How much would you pay this nanny?

[yesway]

We are about to recruit a live in nanny and I would like advice about how much pay to offer.

This is the remit:

Mon-Fri 8am - 7pm (Our current nanny finishes by 6.15pm but when she was learning the ropes it took longer)
Sat and Sun off

We have 2 girls 5 and 3 who attend school and preschool. I will take them and collect them except Tues afternoons when they would need collecting by nanny. (I work part time round school hours.)

Nanny would have sole charge of 6 month old and 2.5 yr old boys. With 2.5 yr old attending nursery 3 mornings a week.

I would expect help with laundry and clearing up after meals but no other cleaning (we have a cleaner).

We would also want the occasional (once a month) night of babysitting.

What I am prepared to pay will depend on experience BUT the attributes I'm looking for are:

1. Someone bright and intelligent
2. Good spoken English
3. Over 23 - the older the better

But I'm not too bothered about their previous childcare experience as I think that with the right attitude and personality they will learn what to do and bonding with baby / children doesn't come from experience.

So I've had interested from some uber experienced nannies ie 30yr old nannying since 19 who I don't think we can afford.

But there is a candidate who is czech but has been speaking English at work for 2 years. Her childcare experience is of raising her niece and nephew who are 2 and 6 months and have lived with her all their lives.

She wants to move into childcare from a boring office job and this would be great CV points for her. If it worked out after a year I would be prepared to give her a hefty payrise on the basis that she then had experience and could get better pay elsewhere.
Assuming her English is good enough - what would you pay?

yesway - I was only passing on what I have been told. I'm happy to pay the hourly rates quoted . If anyone wants a job get in touch :o.

If you work part-time yourself and are at home whenever the older two are at home for at least the first couple of months then I think it is workable with someone with no experience (playing with nieces when you get home from work counts as zero experience in my eyes), given that you will be on hand to guide and get her into the swing of it.

But if you are planning on leaving the four of them in her care from the off, then sorry but I think you're bonkers. Yes, every nanny has to start somewhere, but that somewhere is not a job with four children, especially with no training.

Salary wise, if you are going to be around and guide her through it and muck in whenever there are four kids in the mix then around £250 - £300 net might be ok.

One thing to bear in mind given you have 4 kids, your salary level will be one of the main factors that will determine how interested she will be in finding a family with fewer children (and hence possibly an easier role) once she has settled here and established a network.

Having had a night to think about all your thoughts I am beginning to change my mind.

Stillsquiffy your point about her being poached is a really good one. If I'm going to pay more to prevent her being poached I might as well get more experience to go with the bigger salary. Having someone stay with us for a long period of time is really important to us.

I will think on...

Also think about what perks you could offer that don't cost money but add onto the desirability of the job. The odd unexpected early finish or day off, a gym membership so she can take the baby swimming when the others are in school and go herself on her time off (ok that costs money but its a lovely perk to have) a bunch of flowers to say thanks every now and then (again this costs but the more she feels appreciated the harder she will work and better she will feel about the job even on crappy days) if you cook a roast on a Sunday leave a plate for her in the fridge. All little things that make her feel valued and appreciated in what will be a hard job.

I totally agree with you on the longevity point. Treat whoever you hire well and remember to communicate your appreciation a lot, and she won't feel the need to scan the job ads. I get the lower end of the payscale for my job based on my duties and experience but I am perfectly happy 95% of the time because I get treated well and I know I am a very much appreciated and valued part of their lives. So don't stress too much about the pay. Offer a fair amount for their age and experience and duties etc. Then do what you can to offer little treats to boost morale.

Good luck :)