5 Qualities Every Nanny Should Look For in a Family
Mark Hudson • Oct 05, 2021
Becoming a Great Nanny Employer
Any kind of hiring is a two-way street. Employers want to be sure they’ll get what they’re paying for. Nannies too weigh up potential families for clues that those they may start working for will treat them fairly.
Signs of sloppy admin, micro-management or indifference to leisure time are danger signs. You don’t want any of these flashing through their minds. Read on for some of the fundamental qualities that all good nannies will expect from a prospective employer.
1. Attention to Contracts and Salaries
Nannies take their work very seriously. For many, it’s both a calling and a career choice. Looking after the children of others is responsible work and employers need to treat it as such.
That means potential employees will want a contract that spells out clearly what you expect from them. Doing so demonstrates that you have thought things through and value the work that all nannies do.
They will expect that you pay them at least the going rate and that any salary reflects their experience and skill set. Employing a nanny comes with certain legal obligations. These can include:
- Withholding or paying your nanny’s tax
- Paying sick and holiday leave
- Providing payslips
- Paying benefits specific to Australia or New Zealand
Making sure that you dot your I’s and cross your T’s is proof that you are treating your nanny as the professional that they are. Pay the Nanny are experts
in this field. Leaving the admin of salaries to them is a sound investment.
2. Evidence That You Trust Your Nanny
It’s quite possible that your nanny will have had far more experience in looking after small children than you have had. They know what works and what doesn’t.
Every nanny will want a clear steer on your style and expectations. They will also want to work out how much of their own input you want from them. As a parent, it’s tempting to try and micromanage anything that affects your kids.
It’s important to remember that it is a choice you are making to entrust your children to the care of another. Nobody likes a micromanager. This management style leads to a sense of lack of control and autonomy.
It makes people feel undervalued and that employers have no trust in or respect for what they do. The results of being too overbearing can be catastrophic, ultimately leading to a nanny walking out of the door.
3. Working for People That Care
Because someone works for you does not mean you have control over their entire lives. Any happy employee needs a reasonable work-life balance. As an employer, you can play a big part in ensuring that your nanny gets sufficient time off to enjoy themselves.
If you need to ask your nanny to work extra hours, particularly in an emergency, it’s important to think through how you would handle this. Nobody likes feeling you may be taking them for granted. If your nanny goes the extra mile, reward them for it.
Treating your nanny fairly and with kindness is going to pay you dividends in the long run. Use a specific scenario in an interview that flags up your style of management when you have a crisis outside the home and need your nanny’s help.
Nannies may also want to assess what kind of home you keep. Extremes are warning signs. If your house style is over minimalist or a cluttered catastrophe, your nanny might understandably decide to move on.
Some light housework might be part of the deal but no one wants to think that the way your home looks is going to mean endless cleaning up. Demonstrating an awareness of health and safety issues is also a big plus.
4. Clear Lines of Communication
Part of working out if you want to take a job comes from instinct. Like you, your nanny will be trying to weigh up if they think you are someone they are going to get along with. Being a good communicator and an approachable person are both great strengths.
Clarity is key. Mixed messages never work because they leave employees confused and annoyed. Make your expectations crystal clear from the start. Be upfront about your style, especially when it comes to rules and how you choose to discipline your children.
Make sure the nitty-gritty about work schedules is accurate and not open to misinterpretation. If any children have specific needs, spell them out and any expectations you might have about how to deal with them.
Everyone has an opinion and that includes your nanny. It does not mean that you always have to agree with them but it really does help if you make time to listen to their point of view.
Build some time in each week to talk to your nanny about how they feel the job is going. They need to feel comfortable enough to raise any issues with you, no matter how difficult they think a problem is.
5. A Willingness to Provide Support
All employees need to feel that those they work for are going to back them up in hard times. Having a human touch or lending a sympathetic ear are key qualities in any employer.
Keep on top of any ambitions your nanny may harbour. Paying for the occasional first aid refresher course proves that you are placing value in your nanny. It can be a small price to pay for the goodwill it can generate.
The bottom line is that a nanny needs to feel that as an employee you are going to treat them fairly and with respect. Anything that you can do to demonstrate that this is the case is going to help retain their services and make them happy employees.
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