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Original poster

Hired or Fired? Nanny candidates...

108 replies

WhatTheWhat · 26/05/2012 20:17

We have two possible nanny candidates, are they Hired or Fired, in your view?

Job is looking after little boy twins (1 yr) sole charge three days and shared care of the twins plus older sister (3yrs) on two days. Total hours 60. Salary is at the top of the local range. Position is live-in or live-out, but no change to salary either way. Must be able to cook. Nursery duties only. We'd like our nanny to stay with us for several years.

Candidate One: energetic, seems keen on the job, wants to move to our area to be near family, has held two long-term jobs, great references, wants 'at least' the top of our salary band, wants the hours to be reduced to 50 per week, isn't entirely happy with the shared care element, it's not entirely clear whether she can cook - the thing she made at interview was pretty vile, but who knows whether that's usual, seemed to be good at playing with the kids.

Candidate Two: mature candidate, has experience with twins, really keen on the job, happy with the salary, happy with the hours, not yet sure if she can cook as awaiting final interview, happy to live-in and rent out her place, happy to work on a shared care basis, not very sparky and seemed more of a 'soft-play' kind of nanny than a 'finger painting at home' nanny. Although she said she really wants to work closer to home, the agency has said she's not the type to job-hop. Great references and one long-term post. Currently unemployed and working in a hotel.

So: Hired or Fired?

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Original poster
WhatTheWhat · 03/06/2012 17:48

Oh and we did advertise it as flexible start date.

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Original poster
WhatTheWhat · 03/06/2012 17:48

The agencies keep telling us they don't get 60 hour jobs and no-one wants to work them. Sigh. Unfortunately, with the nursery run and getting to work and back, I think that's what I will need. Unless I get the nanny to do the nursery run with three children in tow. Maybe I am being too soft - I just thought that would be too much at the beginning and end of each day. The nursery is not particularly close by.

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nannynick · 03/06/2012 15:29

If the start date can be pushed out till September, how about advertising it as a flexible start date? I've started jobs in July, as that's the start of the school holidays, rather than the start of term. A nanny currently working term-time only may well be available from some point in July.

Why do you need to change the hours and/or salary? 60 hours, live-in, £25k does not sound at all bad. Do you have different ads running... one for the live-in option (targeted nationally/Europe) and one for live-out (targeted locally)?

Original poster
WhatTheWhat · 03/06/2012 14:28

I hope that she will be available sometime this week - fingers crossed. I suspect that we're going to have to re-advertise the post with some changes to hours and possibly also salary.
Question Experienced employers and nannies out there... would we be likely to have more luck if I advertised an August or September start date - to coincide with the start of the school year (when I assume a lot of nannies lose their jobs as children move on to school)?

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nannynick · 02/06/2012 22:30

Roll on No.4 - they may be your perfect candidate. Will you meet them soon?

Original poster
WhatTheWhat · 02/06/2012 19:50

I love Sheps Pie. Am hungry now...

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BoffinMum · 02/06/2012 19:21

I always ask them to make Shepherd's pie, as that's the type of thing the kids actually. I would not expect a bechamel unless I was hiring a cook/housekeeper.

LynetteScavo · 02/06/2012 19:04

Good luck with no 4!

Original poster
WhatTheWhat · 02/06/2012 19:00

Well, as an update for those who've been kind enough to post: we decided No1 was worryingly high-maintenance and probably really wanted a different job. So "Fired". Number 2 came back for a second interview and it was rather dull, to say the least. She didn't really 'gel' with the kids, although her pasta and sauce was great.
Also, what kind of nanny, on a nanny-interview where the potential employer has said 'this is all about how you get on with the kids and how they get on with you', observes out loud that a child has a runny nose and leaves it at that. No 'where can I find a tissue' or 'let's wipe your nose', just 'well, there's a child with a runny nose. Nothing to do with me. Ho hum'. Extraordinary.
We wondered if we needed to offer more money, but we're already offering £25-£27k. Surely, SURELY that's enough to get someone good???
Luckily, we have Candidate 4 coming up apace from the rear. A late applicant, she seems hyper-competent, so I am not giving up hope yet.

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JennyNanny · 31/05/2012 23:02

Please don't rule someone out for a blemished CRB! See my thread for more details but I can honestly vouch for youthful mistakes and how the new law leads them to haunt you! Judge her character and just keep the driving offence thing in the back of your mind. 10 years is a long time.

Just thought i'd have my ha'penny's worth!

Blondeshavemorefun · 29/05/2012 23:04

pmsl ebb - gawd i rem that thread of pastagate Grin

Ebb · 29/05/2012 11:26

I suspect Blondes was remembering the pastagate thread. Grin

DonInKillerHeels · 29/05/2012 07:50

Oh, just ditch no.1 already; she's coming off as bad news before you've even thought about a contract.

And YES to all childcare costs taken out of taxation.

