Hiring a nanny cannot just be about business. It also can’t simply be about getting someone a job or just filling a vacancy. It has to be about a great fit. How is that fit determined? By understanding…
- Overall needs of the family and needs of the applicant
- Past experiences, positive and negative, of the family
- Past experiences of the applicant
- Skills needed & skills possessed
- Short and long term needs of the family
- Short and long term goals of the applicant
- Understanding the environment within the home
- Understanding the style needed to thrive
- Knowing the sensitive issues within the household
The puzzle..
We see the decision as a puzzle that is comprised of many things like:
- The technical skills of the applicant
- The work history (why they have left their jobs), to assess potential longevity
- References, but that can be tricky (for a valid tool, you must understand lots about the environment the family was operating within, to avoid false positive or false negative decisions.)
- Looking forward to the stages your children or household will be in when assessing skills.
- The people and communication skills your family needs. The human element must be a consideration. What are the needs of the children versus the apparent style and strength of the applicant? This is a huge area for poor performance.
- Past challenges with previous employees. What are you trying to strengthen within the household? Make sure everyone compliments each other both in style as well as skill-set.
As long as the above considerations have been made, as well as others that may be relevant, you will be taking a human resource approach to your decision, resulting in a very good fit. Of course, as you are dealing with human beings in a dynamic environment, there is never a 100% way of determining success. All we can do is take this intelligent and sensitive approach. We ask ourselves these questions continually, as we make our own decisions of who to present to you.