Advertising on nannyjobs/gumtree AND going via an agency - bad form?

[Dozer]

So, after much deliberation and helpful tips from MN, we're going to try and find a part-time nanny.

My next Q is, is it considered bad form to post an advert ourselves AND (in addition) ask an agency to find someone? Or does this just lead to duplication of ads and annoyance for all concerned?

We'd rather advertise directly (am thinking nannyjobs and gumtree, and forward a link to people listed on childcare.co.uk) avoid agency fees if we can, and happy to take the time to check references, organise any necessary admin etc. Not persuaded yet that agencies can "add value" other than through their knowledge of local people who may be jobseeking.

In speaking to a agencies, they seem to want details and talk about (a) advertising and (b) speaking to nannies on their books.

So far they haven't given me any helpful guidance on the "going rates" in my area (Surrey, 50 mins from London), which am disappointed about.

It all still feels scary!

Perfectly fine in my view. There can be complications though, so keep a good track of who responds to your adverts and when (date and time).
If the agency tells you about someone and then that person contacts you directly via your ad, then the agency told you about them first so you should go via the agency.
If the agency tell you about someone you have been in touch with already, then simply tell the agency that you know of that candidate and won't see them via the agency.

Ideally you want the agency to deal with nannies already known to them, so the agency already has good knowledge of the nanny such as their work history (the agency may have placed them in jobs before). You don't really want the agency advertising as you can do that yourself. Can't stop the agency doing it though... never know the agency may advertise somewhere you had not thought of advertising and find someone suitable for you.

Location won't make much of a difference though if the location is within the M25 it seems to attract a bit more for some reason. I'm in West Surrey close to Berkshire and Hampshire borders and work about half a mile outside the M25.

It's not about what going rates... it's about what you can afford and want to pay. Have you established how much you you can afford to pay - having taken into account the costs involved - Total Cost Of Having A Nanny may help.

Thanks very much nick, that's all really useful. It's all a bit of a minefield.

The costs stuff is useful too, best to think about it at this stage rather than get nasty surprises later.

I did all 3, I have to say the best candidates were from nannyjob and the agencies. In my professional life we use a variety of ways to source candidates, so i think it is acceptable here

When I look for work I use all the non-agency routes- nannyjob, gumtree, the lady (never had any luck with that though!), childcare.co.uk, greatcare, netmums etc etc, plus I'm with about 20 agencies. I add more each time I'm out of work. I have no problem at all when I find a job advertised by a parent as well as an agency- if I do come across it, I apply direct to the parents as I find going through an agency offers nothing extra. All it means is the parent is keen on getting a nanny and are looking at all ways of getting one, which makes me happier that they are not going to turn round and tell you they've changed their minds or not thought costs through.

When I recruited my last 2 nannies, I advertised in nannyjobs, childcare.co, and netmums. I know others who have advertised in their local post office and gumtree. personally i'm not keen on gumtree as I find most of the respondents to be timewaster and i think the serious applicants tend to use the mediums i specified above. I also found that the same applicants who look for jobs on the online sites tend to also be registered with agencies so I didn't feel that I would lose out on potential candidates just because I hadn't recruited through an agency.

Not keen on using agencies simply because I don't believe that the value they add justifies the cost of using them. To me, as long as I do my research on how the recruitment process works, am prepared to spend time and effort doing the interviewing and shortlisting, sorting out contracts, and seeking references, then it's no different from how I would do a project in my work. Plus admittedly, I wanted to be in control of the entire process of recruiting a nanny anyway.

If you can get away with not going through an agency, I would strongly advocate doing so. At the worst case, your efforts fail and then you can decide whether to shell out the money and go through an agency.