny who had a criminal record, that an online website didn’t find.

The list goes on.

While choosing a nanny to provide care in your home doesn’t come without risk, there are certainly ways to significantly reduce them.

This starts with avoiding shortcuts during the nanny hiring process to ensure the safety and well-being of your children, as well as the reliability and suitability of the caregiver.

Here are some shortcuts to avoid:

1. Skipping Background Checks:Conducting thorough background checks is crucial to verify the nanny’s criminal history, driving record, and any past incidents that may affect their suitability for the role. Skipping this step can put your children at risk. And remember all background checks are not created equally. Knowing what reports you are purchasing, what their limitations are, and how to properly interpret the results are essential.
2. Neglecting Reference Checks:Contacting previous employers who can vouch for the nanny’s character and caregiving abilities is essential. Neglecting reference checks can prevent you from obtaining valuable insights into the nanny’s past performance and reliability. While outsourcing reference checks or accepting written letters of recommendation can be tempting, don’t. The tone a reference uses and what a prior employer says, as well as what they don’t, is important.
3. Rushing the Interview Process:Taking the time to conduct comprehensive interviews allows you to assess the nanny’s qualifications, experience, and compatibility with your family’s needs. Rushing through the interview process may result in overlooking important red flags or missing out on crucial information. Consider doing a phone interview, in person interview and longer in person interview before making a hiring decision.
4. Failing to Verify Information:Ensure that the nanny possesses the necessary qualifications, such as CPR and first aid certification, as well as relevant childcare training and experience. Failing to verify qualifications can compromise the quality of care your children receive. You’ll also want to be sure that the nanny’s application or resume and what her past employers say match up before accepting the information as accurate.
5. Not Assessing Compatibility:It’s essential to evaluate how well the nanny fits with your family’s values, routines, and parenting style. Skipping this assessment can lead to conflicts or misunderstandings down the line, impacting the quality of care and overall family dynamics. While many things can be trained on with a new hire, you are either a good fit or you are not.

In addition to avoiding what you should not do, there are some things you want to be sure to do, too. These include familiarizing yourself with any legal requirements and regulations regarding hiring a nanny in your area, having a written work agreement, and making sure all the pieces of information you gather align so that you can make an educated and informed hiring decision.

By avoiding these shortcuts and investing time and effort into a thorough hiring process, you will likely find a trustworthy and reliable nanny who provides the best possible care for your children.

Morningside Nannies accepts 2-3% of applicants and each applicant represented by our agency must:

• Have verifiable, professional childcare references.
• Be able to legally accept employment in the United States.
• Be able to read, write and speak English fluently.
• Have a valid U.S. driver’s license with a good driving record and current auto insurance.
• Have access to a vehicle to be used for the transportation of children.
• Submit to a background check.
• Be a non-smoker.
• Be at least 19 years old.
• Have a high school diploma, GED or formal education in child related studies.
• Have current CPR/First Aid certification or be willing to obtain it prior to starting a position (offered to qualified applicants at no cost).
• Submit to a personality assessment and child development and safety assessment.

Call our team today to learn more about our nanny screening process and how we can help you find the right nanny for your family.

 

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