Hiring the right nanny for your family is one of the most important decisions you will ever make, so it's essential to know how to hire the best one the first time. Here are some tips.
-- Get the word out!
Networking can be as valuable a tool for finding a good nanny as it is for finding a job. By getting the word out to all of your friends, relatives, and coworkers that you are in the market for hiring a nanny, you immediately have that many more people helping you to find one!
It may be that your coworker Susan's children are grown, but she had the "best nanny ever" for them when they were younger and she'd be happy to contact the nanny for you to see if she's available. A positive referral from someone you trust is the best case scenario, but you have to let those around you know about your search in order to allow them to be in position to help you.
-- Know what you are looking for
It's important that you be clear in your own mind about what you are looking for in a nanny. Ask yourself some pretty specific questions, and then make a written list of the job requirements in your unique household.
Do you want someone who will do light housework in addition to caring for your children? Will the nanny be required to work weekends because of your own work schedule? How much are you willing to pay the nanny? Do you require that the nanny be formally trained in early childhood education or do you want someone who is on the creative side? Having the answers to these questions will be invaluable during the interview process.
-- Ask for a resume
The nanny you hire should be a professional who has experience in child care. After all, you don't want to bring someone into your home who will be "learning" at your children's expense. If experience is important to you, and it should be, make sure the resume includes recent childcare positions and current references. Make a note of how long a nanny was at previous jobs, and make sure to call the listed references!
-- Interview extensively
Even if you are a corporate bigwig, anyone you hire in that setting pales in importance when compared with hiring the person who will have the charge of your most precious possessions.
Take the time to interview all candidates face to face and really get to know them. Have a list of situational questions to ask them in order to determine their child-rearing style. Only choose someone whose style and philosophy is similar to yours to minimize the chance of conflict later. Make sure to be clear about salary, days off, etc. and see if the two of you are compatible in this important area too. Trust your gut.
-- Background checks
Once you have selected your top two candidates, make sure to run criminal background checks on each of them to make sure you are getting the persons they say they are. If you are using a nanny placement service, such checks have probably already been performed on the candidates they recommend, but it never hurts to do some double checking on your own. Once you have found the right nanny for your family, treat her like one of her own but keep boundaries clear as well.