When you are hiring a nanny, it can be tempting to make a quick decision based on instinct. However, you can avoid a number of common pitfalls if you work with a local agency. Agencies can educate you on your employer responsibilities, and will walk you through the entire hiring process to find a warm, experienced and screened nanny:
- Screening Process: Seek out an agency that has an in-depth screening process including a thorough application, in-person interviews, reference checks, and extensive background checks. This comprehensive screening process results in our agency screening out 90% of applicants. This saves families a great deal of time, and provides them with a great deal of confidence in the nanny candidates that they interview.
- Industry Knowledge: It is important to choose an agency that has been in business for many years. These agencies have fine-tuned their process, ensuring that there won’t be any surprises along the way. Additionally, with an established agency typically comes a tenured staff. Working with informed and knowledgeable staff members means that you will receive helpful, accurate, and industry-standard information throughout your nanny search.
- Expert Advice & Tools: The local agency you choose should create a job description, have an employment contract template, and have relationships with tax and insurance professionals. They know what issues typically come up, and they help you to avoid them by helping you outline expectations from the start.
- Ongoing Support: Local agencies desire long-term placement success, so in order to encourage longevity, they should provide you with templates for daily nanny communication, and ongoing employment reviews. They should also be a resource for ongoing questions or employer advice, and can even act as a mediator if a need should arise. Many agencies even have back-up caregivers should your nanny take vacation or sick time.
There are many families that don’t realize the benefits that agencies bring, so unfortunately we run into many families who come to us only after a placement has fallen apart when they hired on their own. Those families are relieved to see how simple and thorough the process can be when a competent agency is working on their behalf. We highly encourage families to find a local agency partner in their nanny search.
A special thank you to INA members Kathy Dupuy and Kim Winblood, Mom’s Best Friend. Mom’s Best Friend caregivers who complete a thorough, 10-step screening and background check. Since 1994, Mom’s Best Friend has been providing reliable, safe in-home childcare. Their offices are located in Austin, Houston, Dallas/Ft. Worth, Midland and San Antonio, Texas, as well as Vail/Beavre Creek, CO. Mom’s Best Friend is a division of MBF Agency, a full service household staffing agency.