How to Spot Potential Problems with Your New Nanny

Hiring a new nanny for your children can be a stressful experience. Whether you’re hiring a replacement or hiring your first nanny, this can be a trying time for you and your children as you go through numerous interviews to find the perfect nanny for your family.

During interviews and the initial induction period, it’s important to be on the lookout for any red-flags about your new nanny and their behaviour to avoid a constant stream of new nannies in your children’s lives.

That’s why we’ve put together this guide to help you spot any negative traits when looking for a new nanny.

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What Should You Watch Out for in Nanny Job Listings?

When looking for your next nanny job, it’s important to thoroughly read through the nanny job listing and to be on the lookout for any warning signs that could spell trouble in the future.

The first step is to remember that not everyone knows exactly what a nanny is or what duties fall under the job title. First-time parents, especially can be slightly confused about what they can and can’t ask a nanny to do and so it’s important that you take the time to read through each listing and note down any questions that need clarifying by the employer during the interview or before-hand over the phone.

Top Tip: If possible, try to contact the employer over the phone as this will give you a better feel for who they are and what they want than communicating via email. It’s also a great way to make yourself stand out from the competition as they’ll be able to start getting to know you before you even set foot in the interview.

To help you identify the good listings from the bad, we’ve made a list of the most important red-flags that you should lookout for in a nanny job listing and interview.

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Why Nannies Should Include Volunteer Work on Their Resume

When applying for your first job as a nanny, whether you’re a student, a graduate or if you’re moving from another field of work, it’s guaranteed that you won’t be the only one submitting an application.

What makes you stand out from the hundreds of other nanny applicants trying to get the same position?

We’ve put together this quick article to show you how volunteering can help you stand out from the crowd.

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Why Nannies Should Ask Parents for References

It’s only natural for a parent to ask a nanny for their past references and recommendations. They are, after all, entrusting the happiness, health and safety of their children to a complete stranger.

Why then, shouldn’t this also apply to nannies? Nannies, particularly live-in nannies, put their own livelihood and safety into the hands of the family they are becoming a part of and so common sense would suggest that a nanny should also obtain references from the parent(s) so that they are fully aware of the professional and personal nature of their new employer(s).

That’s why we’ve put together our top tips to help ensure that you only work with trustworthy, reliable employers:

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6 scenario based interview questions to ask at a nanny interview, and the responses you should be getting

Scenarios are a great way to test out how quickly your potential nanny can think on her feet and see what her natural reactions to everyday situations are. A lot of the questions you ask in an interview lead a nanny to respond in a certain way. Any clues that she’s gained about your childcare style will help her answer them, but she doesn’t need to have additional information because it’s all about how she would react.

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How to succeed at a Skype nanny interview

Skype nanny interviews can be even more nerve-wracking than normal interviews for nanny jobs. On top of all the worries about what questions you’ll be asked and whether you’ll have spinach between your teeth you start to worry about the technology failing and how you’re going to judge a family when you can’t meet them. Luckily there are some simple things you can do to make sure you stand out as the best nanny over Skype.

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Creating a portfolio

More and more nannies are taking a portfolio with them to interviews, to present their qualifications and other paperwork and demonstrate their style of childcare to prospective employers. A good portfolio is well-organised, neat and relevant. A battered file stuffed with tatty pieces of paper won’t impress anyone – in fact it will probably do more harm than good – so you need to pay attention to what you choose and where you put it.

First impressions really count. Whether it’s a funky scrapbook or a sleek leather wallet the outside of your portfolio sets up expectations for what parents will find inside. You should present a coherent and authentic image, so if you are a creative person show that your personality carries over to your work with children. Everyone can put things in a folder, making yours different, even if it’s choosing blue leather rather than black, will make you memorable.

Parents will expect to see your qualifications ordered logically. You can order them chronologically or by area (general childcare, maternity specific, Montessori etc). You don’t need to present all of your First Aid certificates, just the most recent will do. It can really help parents to create a quick overview of what your course involved and what you learnt alongside the certificate. Many certificates don’t give any more information than the date and title of the course so giving additional detail will help prospective employers see how the study you have done makes you a better nanny.

Some nannies like to include sample menu plans or weekly activities for different ages. These can help parents see what they can expect if they employ you, especially for first time employers who may not really know what a nanny does on a day to day basis. By including a typical menu you can demonstrate your cooking skills and your understanding of nutrition. If you like to present food in new and interesting way then jazz up your menu with some photos (and if you don’t have any ideas hop over to our pinterest board to see what we like in the kitchen). Showing what you might do in a typical week also shows your understanding of appropriate activities for various ages and stages, and gives parents an idea of whether you’re a nanny who likes to get out and about to classes and on playdates, or one who likes crafting, or one who’s at the beach or in the forest in all weathers. Throughout your portfolio you can include photos of activities you’ve done with past charges to bring your experience to life. Do get permission from your previous employers before including them though!

Last, but certainly not least, you should include copies of all your references and testimonials. It’s unlikely that a future employer will want to contact a temp job you did 10 years ago but you probably got a glowing reference and you should be proud of it.

What else would you include in a portfolio? Let us know!

Nanny Interview Tips: What to Ask

When you interview for a nanny job, it’s not just you going under scrutiny. The interview is an opportunity for both nanny and employer to figure out if they are a good fit for one another.

During your interview, there will be a time that your prospective employer asks you if you have any questions for them. So what kind of questions should you be asking?

Parenting Style

It is very important that you and your employer are in agreement with how the children should be raised. You need to feel comfortable employing the same or similar discipline methods as the parents would use. It would not be fair for your employer to expect you to use, for example, time-outs, if that is not something you are comfortable with – instead, they should find a nanny whose childcare philosophy meshes with their own. Similarly, the parents need to know that their own efforts to discipline their children are not going to be undermined when they are in the care of their nanny. Be sure that you are both on the same page. It is worth bringing a written list of specific questions relating to common situations – for example, what would the parents do if an older sibling hit a younger one, or if a sibling is repeatedly snatching from another.

Holidays

By law, nannies are entitled to 5.6 weeks of holiday per year, which includes 4 working weeks of standard leave and 8 bank holidays as paid days off. Some nannies will be offered more holiday than this, but this is the statutory amount that, by law, you are entitled to. When interviewing for a new nanny job, it is worth discussing how the timings of your holidays will be arranged. Unlike most other jobs, it generally isn’t possible to take time off whenever you feel like you need a break, because the parents will need to find additional childcare for that time which can be difficult to do. What many nannies agree with their employers is that they will choose when to take two of their weeks, and the employers will choose the other two weeks – they may choose the time to coincide with when they will be taking a family holiday, or when the parents themselves have time off work. Finding out where each of you stand when it comes to holiday now will save having to deal with aggravation later down the line.

Other Duties

It is essential to find out at an early stage if you will be required to complete any other duties on top of your childcare duties. Housekeeping arrangements can be somewhat of a bugbear if not dealt with early on. Obviously, you will need to do a basic amount of housekeeping in order to keep the home running smoothly whilst you are in charge, but it is worth finding out if your employer expects you to do anything on top of the required amount of laundry, cooking and picking up after yourself and the children. Nannies are generally not housekeepers too, but some will happily take on extra housekeeping duties – find out what your employer expects.