How Long Does it Take to Find & Hire a Nanny?
We all wish that finding our own perfect “Nanny Poppins” for our family will be super easy and magical. More often than not you may need a spoonful of sugar to make the nanny finding process a little more enjoyable when it’s feeling like it is taking supercalifragilisticexpialidocious long.
There is a lot of time and effort that goes into hiring a nanny for your family. We wanted to give you a little encouragement and tips to help the process run a little smoother and get you prepared for those little details that you don’t expect to pop up.
Step One
Figure out the price range you can afford. We’ve found that being transparent and up front about the rate you can afford will help save you a ton of time when interviewing. This will help you attract nannies interested in your position within the pay range you’re offering and rule out nannies who are looking for more money. You also have to remember that hiring a nanny is a luxury that may not be in your budget. In today’s market, nannies are making on the lower end at least $15 an hour, upwards and over $35 an hour depending on their experience, expertise, certifications and the cost of living in your area.
You can also access the 2022 Nanny Census here for more explanation on going rates.
We recommend that you start researching payroll companies or talk with a tax specialist who specializes in household employment to factor in payroll fees and taxes.
Below are some reputable payroll companies:
https://www.homeworksolutions.com
We also recommend researching Workers Comp regulations in your area to find out if you will need additional coverage on your homeowner’s insurance while you have someone working in your home, and checking with your car insurance company about whether you need to add your nanny onto your policy if they will be driving your car with the children.
Step Two
Figure out what you are looking for in a nanny. Are you simply looking for someone whose sole responsibility will be the care and keeping of your children? Are you searching for someone who can help your household run more smoothly by adding meal prep and more housekeeping duties? Do you need a nanny to help you with your children’s education? Will you need your nanny to schedule doctors’ appointments and act as a health liaison for your family when you are not able to make appointments? Are you going to need your nanny to walk your dog or take your animals to the vet? Keep in mind that the more needs that your family has, the higher the rate will need to be when looking for a qualified candidate.
Step Three
Decide on the number of hours you will need a nanny. Will you be needing someone full-time, around 40 hours a week, or will you need someone part-time, 30 hours or less? Do you need overnights and/or traveling as well? What will the nanny’s schedule look like and will it be a consistent weekly schedule or will it change week to week? Knowing how many hours you’re looking for and what times of day you’ll need coverage will improve your chances of finding the right nanny for your family.
You might also consider whether a live-in nanny would suit your needs. Live-in nannies can be a great option for parents who travel for work or work overnights or late shifts. But, having a live-in nanny does not mean the nanny is “on the clock” at all times or that you can pay them less. Having a live-in is a perk for the family. You can find some live-in nanny facts here.
Now it's time to put together your ad!
There are many places you can post your ad looking for a nanny. We recommend checking out our nanny connect Facebook group and posting an ad for your position there. If you’re interested in letting someone else take on the work of finding you a nanny, feel free to reach out to our agency and let us do a lot of the leg work for you.
Once you start getting emails and messages from candidates, it will be time to set up phone and in person interviews. Phone interviews can help you weed out those that don’t fit your criteria, and in-person interviews can help you get a feel for how a nanny might fit in with your family. This can take a few weeks to find a nanny that matches your family’s criteria along with sharing a similar approach to nannying/parenting styles .
Once you find a candidate you are interested in, you need to check their references and do a background check. This can take a week or more while waiting to get responses from those references, but is an important part of the process to ensure your children will be safe in the long run. Our agency has had a wonderful experience using GoodHire for running background checks for our clients.
Contract Negotiation
Once you find a great fit with a nanny, offer them the job and negotiate the contract. A contract needs to be mutually beneficial and the negotiations may take time.
You can find templates from A-Z Nanny along with Nanny Counsel that have multiple clauses you can add to fit your needs.
We recommend setting aside at least a week for negotiations, but we also recommend getting through this step as quickly as possible. Nannies don’t stop looking and interviewing until the contract is signed. You don’t want to lose your top candidate because it took too long to get through this step.
Now that you have signed a contract with a nanny, what do you do now?
Sign up for an Employer Identification Number (EIN found here), also known as a Federal Tax Identification Number. After that, sign up with a payroll company or let your accountant know you have an employee, give your nanny a W-4 to fill out, and once all this is in place your nanny can start.
Searching for a nanny can be stressful, especially if you’re in a time crunch. We recommend starting your search 2-4 months before your required start date in order to find the right candidate and to leave time for all of the necessary background and reference checks. This process can seem daunting, but if you take it one step at a time, it doesn’t feel as overwhelming. We’re here to help if you have any questions or want a hand in finding your family’s very own Mary Poppins.
