At Rockmybaby we pride ourselves on finding the best nanny for every family!
Each family is different and has different expectations of their nanny, getting to the core of your family’s needs is essential to us at Rockmybaby UK.
The single issue, which constantly separates successful vs. unsuccessful placements is either the nanny or the family, has not understood the other’s expectations. Safety is always Rockmybaby’s first concern, all our applicants have taken paediatric first aid and all of them have Enhanced Criminal Background Checks. But, after that, creating the match is the next element in a successful placement. Rockmybaby over time has created a thorough questionnaire to learn what you want and what you do not want to make this process as pleasant and stream-lined as possible.
The biggest reason nanny placements do not work out is because the expectations of either the client or the nanny were not aligned. For example, when someone has been hired to be a maternity nurse and the family expects her to do the school run for the older kids, this can be a problem. Or when a parent would like their full-time day nanny to do night babysitting and she cannot, this can be a problem. It is really important to ask a series of probing questions not only to the family but also to the nanny, what can seem like intrusive questions can potentially avoid errant nanny placements.
Here are some of our client questions:
- What kind of housework do you expect from your nanny? Because unless your children are older and in school during the day, the nanny will be busy with the children and will have time for light housework only.
- Do you expect the nanny to travel with you?
- How often do you go out during the week or weekends? What hours do you expect of the nanny outside of a typical workday?
- Do you run late frequently?
If you are client and are interested in some more information about what to consider before hiring a nanny, Rockmybaby offers tips for interviewing and employing nannies
Here are some of our nanny questions:
- How do you structure your days? Are you spontaneous or do you like to plan activities in advance?
- What did you like about your last job? What did you dislike?
- What do you like about working with children?
- Can you cook? What would you prepare for a child who is less than one year or 2-5 years old?
- Tell me about your family and childhood?
- How would you keep children occupied on a long, rainy London afternoon?
If you are a nanny looking to improve your interviews, take a look at our nanny page tips for interviews.
Rockmybaby truly focus on the quality of placements and not the volume of placements. We ask these questions and a lot more to secure a perfect match between nannies and families. You and your nanny will spend quite a bit of time together and your nanny will become a very important part of your children’s life – so asking great questions and letting us do the home work will ensure the best placement for your family.
Written by Ruth Maurandy
Rockmybaby® London 