September 19, 2015 Blog By admin No Comments

CARING NANNIES RESPONDS TO NANNY IDENTITY THEFT REPORT
We were incredibly disappointed to hear the story of the nanny in Georgia that is alleged to have committed identity theft. It was no surprise to find out that the family in this case did not use an agency approved by the Association of Premier Nanny Agencies.  No matter how you do it, hiring a nanny can be tricky and often very complicated. But hiring on your own (without an agency that can provide deep industry knowledge) dramatically increases the odds of a negative outcome.  It’s like going to Las Vegas and playing the roulette wheel: it is 100% predictable that the outcome is unpredictable.
We all know that life is fraught with risk.  There is always a degree of risk in any hiring effort.  But, the vast majority of nanny candidates are safe and honest.  And, finding a great nanny for your children is like winning the lottery.  Everybody wins if we do this right.  The key questions here are twofold.  One, how much risk tolerance should I have in hiring a nanny?  Second, how best to minimize and manage the risk?
The answer to the first question is obvious to most.  You should have less tolerance for risk when it comes to your children’s welfare.  So, how do you minimize/manage the risk in the hiring process?  There are many fantastic Agencies out there that specialize in this very thing.
The Association of Premier Nanny Agencies advocates working with a professional agency that carries the APNA stamp of approval.  These agencies specialize in reading between the lines and expertly identifying those caregivers who are safe and those who are not. The most secure route is to let the Agency direct your hiring process from top to bottom and facilitate the most intense series of background checks available. One critical factor that sets agencies apart from online listing sites is that APNA agencies meet their candidates in person.  Placement fees for this type of service are not small.  But try to make it happen, understanding that you are investing in a fantastic caregiver for the most important people in your life.  The dividends will be huge.  To lead the life you want, can you afford not to do it this way?  But if you can’t do this, you can usually still work with your Agency of choice to vet a caregiver after you have done a search on your own.  Bottom line:  Have an APNA approved agency involved in this process.  You won’t regret it.

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About Association of Premier Nanny Agencies
The Association of Premier Nanny Agencies, established in 1993, promotes best business practices in all areas of the nanny placement and household staffing industries.
Media Contact

Ginger Swift, APNA President

400 South Colorado Blvd. Suite 310

Denver, CO 80246

303-321-3866

Beth

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July 12, 2014 Blog By admin No Comments

BEST NANNY INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

In your search to hire the best nanny, it’s vital to map out your questions before the interview. This hire is different from any other, in that she’ll be like part of the family, so the key things you’re looking for are attitudes, world-view, and personality. Experience and education are important, however your children will be emulating and adopting this person’s character and values, so her most important contribution is to be a role model to your growing children. The Nanny position is unlike any other child-care position, in that she is largely unsupervised. When we source nannies, we are looking for the person who will make the right decision when nobody’s looking. But trust that when Moms give birth, they get a PhD in their guts, so be confident that you’ll be able to find a nanny you click with and feel comfortable with. This process is more like dating than hiring someone, because it’s so personal–she’ll have full access to your children’s hearts and your home.

When we interview a nanny, we’re watching for the person who’s passionate about this career. My Grandpa, an Iowa Farmer, was known for his pithy pronouncements. If we got  upset about something, he’d say, “Don’t worry, 100 years from now, it won’t make a difference.” The nannies we’re looking for, know that what they’re doing will make a difference 100 years from now. I love the comment by Andy Stanley: “What you do in life may not be as important as someone you raise.” Our nannies get this. It impels them.

After 30 years of interviewing, we have lots of favorite interview questions, but here are some of our gold standard questions. Notice that they are mostly behavioral-based, which gives you the information you are seeking and the best results.

  • What brought you to nannying?  What keeps you here?
  • What are some of your strengths as a nanny?
  • What would you do to keep a ___ year old busy?
  • How would you structure the day with an infant? or _____ year old?
  • What would you do with “down time,” while children are napping or at school?
  • What does “light housekeeping” mean to you?
  • What does your relationship look like with the past parents you worked for?
  • Can you share a fond memory you have from past experiences as a nanny?
  • How would you handle a ___ year old who refused to take a nap even though he was tired?
  • Can you tell me about a time when you had to get feedback?
  • Do you feel that you’re able to speak up when needed?
  • Tell me about your last job? What did you like/not like about it?
  • Tell me about the most stressful thing that has happened to you on the job and how you handled it.
  • What would be a typical lunch you’d prepare for a ____year old?
  • Would you feel comfortable taking the children swimming? How well do you swim?
  • Have you ever cooked for a family? If so, what might a typical dinner be?

