Nannies not turning up ?

[absolovon]

We've been recruiting for a Nanny in Buckhurst Hill, (Central Line, Essex/ London border, where they film The only way is Essex (sigh))

We're offering decent money, use of the other car, good bedroom (used to be ours), and during term time, the work is mostly only from 4 -7:30 live in, plus whole days during school holidays.

We're 25 mins on the tube from central London, but still have trees in the garden.

But we've now had 3 simply not turn up for interview, no phone call, nothing.

Obviously that kills our interest in them, but still leaves us with no nanny to replace the one going back to study.

We've never had this before, is it because the kids are 10 & 13 ?
Someone has said that they are older than most kids and that puts some off ?

Is there something wrong with the job spec here?
nannylondon.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/normal-0-false-false-false-en-us-x-none.html

It sounds like a housekeeper / au pair role more than a nanny role

Is there any reason you can't have an au pair and holiday clubs ?

Your kids don't need childcare like much younger children

I don't think the money is that great either for a nanny and you make it clear you don't need anyone qualified

It may be putting off qualified nannies who don't want the housekeeping bit

It could be that it's the world's longest job ad and no-one can be bothered to read till the end before applying?! Maybe they apply, are offered an interview and then think they best read the rest of it and find something they don't like?

Nothing excuses arranging an interview and then just not turning up, but it really isn't a nanny job. Nannies are nannies, generally, because they enjoy working with young children. A job that is mostly housework with a few hours of supervising some pre-teen/teen boys is a different role. It is really an au pair or housekeeper role.

I think the money is fine and you sound really lovely and welcoming. The accommodation sounds good. The only slight reservation I would have is that sharing a bathroom with the children is fine when they're young children, but they're pre-teen/teens and if the potential nanny is a young woman, maybe she doesn't want to share with a teen boy?! Could you have a family bathroom and give the nanny her own?

Housekeeper role, your blog explains it fully, so can not see why someone reading that and then submitting their CV, does not then turn up for interview.

Does their CV give any hints as to what role they were looking for? How far were they travelling from, maybe they got delayed but then why not call you.

It is a live in job, so how are you interviewing people who live a long way away? Or are people applying quite local?

havnt a clue why people apply and not turn up

you have given MAJOR info in your ad, which can be helpful - but also means blondes stalker alert has found you both easily on linken in and you are easily identifiable - just as your kids will be

tbh you dont need a nanny/nor do the boys, more like a big sister/brother so i would have thought au pair more the way to go and get a cleaner as well, both will be cheaper then the salary you quote

dad working from home may put people off, plus the fact you arent sure if need to work late/past 6pm

live in nannies generally have set days to babysit/work late so that they can plan stuff other nights

I just read through your job ad and you sound lovely and the job sounds fab, if I could bring my boyfriend and my dogs I would be applying!!! Love the section from your boys, they sound bright and witty. I wouldn't stress that those nannies didn't show up, maybe try nannyjob.co.uk or if you can afford the fee, try an agency? Good luck with your search!

Being honest, I think it reads like you are treating your boys as much younger than they actually are, and that could be off putting. At 10 and 13 they should certainly be able to put themselves to bed and why do they need collecting from school? ! Most children of that age would be making their own way home. I also world be wondering how long this job would last given the children's ages. given your dh is working from home, I don't feel you really need child care at all. Can't the boys entertain themselves until your dh is free at 6?

I also thought what Jingle says, I actually thought that you were going to say your older DS has SN when you were explaining what looking after him involves.

I agree this sounds more like an au pair role, and maybe have a cleaner for a few hours too.

In general, boys the age of your two should be relatively self-sufficient. With an au pair you would save a lot of money too, the hours sound pretty good, and an au pair would not be concerned about how long the job will last as by definition they are transitory. I would assume that in 6-12 months you would no longer need any childcare help.

I think if the OP had posted this ad and wasn't getting any responses then it's reasonable to assume that there are elements of the job that are putting nannies off. However you've been getting applicants, they have just been extremely rude by not telling you that they aren't coming.

I think you've been unlucky. I know several nannies who do this kind of role (and yours sounds lovely) and if I hadn't just rented a flat then I'd apply!

That blog post is over a year old?
Is this the only place the job is advertised? People are wary of meeting strangers from the Internet, I would be reluctant to go to an interview at the house of a stranger from a site like this, so would prefer to meet for the first time at a local cafe or something. Applicants may have been reluctant to explain this, so they just never turn up? I would encourage you to go with an agency so that applicants know you've already been checked out by them.

I agree with other posters, job sounds fine, a nice Nanny-Housekeeper role.

I read half of it and realised that I know you :-) How are your boys 10 and 13?!

It's a lovely ad, I would try advertise it on a few sites, have you tried gumtree? I know some people are not a fan,but it's always worked for me in the past!!

People often apply for several jobs at a time, and it may just be that they are getting called to interviews for other positions before yours. Could you devise a way of calling people back quicker? Would you consider going through an agency?

The older age group wouldn't bother me at all...but I'm 26 nearly 27, I wouldn't necessarily have applied for this job when I was 18! The hours would only be a problem if it was a live out position and someone was looking for a second job to fill the other hours.

It's tough when nannies don't turn up, but at least you haven't found someone who you thought you loved, who then turned out to be horrendous! X

I agree the job sounds lovely, and my only reservations would be how long the job would be for (I wouldn't want to commit to something for less than 2 years for example, and due to the age of your boys, it could be quite a short post), and that I don't recognise the site it is advertised on.
I would do as others suggest and post on other sites too, especially nannyjob.co.uk. (Apologies if you have already done this)

too much information.. too much information... too much information.. and apologies for this, but it makes you sound at best, over-bearing and at worst.. possibly a bit .. well.. a bit strange.

Your boys are 10 and 13.. you've made them sound 5 or 6... talking about discipline, how 'they want to be behave', and use their imaginations? Where is their privacy and security? you've put far too much about them on a public site, for all to see, including a streetmap link to your actual home...and now you've posted it here too . I feel sorry for them - pare it down, remove the stuff that will MORTIFY them if their friends read it, and make it secure so you're not opening up your family to any sort of nutter...

Jesus, that ad makes you look hard work! At least try using bullet points.

I personally love a long ad like this. When applying for jobs as a live in nanny, you want to know as much as possible about the kind of people you will be moving in with. So often adverts just show age of children, hours needed and basic duties, and it is really difficult to get a feel for the family, how they live on a day-to-day basis and what their interests are.
All things you'd really want to know if you were to live with them!
The first paragraph shows the basic info, and if the job doesn't suit a nanny looking, they will stop reading at that point. Nannies would only really carry on reading the whole thing if the job fitted what they were looking for.