Anonymous wrote:This job sounds pretty great to me! I'll go out on a limb here & leave an email: Novananny11@gmail.com.

Good luck OP!

It's an old post, but go ahead and name some of your best qualities, if you would like to.

This job sounds pretty great to me! I'll go out on a limb here & leave an email: Novananny11@gmail.com.

Good luck OP!

I can speak to you on email if you'd like

All but the worst of us have jobs.

I just found a great nanny on care.com. I actually reached out myself to nannies whose profiles I liked. I got about 20 applications from candidates that I didn't think would be a good fit, but 2 front runners where from about 5 nannies whom I reached out myself. So, maybe try that? The nanny whom I hired told me she kind of gave up on responding to ads, as it appears that care was full of ads in low pay range.

Anonymous wrote:Okay - I guess my first mistake was not posting an hourly rate in my ad. I thought that was something I should save for a phone call or interview. But I guess I eliminated good applicants with that.
We need someone approximately 35 hrs/wk for two kids, age 3 and 6 months. Legal, can drive, and has lots of energy. I don't want a housekeeper or a cook - I want a nanny that will love my kids and keep them busy and happy while I'm away. I'd rather have a messy house and happy kids vs. a picked up house and dinner ready with my kids in front of the TV.
We're prepared to pay 22/hr, 2 weeks paid vaca, 3 sick days. I've posted on dcum, neighborhood listservs, and care.com. Have not tried sitter city yet. Maybe I'd have better luck with an agency? One that I checked with wanted a $7000 finders fee, which seemed ridiculous. I'd rather spend that money on the nanny directly.
Thanks again for your help and advice.

I wish I was looking for a job, OP. Your offer sounds wonderful!

Your pay is excellent and very competitive. Unlike PP I don't think dropping your rate and raising your hours will make a difference - I'd much prefer to earn that pay only working 35hr/wk - so, as you can see, preferences will vary! If that's something you're open to, offering more hours, you can state that in your ad (but don't mention the change in hourly rate, just negotiate that in person if it comes down to it) by saying 35-40hr/wk depending on the nanny's preference (or something like that). Are the hours you need fairly standard? No crazy early mornings or very late nights, no flexible schedule or shift work coverage? Those all change the dynamic a little bit but aren't insurmountable. I might also advertise the position as $18-22/hr DOE to give yourself some wiggle room during negotiations.

Make sure you state in your ad that you want someone who is 100% childcare focused, and that while you expect the nanny to take care of their laundry, meals, dishes, etc. you absolutely don't want a housekeeper or a cook and are cognizant of the difference. Recognizing that alone makes you an exceptional potential employer. You can also, however, say that you consider yourselves laid back and are looking to hire someone you can trust to take care of things using their best judgement.

Agencies typically charge a portion of the nanny's annual salary, and at your advertised rate your nanny would earn about 40K gross - $7,000 seems a tad high to me, but not out of this world. I believe agencies usually charge between 10-15% finder's fee. Your pay is high enough that an agency would likely be able to find you an excellent nanny, but that is certainly not the only place to find one. If you've posted your ad on CL/Care/SC and are not getting enough quality replies, you might want to start reaching out to nannies you see on the site who look like good potential candidates. You might also share your ad here or with a friend's trusted nanny and get some feedback - it could be as simple as one misinterpreted statement in your ad that's scaring away experienced candidates.

Do you state in your ad what your minimum requirements are? Do you want a college graduate (you could get one at that rate) or are you not concerned about it? This is another thing that I think helps because it lets the nanny know before she even meets you that you see her as a capable professional and are likely to treat her as such. (My own personal quirk is a reluctance to apply to jobs that only list HS as a minimum education requirement, which isn't entirely fair but like I said, it's just a thing I have. I will apply to jobs that say "some college" but am most enthusiastic toward those advertising for a college graduate.)

Other than those things, I can't really say why you aren't finding great candidates! Are you looking for someone to start soon? Posting too far in advance cuts down on applicants significantly, as most nannies aren't planning more than one, maybe two months out (which isn't to say you shouldn't post early, but just to anticipate more applicants when the start date is closer.) One other technique I have seen moms employ is befriending great nannies they see at story hour, the park, the children's museum, etc. and asking them if they know anyone who's looking for work. It certainly isn't fool-proof, but it's one way to network among a specific kind of nanny (meaning only that an English-speaking, college educated, legally paid nanny probably knows others of the same).

Good luck, OP!

If you were to lower the rate a little and up the hours to 40, advertising for a full time nanny, your applicant pool may change significantly. When looking for a full time position a lot of nannies will overlook anything advertising for part time no matter how close to full time. You could offer $20/hour for 40 hours and find a great nanny.

Okay - I guess my first mistake was not posting an hourly rate in my ad. I thought that was something I should save for a phone call or interview. But I guess I eliminated good applicants with that.
We need someone approximately 35 hrs/wk for two kids, age 3 and 6 months. Legal, can drive, and has lots of energy. I don't want a housekeeper or a cook - I want a nanny that will love my kids and keep them busy and happy while I'm away. I'd rather have a messy house and happy kids vs. a picked up house and dinner ready with my kids in front of the TV.
We're prepared to pay 22/hr, 2 weeks paid vaca, 3 sick days. I've posted on dcum, neighborhood listservs, and care.com. Have not tried sitter city yet. Maybe I'd have better luck with an agency? One that I checked with wanted a $7000 finders fee, which seemed ridiculous. I'd rather spend that money on the nanny directly.
Thanks again for your help and advice.

We could help more if we knew what you were offering in terms of hours/job duties, pay and benefits, etc. but without those details I'd have to echo former posters - if you're not bringing in great candidates it could be a matter of not offering high enough pay and/or not indicating that in your ad. I don't respond to ads that say "competitive pay," only those who list the actual range they're looking to pay (and then only if my rates fall within or close to their expectations).

If you're positive that you're offering a good package, could you tell us where you've been looking for nannies? I've found excellent jobs through CL and Sittercity, but I typically find work through my agency or word of mouth. Neighbors or friends with slightly older children might be able to help you, as could neighborhood listservs?

As a very well-compensated nanny, I need to weed out the 95% of people who simply can't afford me.
Posting "competitive rates", no longer carries any real meaning. Almost everyone's using it as a bogus snag.
Not sure what to suggest, OP. The people I trust most, are former employers, who have earned it.

The nannies on this site represent the small minority of English speaking, tech savvy, and relatively educated nannies. This is the reason behind all the constant bickering about appropriate wages and duties. I would suggest being very specific in your ad about the kind of position you are offering, the kind of person you're looking to hire, and the benefits you are offering. Also include a specific direction in your ad (say asking them to answer a specific question or include a specific detail in their response) and immediately disregarding those who failed to understand and carry out your directions.

I'm a nanny on here currently looking for work. You can email me at mizzeb@live.com I'm located in the Montgomery County.

I feel like most of the moms here want a top-notch nanny, but only if it's a bargain deal, which is not reality.

I feel like all the nannies on this forum are articulate, professional, and educated - yet the candidates I'm interviewing are nothing like that. I've gotten names from friends of friends, neighborhood listservs, and care.com. What am I doing wrong?
Thanks!