Caring Nannies has a select pool of exceptional and trusted nannies available for you to interview. We pride ourselves in finding out your exact needs and only sending you a handful of close matches because we value your time. We’re ready to guide you through the process of selecting just the right one for your family. To get started, fill out our Family Application or call our office for more information.

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April 7, 2013 Blog By admin No Comments

How to Hire a Nanny–Asking the Right Questions

For the most important hire you will ever make, the key is asking the right questions.
A nanny takes care of your most valuable resources, your children and your home, and represents your family. You are the gatekeeper for your family, and in many ways, she will become the face of the family.
Choosing the right agency
The first question to ask is to determine which service to use. It helps to get a personal referral. When you’re shopping for a high end car, you go to the best store. This is not the time to look for a bargain and don’t make the mistake of using several agencies. You’ll likely see some of the same candidates. Read up on how they find their candidates, what their screening practices are. Look for a nice, kind, friendly agency.

A good agency will ask lots of questions. They will want to know your personality and the personality of each one of the children, your schedule, what household chores would lighten your load, like running errands, preparing a tasty dinner a few nights a week, or home management experience.

On Your mark, Get set, Go
Your first job is to decide what you actaully need and want:

  • Daily and weekly schedule- full or part time
  • Duties, expectations
  • Salary range
  • Skill sets, like bilingual, cooking
  • Educational level
  • Flexibility–like being able to travel or help with occasional evenings
  • Live-in or live-out

Be as specific as possible in your description
We recommend finding the best personality match for your family and being negotiable about specific skill-sets.

Narrowing down the candidates 

Your Placement counselor will take your Family Application and the information from the phone interview and go through their data base of nannies to find a handful of very close matches. She is doing the work for you so do consider each of them. She may start with 15 candidates and narrow the list down to 3-5 best matches for you. She is looking at the ages of children the nannies have had recent experience with, how close she lives to you, how her personality matches with yours, skill sets, schedule and salary. She is doing the digging for you. When she says, “meet everyone we send you , even if it’s just for 15 minutes”, do it.

Let the agency save you stress and  time. Trust them. A picky nanny agency will  go through 25 applications before finding one to interview. After an in-person interview, a decision is made whether to proceed with reference and background checks. Our goal is that your choice will be based on the best personality match for your family between a few top-quality candidates.

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October 6, 2011 Blog By admin No Comments

PERSONALITY TYPES AND YOUR NANNY

The difference between now and before the economic downturn is that instead of receiving 5-10 resumes for each position, today, we need to sort through dozens of resumes.  How do we go about matching the people who are best suited for your family?
How can personality testing help you in choosing the right nanny as well as securing an ongoing strong relationship with her?
Interestingly, many of our top tier nannies have their greatest strength in the “Supporter” or “Always there when you need them” Type “D” personality. The typical “D” personality doesn’t like change, and prefers to be given a set of guidelines to follow and they enjoy routine. They are very supportive of others and are the kind of person we turn to when we need advice. They are high in compassion and are happy and content with themselves and life in general. They are dependable, on time, adding balance and support in the home. We suspect that many of our clients are Type A personalities, described

as leaders, entrepreneurial, risk takers, independent, direct and to the point. They prefer to delegate routine tasks to others. Type “A” is often a business owner, manager, or in a position requiring a take charge, decisive, persistent person.
The “C” personality thrives on details, accuracy and takes life seriously. They dress impeccably, want to get the ‘facts’, are consistent, and predictable. They take a long time to make a decision, are deep, thoughtful and sensitive. They can get caught up in the details and not see the big picture.
“B” is the socializer, high energy one, who loves to be in a big group, and is the center of attention, and wants to have fun while working. They want to be liked, and can be sensitive. They are outgoing, persuasive, and talkative.

PERSONALITY OPPOSITES ATTRACT
Although opposites attract, they can clash. Opposites can complement each other if they try to understand each other’s perspective. Opposite personalities often marry and it works since they make up for the other’s weaknesses. However, if a parent is expecting the nanny to do things in a way that is opposite her personality, there can be conflict.
If a neat, precise “C” personality is micro-managing a nanny who is creative, gets out the play-doh, or finger-paints, makes  tents in the living room, and shoots paper airplanes, this may not work out for long. Nothing is “wrong” with either person, they just need to have more insight into each other’s personalities and find middle ground. If the Mom is inflexible and demands perfection, it won’t surprise us to see turnover, especially if the nanny is a strong “B” personality.
Every family and company probably has all 4 personalities, and each one’s gift is needed to balance out the dynamics. The key is having the right understanding to identify these traits so you have the best chance of successfully working with each other.

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About Us

Caring Nannies has been matching nannies with families since 1983. Whether you are a seasoned nanny or just starting, we will help match your passion with a dream job you’ll love!

Contact Information

(480) 946-3423

jenny@acaringnanny.com

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