Do you look to social media, whether it is Facebook, Instagram, or any other network you use, for advice and reviews when you are buying something? Perhaps a positive review on a boutique cosmetic treat for yourself? Anyway, we know we do! So why wouldn’t you use social media to find your perfect nanny?
Afterall, it would save the placement fee, wouldn’t it? Sounds tempting… Or does it?
We have seen posts on our personal feeds, with people looking for their perfect nanny, asking questions about the value of using a nanny agency. They are effectively asking people who read the post to volunteer themselves for an interview, or perhaps are looking for a recommendation from a friend. After all, isn’t that what these agencies do anyway?
While we might find these posts a little prickly sometimes, we completely understand this viewpoint but hopefully we can demonstrate how the status or comment poster is missing the point.
We tend not to respond to posts like this, unless we are tagged or specifically mentioned, but we do get clients telling us about them, and asking why we don’t. Often, it is our clients who respond to these posts, espousing the value of our services; which as you can imagine feels amazing!
However, when pushed we can explain that we describe the elements that we bring to your nanny search. We lay out the wide-ranging background checks we undertake for every prospective nanny that wants to register with us. We understand their experience, and only match up the perfect nannies for our clients. After years of working as nannies, we have complete awareness of our clients’ requirements, and can identify the perfect nannies to meet their needs.
We are scrupulous in our reviews, conducting a comprehensive evaluation of all candidates – not every nanny who applies is added to our roster.
We treat your privacy with the utmost respect, and have a track record of placing extremely well qualified nannies with very discreet high net worth clients.
Besides these very valid points, here is a run down of what we see as the ‘value-add’ over individual Facebook recommendations:
• Hiring nannies isn’t as simple as posting ads and hoping for candidates to pop-up from nowhere for a position; the process takes time and effort. We’re willing to bet your time is one of the most valuable things to you.
• A nanny agency will verify that the individual’s prior employer is who they claim to be and that the dates on their references match. The nanny must also give their consent for the nanny agency and any potential employers to contact them. Additionally, reference forms should not ask any unlawful inquiries or display any discrimination. Calls and further emails are often necessary to follow up with references. Like the last one, this reference checking can take a while.
• A high-quality nanny agency should be familiar with the various background checks and the appropriate clearance for nannies working with children. If you are a registered nanny with The Northern Nanny and Housekeeping Agency, we ask that you please ensure that you are on our update system and that you also give us permission to check your enhanced DBS on our system. Do you, as a parent, know how to process a DBS and how to check it on the updating system? All of our nannies are fully screened, and their credentials are kept up to date.
During the registration process, potential nannies are asked a series of questions by us. These questions are designed to help us understand our nannies understanding about EYFS, food needs, milestones in children’s development, and more. They are non-discriminatory. How well-versed are you in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and its practical applications as a parent?
• Mentioning Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), our team here at The Northern Nanny Agency has a firm grasp of the EYFS and stays abreast of best practises via podcasts, books, frequent training updates, networking, and conferences. Our extensive expertise in recruiting is again bolstered by our personal experience as private nannies. The way you interview a potential nanny is completely different from how you interview someone for a position unrelated to childcare. Could you modify your approach to interviews to better suit your role as a parent?
• As a parent, are you able to identify a valid certificate? Are you aware of the expiration date of a particular certificate? You should renew some certificates every two or three years, right? They won’t work forever. Since we are in the business of providing nannies with employment, we see certificates on a regular basis, so we are familiar with their contents and can tell you how long each one is valid for.
With thoroughly screened nannies already registered with The Northern Nanny Agency, we can help you choose the one that’s perfect for your family, your job, and your needs.
Since nannies display varying degrees of personality and parenting style, the one that works best for one family or client may not be the best fit for another. Nannies are doing interviews with families in the same way that families are interviewing them; this is not a cookie-cutter approach.
Back to the original Facebook posts: According to another nanny who commented, a potential employer can rest assured that they have been informed about the legal aspects of hiring a nanny through The Northern Nanny and Housekeeping Agency.
And now, finally… Without wanting to scare anyone, there is also another angle that working with a trusted nanny agency can provide.
We can be whoever we want to be online. So can everyone else. With fake certificates, disclosure check confirmations, and all the right responses, it is far too easy to appear like the perfect nanny. Let us take the necessary steps to keep any bad actors away from your families.
We think that puts forward a solid case for the value of the services we offer, and on reflection we think you will probably agree.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to get in touch us, and thank you for your time.