Original poster
WhatTheWhat · 28/05/2012 23:01

Agree sunshinenanny - it really makes me cringe to think that she would be likely to be saying such things about me when she moves on eventually.
Hilariously, this has pretty much resolved itself as we've had an email from the agency setting out No1's proposed hours of work, which are nothing like what we want. If it's this much trouble before we even start, I think we'll keep looking!
Might see if we can also bump the salary up a little bit. Problem is, we're also paying for nursery and if it all gets too expensive we will start eating into my other half's salary too, so going back to work makes less and less sense. Shame that it has taken me over 10 years to gain the experience and qualifications that I currently have. Perhaps I should lobby the government to make ALL childcare payments come under the salary sacrifice scheme - ie no double taxation. That's the killer, really. I pay tax and then pay tax again when I pay my nanny. And I only have my nanny so I can work and therefore pay tax. It's a nonsense situation.

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sunshinenanny · 28/05/2012 22:53

the dishwasher thing does sound petty but maybe her present family leave her piles of dishes from the day beforeHmm I'm afraid I like this candidate less and less!

I don't think it's very professional to make negative comments about your previous /current employer at interview.

Original poster
WhatTheWhat · 28/05/2012 22:41

Dear God, make the pasta? Ha ha ha ha. Who do you think we are? No, no. I only ever ask people to knock up a little cheese souffle, maybe a beef Wellington and perhaps a hazelnut roulade to finish. Nothing major. Wink
I would be glad if whatever gets made is not burned, broadly edible and still contained something akin to vitamins. And quell this rumour that we make people make cakes.
To be honest, before I make a job offer, I like to have spent some time with the candidate. Asking them to cook fills out a bit of time when they're around and about, doing something that they're hopefully good at and not sitting at our kitchen table feeling nervous. AND it tests whether they can cook. Win-win.
Number two is the muck in with the family type and number one said something about feeling dis-chuffed with her current family because they expected her to pack the dishwasher with their stuff as well as the kids' stuff. Have to say - that will be the norm in Villa del What.
No3 is out more because of the lack of experience with little ones than necessarily the CRB.

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sunshinenanny · 28/05/2012 22:16

I thought only Italian ladies made pasta from scratch!

sunshinenanny · 28/05/2012 22:15

Don't negotiate on the hours as this nanny knew what they were before she accepted an interveiw.

The 3rd candidate sounds a bit dodgy on the driving front, I would either give no two a trial as she ticks quite a few of your boxes or just look for someone you feel will be more suited to your needsSmile

The trouble with cooking at an interveiw is that most people get flustered when they think they are being put up for some sort of test; Even the cooks on the TV shows have the "Here is one I made earlier" thing going on in case of disasterGrin

I would ask what kind of food she would consider suitable for your children's age group. That, at least will give you an idea of her knowledge of food and nutrition.

Blondeshavemorefun · 28/05/2012 21:20

least you didnt mix the pages up like rachel did in friends and make trifle with shepherds pie

classic episode

Frakiosaurus · 28/05/2012 18:51

Ah did you not add any kind of liquid? I fry mine and then add so I guess it dirt if makes its own stock.... I can sort of see where you're coming from now.

nbee84 · 28/05/2012 18:06

Re the shepherd's pie - surely the mince wouldn't taste good if it hadn't been cooked with some sort of gravy (I use the lo salt stock cubes that are around these days for little ones) Now that I do eat mince I can't imagine eating it just fried with onion and carrot, it needs some sort of liquid and to be cooked in it for a while to tenderise.

Frakiosaurus · 28/05/2012 17:27

I don't put stock cubes in my shepherds pie. Although I don't actually make shepherds pie as I don't eat potato...but same principle.

Personally I could deal with someone who was upfront and said they couldn't cook. It's people who have a tendency to overinflate their abilities that concern me and cooking is an easy test without people feeling too offended. If they say they can cook and can't then they either don't want to admit to a weakness, which isn't great, or they've overstated what they can do either deliberately or be ause they genuinely feel they can And if they overstate one thing they may have overstated another, like their swimming ability which would be a dealbreaker but I can't ask them to come swimming at interview!

I don't expect gourmet food btw, just edible and not under/overdone.

LynetteScavo · 28/05/2012 17:11

Actually I think baking a cake would be good at an interview...see if she gets the DC involved or not. Very telling.

I have know people ask nannies at interview if they can cook cheese sauce or not. Apparently if you can make a white sauce you can make anything.

I can whisk up a cheese sauce with my eyes closed, but please don't ask me to make custard. I never know how thick/thin other people want it.

Gigondas · 28/05/2012 17:09

Yes microwave sauce is great when in a hurry.

And make pasta -? Really?

Blondeshavemorefun · 28/05/2012 16:53

That's how I make cheese sauce in the microwave - impossible to burn :)

Op - you want the nanny to actually MAKE the pasta ???? As in not use a packet of dried???