Hiring the Right Nanny or Babysitter

Before you begin your search for a nanny or babysitter you need to have a good idea of what you are looking for in the perfect candidate including detailed job responsibilities, salary or pay rate, schedule, and vacation and benefits just to name a few. You will want to include these details in your nanny or babysitter work agreement later on. Some other more subtle points to consider include your preference for the nanny’s or babysitter’s personality – are you looking for somebody very outgoing or more reserved, a very energetic or more relaxed person? Additionally, you may want to consider the perfect candidate’s life circumstances. For example, does the nanny or babysitter have children, how old are they, is he/she single or married and settled down in the area, etc. You may also want to consider the nanny’s or babysitter’s gender, age, and cultural background. Being aware of these details in advance will help you prepare a clearer job description and narrow down your nanny or babysitter search to find the best candidate a lot faster.

When you’re ready to begin your search and hiring process I recommend you start by posting a job on www.NannyPro.com. NannyPro allows you to post an unlimited number of jobs in a structured way including the most important job details. This is the easiest way to let potential nannies and babysitters find you.

Next, you can conduct a search by zip / postal code to find available candidates near you. With NannyPro’s Advanced Search, you can narrow down your list by availability, rate, and experience and even save your favorite candidates to your Saved Profiles and compare potential candidates later. Make sure you check back often as new nannies and babysitters sign up every day.

I recommend you narrow down your list of potential candidates as much as possible (5 is usually a good number) and contact candidates to determine whether mutual interest exists.  Your next steps include interviewing and screening your candidates with background checks and by checking references before you make your final selection.