Five Key Factors to Consider When Hiring a Nanny
Finding the right nanny for your family is—well—a BIG deal! If it feels overwhelming, stressful, or daunting, that makes sense. To put it simply, you’re looking for a long-term partner for your family who will support you in caring for the most precious thing in your world: your children! It makes sense that you want to find the right fit.
But successfully navigating a nanny search involves many key factors beyond just aligning on schedules needs, location, and pay rate.
When we talk about these important factors, it’s much less about a given candidate’s college degree or their decades upon decades of experience, and much more about the big picture.
Let’s break this down a little bit more:
It’s pivotal for your nanny to have prior professional experience, great references, a good driving record, a clean background check, and First Aid/CPR certification—absolutely! We hear you, and wholeheartedly agree.
It’s when we get caught up in the weeds of requiring a specific number of years of experience or a specific degree level that we risk losing out on some wonderful candidates. Say a nanny has three years of professional experience instead of the 10+ you’re requiring, but these are three INCREDIBLE years of experience, growing with a family long term, demonstrating deep care and investment, and assisting them in implementing sustainable practices for sleep, development, socialization, etc. That sounds like a qualified and passionate caregiver!
Plus, there are other highly significant (and less quantifiable) factors to consider in your nanny search, that often can’t be gathered from a resume alone:
Caregiving Styles / Parenting Philosophies
What do these look like for your family? It tends to be important that you and your nanny are aligned when it comes to caregiving styles and philosophies, but your approaches don’t have to be identical. There isn’t one fool-proof way of doing things, but if your family values gentle and respectful caregiving or would like someone who is familiar with Montessori or RIE methods, finding a nanny with these values and proclivities should be a priority. If your parenting journey is brand new for you, it’s okay to not have your style figured out, and in that case, you might prioritize finding a nanny who has flexibility, understanding, and adaptability to meet you where you’re at and to settle into approaches alongside your family.
Communication Style
How do you communicate best? How would you want this to look in an employment partnership? Are daily or weekly check-ins your thing? Do you prefer communication, updates, and photos from your nanny throughout the day, or would you like to wait to be updated at the end of the work day? How do you handle and resolve conflict? Are you looking to have harder boundaries in your partnership, or would you like this person to feel like a part of the family?
Energy Level
How fast-paced is your family life? Do you live on the fourth floor of a walk-up building? Are you seeking a caregiver who will take your little ones on daily or weekly adventures outside the home? Do you prefer more low-key days and indoor activities? Make this known! Some nannies will be up for any adventure and can set your kids up with a packed schedule of classes, park visits, story times, and play dates, and some nannies are okay with slower days and staying in, but most caregivers will want to know about this beforehand.
Personality / Passion
Pay attention to their “why” when it comes to caregiving! But also, find out who your nanny is outside of work (if they’re interested in sharing)! What else do they love to do? What are their hobbies? What things are most life-giving for them? Ask them about things that light them up—this is often when we get to see people in their truest form! Nannies are truly incredible, and many of them bring unique skills, passions, and approaches to the table. There are nannies who love to find creative art projects and sensory play ideas on Pinterest and others who aim to foster early literacy due to their own love of reading. Leave room for candidates to highlight these other interests they might bring to their caregiving on a regular basis.
Someone You Can Truly Partner With
This is what it all comes down to. How will you and the nanny work together? What is their chemistry like with the kids, and with you? Can you envision building a healthy, long-term partnership, where both your family and your nanny are thriving? The truth of the matter is that conflict or a need to problem solve together will inevitably come up during the course of your partnership. It’s a part of being human, navigating transitions, and working in such a personal role. HOW you handle any bumps in the road will make a world of difference.
Notice, again, that these factors are more BIG PICTURE items—well-rounded in nature, relationship-focused, and personal to your family and to the candidate.
After all, maybe you have an infant now, but in no time at all, that infant will be a toddler, and if it’s important for you to have a caregiver who can grow with your family and perhaps take on new roles with time, then this position can’t be reduced to a requirement of 10+ years of infant experience.
A nanny is a professional employee of your household, and that should not be diminished in any way. But it’s also important to remember that there is a personal, more intimate element at the heart of nanny-family partnerships.
This is a RELATIONSHIP!
And, ideally for both parties, a long-term relationship. It’s crucial that both of you feel valued and heard from the beginning. This means that you should aim to make your position attractive for candidates as well, rather than presenting a one-sided depiction of your requirements and needs. Bear in mind that the interview process goes both ways too!
This relationship is undoubtedly an investment and will take work to nurture and grow, but the value and ongoing return on this investment is beyond compare.
