How long do you reckon the nanny recruitment process takes?

[Furzella]

After 2.5 years my fantastic nanny is returning to South Africa at the end of November and we need to find a new one. Do you think that starting to look seriously in mid-September is about the right time? I used agencies last time but am planning on trying nannyjob first this time. I can't remember how long it took us last time - and also as it was the first time we'd employed a nanny all the stuff like employment contracts took longer to sort out.

I doubt it'll make any difference, but we're in South West London and it's for a 3 day a week live out nanny.

My boss needed a new nanny in septmber.... she started looking in May, found me in June, then waited for 3 months for me!

I think the eralier the better to be honest...

while most of us nannies have just 2 / 4 weeks notice in our contracts, when we are settled in nice jobs we normally like to give our family a lot of notice if possible!

I like to give 2 - 3 months notice if possible!

Based on my experience so far in nannying, I agree with NannyL, as I have always had 6 weeks or more between meeting a family, the family agreeing to have me as their nanny and actually starting work for that family. Therefore I expect the families concerned started looking for a nanny around 2 months or more in advance.

As you are planning on using internet sites rather than agencies, I would say that the more time you can spend on recruitment the better. Costs for advertising jobs is minimal, so you can place and advert soon - giving an indication of start date, and see if you get responces. If you don't get any responses, you can post a new advert a in a few weeks time.

As NannyL also mentions, notice period for a nanny in an existing job may well be 4 weeks or more, and some of us like to give our employers as much notice as possible.

So, I'd say start now and see what interest you get.

I would also suggest starting a bit earlier. I from have just recruited a nanny from Gumtree and started about 2 months before I needed her to start. Took me around 3 weeks to interview everyone that I wanted to and think it would be hard to do it much more quickly - I used eleusis's questionnaire which was great for helping to wade through the huge volume of replies. My favourite person accepted an offer from someone else and fortunately my favourite accepted. If I hadn't managed to get her I would have been in a bit of a pickle, wouldn't really have been happy with the next on my list and hadn't left enough time to start the process again. So I think that 2 months is doable but 3 is better.

Thanks folks. That's very helpful. Probably because most of the nannies I interviewed last time were new to the UK from NZ, South Africa or Australia, I thought it would take less time. I shall get going straight away.

Much appreciated!

Yes I think the Aussie New Zealanders work on a shorter time scale if they are coming straight into a job. Had one agency (KiwiOz) telling me I was too early looking for a nanny to start in October in August!! Suspect it had more to do with my unfashionable postcode (sniff) that they didn't send me anyone.

Yes, I didn't get anywhere with Kiwioz last time either and our postcode isn't the finest! They probably assumed gym membership wouldn't be coming with the job...

I've posted an ad on nannyjob and we'll see what that comes up with. I've always got time to panic via an agency if the direct route doesn't come up with much.

Thanks Jura, that's good to know actually, as we've had a fantastic experience with our South African nanny who has been with us as long as her visa will allow, which is why we're now looking again. Maybe I ought to try Kiwioz again this time. I'll see where I get to a bit nearer the time.

Gawd, just burnt the dds' supper because fannying about on mumsnet (hangs head...).

I found a long lead time did not necessarily work to my advantage. Gave myself 2 months to find an aupair and found one within a week. Aupair took shortterm jobs in between and started waffling about the start date. I eventually had to let her go a week before she was due to start.

I felt that the whole hiring process lost momentum because of the long lapse. But then again, I was unlucky and it involves a foreign aupair which tend to be young and more feckless?

I would just say not shorter than 6 weeks, because of the notice issue for anyone currently employed. It's so not predictable - one of the many keep-you-awake-at-night variables of looking for childcare. I would also say time of year matters - because people wanting after-school type work will be signing up for it in August, so's to be ready for new school year. Is that relevant to you?

Sympathies - let us know how it goes?

I am also going to hijack this thread to (a) tell jura that her KiwiOz recommendation is staying on with us beyond her year (and jura still should cash in that drink I owe her) and (b) ask Issy just how soaked through the zoo party are?

Christmas meet-up - well, no. Bit out of my depth.

City meet-ups, definitely (though frequently have not managed to make as consequence of what I think is technically known as client commitments [= bastards]) - would make special effort to disappoint clients if you were going to be at one of those.

yes that was fairly tactless wasn't it
ooops
shd've said "but some of my best friends are clients" or "present & potential correspondents excepted" or equally unconvincing reservation. Ahem.

You made me go & give my email address to the Daily Mail conglomerate, jura! - just so's I could read that - I'm still on my school holiday absence, so have not seen an ES for weeks. Back next week though and not a moment too soon ... was starting to feel unbalancedly leisured, not normal for me

You sound like you have inside knowledge? - you must tell me! It is funny though how media have the prescribed line on various things - that article could've been written at any time in the last 15 years. Except for the really very weirdy bit about how it's a family-friendly firm because three particular male partners have six kids apiece. How is that evidence of anything?

Sorry re hijack - yet again.