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.