Conduct thorough interviews. It's much better to eliminate those who aren't right for the job before you hire them. Have a second person sit in on interviews with you, once you have narrowed it down to "finalists".

Anonymous wrote:How do you weed out the sitters who say they can work legally, but really can’t?

We had a paperwork packet ready to give out at the end of the in person interview. It contained the contract, I-9, and background check release form. If a candidate seemed promising, we asked them to review the packet if they were interested in the job, so we’d all be on the same page as far as legality, starting point for negotiations, and information required before we moved forward.

Anonymous wrote:FTM here just starting the process of finding a nanny. I'd love any tips from those who have BTDT! What is the first step in finding good candidates, and then, do you always do a phone interview first? I'm struggling with what to ask and how long those conversations should be. Then, when you do an in-person interview, what's discussed then that hasn't been covered in the phone call? I'm going to check into references, but do others do background checks too?

Thanks in advance for any general tips for this process as well as any lessons learned/what NOT to do!

There are probably a minimum of 100 threads on this subject!

Anonymous wrote:How do you weed out the sitters who say they can work legally, but really can’t?

Hire Americans.

Anonymous wrote:How do you weed out the sitters who say they can work legally, but really can’t?

You ask them to fill out the I-9 as soon as the job is offered, that way you can verify ability to work legally.

Anonymous wrote:How do you weed out the sitters who say they can work legally, but really can’t?

We went through an agency who made sure our nanny was here legally.

How do you weed out the sitters who say they can work legally, but really can’t?

The best place to look is in any mom groups you are involved or any other organizations that you are a part of for recommendations. You can also post on here and nextdoor. Care.com did not seem worth it to me. A flood of applications and half of them hadn’t even read the posting.

Phone interview only took like 5 minutes. In person you can just ask about their philosophies, what they like most about childcare, experience, etc. You also probably want to be in the home with them the first week so you can observe them and show them where everything is etc

Our phone interviews were like 5-10 minutes. When we met with people it was a half hour to an hour. The in-person meeting was to see if the chemistry was good, if our dog liked them, what DH and I thought of them in person.

There was one person who was great on paper and on the phone, but physically filthy when they arrived. Sloppy, wrinkled clothes, heavy dirt under the fingernails, really dirty (messy and oily) hair, etc. We did not hire her.

Yes for the phone interview. Yes for the in person interview if you liked the phone interview. At the in person interview discuss salary, benefits and schedule. If everything looks good, make an offer pending background and reference check.

Good luck! I had such a great feeling about our nanny immediately and have been proven right. Go with your gut.

Do not forget that you are also being interviewed and judged by prospective nanny.

The phone interview shouldn’t be too long. I’d ask about credentials (degree, trainings, # of years and age group, availability and ideal start date). You should ask their rate and let them know yours. If you guys are on the same page, they move on to an in-person interview.

During the in-person interview this is when you get to know them (to get a feel for their character), learn about their experience, how they handle situations, their strengths and weaknesses. Discuss benefits (PTO, Sick, Insurance, Holidays, Inclement weather etc.,).

As for the hiring process, you can post here, care.com (you will get a flood of applicants but should be able to only have people who fit your criteria apply). You can also use an agency, which, can be a lot of money.

FTM here just starting the process of finding a nanny. I'd love any tips from those who have BTDT! What is the first step in finding good candidates, and then, do you always do a phone interview first? I'm struggling with what to ask and how long those conversations should be. Then, when you do an in-person interview, what's discussed then that hasn't been covered in the phone call? I'm going to check into references, but do others do background checks too?

Thanks in advance for any general tips for this process as well as any lessons learned/what NOT to do!