How Do Nanny Agencies Work?
What is it like working with a nanny agency and how do they work?
There are many ways families approach finding a nanny. Whether it’s through sitter sites or word of mouth, one option stands out: nanny agencies. Nanny agencies have proven to be the most efficient way to find qualified and experienced childcare. From the outside, nanny agencies can seem mysterious. Too often, we shy away from agencies because we are confused about what the process of working with them actually looks like. All we know is that, somehow, they consistently place families with vetted and qualified nannies with ease. While every agency does things a little differently, here is a general framework of how nanny agencies work and what to expect when working with a nanny agency.
What Do Nanny Agencies Do?
The role of an agency is to connect compatible nannies and families to ensure a successful long-term placement. You can think of nanny agencies like recruiters. Agencies will consider both what a nanny is looking for in a position and what a family wants in a nanny before connecting them.
Agencies will compare nannies and families:
Location
Scheduling needs
Compensation requirements
Personality alignment
Childcare Philosophy
Any experience or special skills
Agencies handpick or get referred qualified nannies and put them through a rigorous screening process before introducing them to families. For a nanny to work with an agency, they must meet the agency’s specific standards.
Common agency standards are:
Minimum two or three years of childcare experience
Two relevant and professional references
Must pass an extensive background/education check
Have/obtain safety certifications (CPR and first-aid certified)
Must be legal to work in the US
(These requirements differ depending on the agency.)
Once a nanny is placed with a family, the nanny is 100% an employee of the family. Generally, nannies are not agency employees at any point in the recruiting and placement process.
How do they charge?
Before starting with an agency, it is important to be clear about upfront fees and overall costs.
Agencies use different frameworks to charge for their placement services. Some agencies charge an overall flat rate fee, but something that’s consistent in the industry is charging a percentage of the nanny’s starting annual gross salary. These percentages vary, but you can expect anywhere from 12-25%.
Where most agencies differ is whether or not they charge an upfront fee. Some charge a fee regardless of placement success. Others are free to start with, and you only pay if there is a successful placement. These fees vary widely. Something to keep in mind is that if an agency isn’t charging an upfront fee, it’s likely that the overall percentage they require may be higher.
The Typical Process
You contact an agency and ask for assistance with your nanny search.
You and the agency have a call where you tell them about your family and the scope of what the job entails. From there, the agency will prepare a job description to send to nannies who they feel are a potential match. If there is an upfront fee, you will likely need to pay it at this point in the process.
This is the time to ask about:
Their nanny requirements and standards
The placement process
Overall costs
Trial periods with nannies
Refund policies/replacement candidates if need be
The agency will send you vetted nanny profiles and resumes that best fit your family’s needs. Then, you choose the candidates you’d like to meet, and the agency will arrange an interview.
You interview candidates until you find a nanny that fits your family. Then, you’ll likely have an opportunity to do a trial with your chosen candidate.
Considering the trial period goes well, the agency will write up offer letters and contracts. They will also handle any negotiations necessary.
You will then pay the placement fee within a certain time frame of your nanny starting.
How Do You Pick An Agency?
When it comes to choosing an agency, it’s essential to trust them just as much as you would want to trust your nanny. You will be working closely with the agency throughout the entire hiring process, so finding an agency that understands your family’s needs is vital. Doing your due diligence to find a trustworthy agency will save you the headache of working with an agency that doesn’t prioritize the genuine compatibility of their placements.
This means calling up a few of your local nanny agencies and finding one that seems personable and competent to place you with your perfect nanny.
When you work with a local agency, you’ll immediately notice their attention to detail, knowledge about your city, its dynamic lifestyle, and the quality of their selected candidates. We recommend contacting a few agencies in your area to see which you connect with the most.
What If I Don’t Want To Pay Agency Fees?
Although doing your nanny search with an agency is by far the most effective way to find a nanny, some families simply can’t afford to pay the fees that come along with it. Thankfully, there are other options that guide you through the hiring process, like Your Nanny Now.
Your Nanny Now is a course designed by an agency owner who helps families find ways to shorten, streamline and simplify their nanny search. This course will give you all the information you need to quickly and effectively hire your perfect nanny. You’ll finally get answers to your long-held questions and be given proven hiring strategies so you can optimize your search efforts to put time ~and money~ back into your pocket.