Before hiring a nanny, many families have a nanny play date also called a working interview, so the nanny and children can meet one another before the family decides to offer the position and the nanny decides if they want to accept the position. This interaction should not be longer than 1 hour with the goal of the nanny and children meeting each other and perhaps engaging for 30 minutes together.
Pre-Job Offer Nanny and Children Introduction
Create a comfortable, normal environment such as the home or a local park and let the nanny play with or engage the children. Your job is to observe. Does the nanny enjoy it? Is the nanny engaged and listening to the children? Does the nanny seem confident or hesitant? How are your children responding? Does everyone seem comfortable? Are the children comfortable? If your child throws a block across the room, does the nanny gentle correct the child’s bad behavior or let it go unnoticed?
Nanny Trial and Orientation
Nanny trial periods and orientations allow the family to show the nanny how they communicate with the children, their expectations for the children, and how they interact with the children. The nanny can learn morning routines, meals and snack preparation, and naptime sleep routines through shadowing. The nanny can better understand the family’s needs, learn the house rules, and gain insights into the family dynamics.
The orientation is a great time to discuss milestones. You must tell the nanny how you want the nanny to communicate (or not) the first laugh, first crawl and first steps. Most parents want to experience the milestone first and thus many professional nannies will not tell a parent if the baby takes their first step. Instead, the nanny asks the parents if they notice the baby is getting ready to walk. This allows the parents to experience their child’s ‘first’. However, some nannies will send you a video or photo of the ‘first’ if it occurs while you are not with the child. Think about the experience you want and then ask the nanny to create that experience for you.
By working together for a day or two, and letting the nanny supervise the children on their own for a few hours, the family and nanny can ask questions to learn more about each other as well as ways to execute the duties associated with the job.
Some nannies and families agree to work together for a few days to get to know each other better before signing the work agreement. Others have an orientation after signing the work agreement and making a firm commitment to each other. Whether it is a nanny orientation or a nanny trial, working for a family for several days can help both the family and nanny make a confident choice about working together.
If a nanny is shadowing, getting oriented, or supervising your children, they must be compensated for their time. Nanny candidates or new hires must be paid at an hourly rate during orientations and trials. This investment should be scheduled so that both the nanny and family are prepared to make the most of the opportunity to collaborate and communicate expectations and preferences for a successful working relationship.
Live-in nannies may move into the home for a two-week trial prior to committing to the family full time. If a nanny is flying from out of state for a live-in position, the family pays for the airfare, travel expenses, and allows the nanny to stay in the nanny quarters for the duration. This trial period can help the nanny, parents and children ensure the job is a good fit for everyone prior to moving in permanently. During this type of trial, the live-in nanny should be provided room and board plus an hourly compensation.
Paid trial periods help assess fit with a family. Put a note in your calendar to check in between 6-8 weeks to determine if the nanny is working out. You can ask the children what they think, how they spend their time with the nanny, and what they like or do not like about spending time with the nanny. You can ask the nanny how they feel it is going to address any questions or concerns. If you have cameras in your home, checking in during the day or playing back video can help you understand how the nanny is performing their duties once they have become comfortable and accustomed to their job.
