Nanny Hiring Guide: Pros and Cons of Hiring a Nanny Online

Until now, placing a nanny classified ad was the do-it-yourself approach to finding a nanny. This method required a large investment of time and energy, as well as the patience required to answer phone calls, arrange interviews and weed down candidates until you found the perfect match.

Families who wished to bypass this hefty investment of time and energy could enlist the services of a traditional nanny agency.  With agencies, the nanny candidate pool is pre-screened, professional and ready for hire.  While using a nanny service is the most expensive option for finding a nanny, it also offers the best service.  A good full-service nanny agency will very effectively screen out inappropriate candidates and only present to you nannies that are a good match for your job and family.

Enter online nanny services. The trend with online nanny services has been to offer families an economical solution that combines the do-it-yourself approach with the resources used by traditional nanny agencies.  While the online process requires that the parents take an active role, web-based services usually make a point of providing helpful hiring forms (see our Nanny Success Kit) and information (like this!) to give parents a head start on the hiring process. Online nanny service databases are also designed to streamline your nanny search and only present you with viable nanny candidates for consideration.

The helpful information that online nanny referral services provide includes what to look for in a nanny, what to consider when choosing between a live-in or live-out nanny, the kinds of questions to ask during a nanny interview, how much to offer for a nanny’s salary, important nanny tax information and many other useful resources.  In other words, with online nanny services families won’t be left out in the cold. 

While families must conduct the nanny interviews, fill out all the appropriate forms and complete a variety of other steps independently, paid membership with an online nanny service involves much more than “listings.” 

The nanny candidates presented to members are tailored to the families’ preferences.  Since both families and nannies fill out preliminary get-to-know-you questionnaires, the search for a nanny online becomes a lot more targeted and efficient.  Many times members will receive email notifications including personalized nanny recommendations!

Oftentimes, online nanny services include criminal background checks for an additional fee (or as part of a membership package).  It is important to remember, however, that apart from the optional background checks, the nanny pool recruited by an online service is not pre-screened. 

Before asking a family to sign up, a trustworthy online nanny service will typically provide potential members with an in-depth preview of the nanny pool and even a free trial membership so that families can decide whether or not membership is worth the cost.  After paying a flat fee for membership, families are given access to that nanny pool, after which it is their responsibility to screen the nannies, make job offers, do background checks and finalize the working agreement. 

Arguably, one of the most attractive benefits of hiring a nanny through an online service is the affordability.  Not only is the cost dramatically lower than  traditional nanny agencies; members benefit from the speed of online communication – they can send instant job requests and respond immediately to nannies seeking jobs.  Families also benefit from privacy.  Through a specially created on-site inbox, families receive communications from potential nannies that are registered with eNannySource to which they can than respond.