Nanny agency interviews

[Capercaille]

I registered with a well-known agency 2 days ago to find my next role as a nanny.

Zoom interview was set up with a family that was not a good match but the consultant insisted it could work as the parents might be flexible. Fine.

10 minutes before the interview I am told by the interview not to mention the hours. If the family ask about the finish time I am to say something along the lines of 'I prefer an earlier finish but I can sometimes finish at that time. I wasn't comfortable with that but I figured I could just explain my situation and say that the agency thought it might work.

I log in to the Zoom meeting to find that the agency are recording the interview. I logged out straight away as I was very uncomfortable with this - and there had been no prior warning that this would be the case.The agency then tell me it is very 'standard practice' for nanny/family interviews to be recorded.

I've been a nanny for over 25 years and I have never needed an agency to sit in on an interview or to be recorded by them on Zoom.

Am I overreacting by feeling very uncomfortable by this?!

I think you know better than I. All my work calls are recorded, as are all zoom interviews I have had. Seems standard these days. Did you just leave them hanging?

Absolutely not, I contacted the agency straight away to ask them to switch off recording.

They wouldn't, so I informed them that I wouldn't be proceeding with the interview, or any other interview through them.

It sounds as if you are not happy with the agency's MO and would be better finding another one.

I’d say recording is fine, and almost certainly in their small print somewhere.

Asking you to prevaricate about hours really isn’t though. It sounds like they’re trying to get a match at all costs, when it really won’t work

Standard for several of the agencies I think - I actually assumed it is because they want to make sure parents are not getting the Nanny's contact details and hiring them on the side outside of the agency to avoid the fees. They should tell you in advance they will be recording the call but they never do. Terrible though that the agency told you to lie - waste of your time and their clients but doesn't surprise me as I've had nothing but bad experiences with nanny agencies as an employer.