Tips needed on hiring a nanny without using an agency.

[Millarkie]

The last nanny I hired was a woman I knew from her previous job, and I just asked her if she was interested, wrote up a short job description and contract and bob's your uncle.
I may be needing a live-in nanny from later this year so I'm doing a bit of research now.
I expect I'll advertise on gumtree/nannyjob and will type up a job description but if/when someone replies what do you generally request? Is it over-the-top to ask for a c.v. and a couple of references? Do you do your own 'application form' or just take name and contact details and have a chat by phone before shortlisting for interview?

And, just in case my hours turn out to be less than 25 per week (kids are of reasonable age)- would you do similar to recruit an au pair? How long does the au pair route take from advert to them starting work?

Thanks for all help.

also i should have said my nanny is only part time and is really flexible with her hours so i can fit her in round both of our jobs, she does overnight if needed. she also nannies for other families on a similar basis

Oh, you can tell so much from a picture. Like if she is wearing a sexy top and looks like she should be on an escort service advertisement, then she can forget it. I just think hmmmm, you look like a nice girl who cares about her appearance or hmmm, you look like you a slut.

I guess I mostly look at how they dress and see if it matches the description they have given of themselves.

I use photos to screen for facial piercings - I'm sure I'm going to get shouted at for being "ist" of some sort but I really can't bear them - I hate sitting opposite people on the train with metal sticking out of their faces. I couldn't cope with looking at them everyday - although I'm sure the nannies with facial piercings are every bit as lovely and competent as those without.

Mrs Wobble:

I know what you mean. In theory, you can't draw a distinction between a piercing through the ear lobe and a piercing through the cheek, but I really don't think I could take a cheek piercing at 7.30am. I guess it's all a matter of being desensitised to ear piercing.

Oh, you guys are gonna be in trouble.

uwila how do you pronounce your new name?

I always find their email addresses quite interesting too...
When I was last looking I had things like "sexygirl at hotmail" or "sexy sam1 at hotmail"-put me off as much as facial piercings.

e loo sis (emphasis on loo)

ok!

best not knowing I'd say!!

PMSL Jura! I hadn't thought about facial piercings I would worry a little about Health and Safety - would I be liable if one of the kids injured nanny by ripping out a stud?
I have been put off by dodgy email addresses though.

nulnulcat - I wanna nanny like yours

As a nanny, I don't like it when a potential employer asks for a picture, before they have even agreed to interview me. I feel they may use the picture to exclude me from being a candidate - which from some replies on here does seem to be the case.

Surely if you reject someone based on what they look like - then you as potential employer could risk being sued for discrimination.

Query about pictures... how do you know the picture is real? Do you ask for a witness signature on the back, like for passports?

It is interesting to read the employers view on this, as it helps nannies to understand the thought process that employers go through.

Dodgy e-mail addresses is also interesting. What should you say ISN'T a dodgy e-mail address? Should it just be a persons name @ provider? Does the provider matter? Would you look differently at a gmail, hotmail, yahoo, other free mail provider address to say one coming from more of a company address?

Dodgy email addresses in my book allude to sexyness, drunkeness or similar eg. hotsexy1@wherever, I have no problems with hotmail, gmail, yahoo, anything..
I have just received an email from bigblueeyes@ somewhere and it has put me off to be honest. I will still read the mail and probably request a cv. but there is a feeling of 'yuk' about it. It's just not very professional (like using textspeak in a reply about a job).

I don't think any decision on the picture is grounds for discrimination. If an employer looks at the pic and says oh she white (racial) or oh he's a he (gender) then that's out of line. But if I look at the pic and say oh, shor looks like a horr, I don't think that is grounds for discrimination. There ore defined categories upon which you can not legally base a hiring decision and "tart" is not one of the.

As for the e-mail address, couldn't care less who the provider is. It's the sex appeal naming that I don't like. It could be a name, but it doesn't need to be.

I guess you only know that the photo is of the nanny when you finally meet the nanny!

I haven't asked for photos, and I have just thought of a reason why they might be useful. Because we are recruiting from 75 miles or so away we will most likely try to meet one or two of the applicants at the nearest town to our new house. If we want to meet them in a public place (was thinking maybe a cafe near a park or similar) it would make it easier to recognise each other. Mind you, I may send a pic of the kids to any reasonable candidates so they can recognise us.

Oh, godd point about text speak. I can't stand that. Lokk, if you can't speak English properly, you aren't qualified to educate my kids.

I am sniggering over this "There ore defined categories upon which you can not legally base a hiring decision and "tart" is not one of the. " and ds wants to know why

Nannynick, some of the photos that nannys attach to 'work wanted' ads on gumtree are obviously taken when they are out at the pub with their mates and they look very friendly but....what goes through my head is ....hmmm I wonder how they would cope with my noisy kids with a hangover?

Oh my God, did I type "horr"? How

Sshhh I thought you did it for comic effect!

miss bigblueeyes has signed her email 'thank u', and the rest of her text makes no grammatical sense - so that's 3 strikes I guess.

I am a lovely professional supportive employer honest, and I will try to stop making comments about these things now. - sorry

This is all such useful information... it's so rare to get inside an employers mind

I think I may get a professional photographer to take a few snaps of me in my usual nanny uniform. Pictures of me I find are always so much better if taken by someone who knows how to light a subject correctly. Would a nanny in their usual nanny uniform (in my case, red sweat shirt, black jeans, black socks and shoes) be acceptable, or too formal?

Agree with the 'text speak', I don't like that either. Also some peoples grasp of English language is also very bad - I'm not perfect myself, but at least I try. Had a nanny contact me yesterday wanting my thoughts on a flyer that she had designed, it really was terrible.

Gender alas is still someone nanny employers can legally discriminate on. Unfair in my view (of course) but alas no joy from Government in getting the Sex Discrimination Act changed, so that 'domestic employees' are no longer excluded.

It's not the quality of the photo, nick. It's the person in it. Actually, the nanny I have now I think sent me a pic of her with some friends drinking beer. And, I was fine with that. I'm a bit of a drinker/perty girl myslef. So, so long as it doesn't affect her work I don't mind that. But, I do mind someone who dresses like a tart.

Hey nannynick - I have very carefully worded my ad so it's looking for a 'person' rather than a female! No replies from blokes yet though.
As for photos, I would say a head and shoulders passport type one (but smiling) would do. Not taken in a pub! And I guess it would make most impact if you were 'sweatshirt and jeans' rather than 'shirt and tie'. so you're nanny uniform sounds ideal.
Another aside, when I was looking for a nanny a few years ago I interviewed a neighbour's ex-nanny (who she highly recommended) and she turned up to the interview in tight jeans, dangly earings, and high heels. At the time we had no sofa/chairs and were sitting on floor cushions - she found it so hard to get down onto one! Didn't get the job on that and on the fact that she insisted that she was self-employed and I insisted that I would have to be her employer.

Here I am banging on about grammar and I typed you're instead of your. Hee hee.