One of the biggest tasks after having a baby is to decide who will look after if both parents do a day job.
Hence people ask relatives to look after their baby in their absence or hire a nanny/babysitter who will look after their child.
Finding a trustworthy nanny is a challenging task. No one can trust a stranger with their child. Hence we must check on with different candidates before hiring one to be sure that our child gets a suitable qualified and trustworthy caretaker.
Here in this nanny finding guide, we will share things to consider before hiring a nanny and be sure if they are good enough for your family.
Consider Candidate’s Prior Experience in Childcare
When looking for a nanny candidate, consider finding the ones with prior Experience as childcare, teacher, or babysitter.
Prior Experience in childcare is one of the best ways to know the worth of the nanny candidate. If they have previously worked as a childcare specialist, they know how to handle babies even much better than the parents sometimes.
A well-experienced child care provider makes your child learn manners and discipline from an early age, which is vital for their upbringing. They can also handle situations of emergency much better than a newbie.
Ask the Previous Employer if they Recommend
If you find some candidates with prior experience, which is good, ask the candidates for 2-3 of their previous employers to vouch for them. Make sure that they are not the candidate’s family or relatives.
So before hiring a babysitter/nanny, make a phone call to their previous employer and ask for their opinion on the candidate. Ask them about the kind of work nanny helped with if she took any uninformed leaves. Do not hesitate even to ask silly questions on which you have doubts.
If previous employers are willing to vouch for the candidate and recommend hiring them, you are good to go.
Do a Background Check Before Hiring
Even when the candidates tell everything about themselves, one should run a background check on them to find out if they are not lying. A background check reveals information like name, contact address, relatives, jobs are done before, criminal records, etc. Many websites can help you to search person by name.
One should also check with the police and federal records about the concerned person. One must also check in sex offenders registries to keep their child safe.
Consider Hiring through a Nanny Agency
The easiest way to find a childcare specialist to raise your child in your absence is through Nanny Agencies. They have many good nanny candidates that you can choose from according to your needs.
Though they cost you more, they save you from going through a lot of difficulties while choosing a good babysitter. The nannies that you hire from these agencies are trustworthy, well educated, experienced. These nannies are even certified in giving CPR in emergencies.
One of the best reasons to hire someone through a nanny agency is because they prepare the contract between you and the nanny on your behalf, saving a lot of your time and if any future troubles.
Interview Candidates in Person
When finding a nanny for your family, through an agency or manually, one should always do in-person interviews more than once. There is no need to be shy while interviewing the candidates. Ask them about everything like their education, work experience, someone who can recommend them for the job, things they are willing to help with, something you expect from them, and the expected salary. Also, ask if they have any bad habits of drugs, smoking, drinking, etc. Trust your instincts. If you find any red flags, kindly tell them that you are not comfortable hiring them.
You can talk about the contract in the interview if they are willing to do extra hours and stay in if needed and do the house’s cleanings if the parents are not around. Suppose they can help in the upbringing of your child.
If you find someone positive about the questions, then you can make them sign the contract and hire them.
