Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Paid childcare

Discuss everything related to paid childcare here, including childminders, nannies, nurseries and au pairs.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

Families who don't say what they're prepared to pay a nanny...

49 replies

willowthewispa · 13/06/2009 20:27

Why? Please, just say what salary you're offering!!!

I find negotiating so difficult, I don't want to ask for too much, but I don't want to undersell myself! Just had a family say they think I want too much, but have given no indication of what they're prepared to pay. How am I supposed to know?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

PixiNanny · 13/06/2009 23:03

I hate that too! I browse jobs in various areas to get a feel of the jobs avalable there yet I can't do that well when I have no indication of wages! (Trying to work out where I want to live in the future lol)

ZakuroFujiwara · 13/06/2009 23:09

From a nanny employers perspective...

Let's say I am prepared to pay up to £10 p/h net for the right candidate and I advertise that. I see someone who I like but I feel that their experience/circumstances/personality/style of working etc "only" make them worth £8.50 p/h to me. It would be quite an awkward conversation to have to tell them that they are worth less than I would have been prepared to pay (and the reasons why I thought that) but I still want to employ them. Whereas, they might have been happy with £8 p/h net and when I offer them £8.50 they'd be over the moon!! (Simplistic - but you can see what I am saying)

I agree it's annoying if you've got to job offer stage and they're not being straight with you about what they want to pay you though....just explaining why I wouldn't advertise a salary up front necessarily...

Oligo · 13/06/2009 23:39

I agree it is annoying since wages vary SO much depending on location and what employers want from a nanny.

How about a bracket range according to experience/quals. Not £ according to personality surely! If they aren't right don't employ them to look after your children. You won't really really know them until they work for you anyway.

I've just started putting what i charge in my intial email to employers. It's harder over phone but say something like 'what where you thinking money wise?' early as poss.

don't feel bad they think you asked for too much. I'm sure you'd have been realistic and
i think a lot of parents have less experience of market than nannies.

ZakuroFujiwara · 13/06/2009 23:43

Yes - you're right - 'personality' was the wrong word to use....can't quite articulate what I mean but there are some characteristics that would carry a "premium" to me...that might mean nothing to someone else...but all go to make up what I would be prepared to offer a particular nanny.

PixiNanny · 13/06/2009 23:53

Yes I understand from an employers POV, but its still annoying when you're trying to decide where in the UK you want to settle down and a major influence of that is the jobs you may be able to get and the money you could make

Millarkie · 14/06/2009 08:34

I don't like offering a bracket £x-£y salary because, just as ZakuroFuijiwara says, if you then decided that the candidate doesn't have the experience necessary for the top amount you run the risk of upsetting them.
As an aside to this I was talking to a real life () nanny employer yesterday who was cross because she has just taken on a new nanny at (IMO) a very high rate of pay for this area/hours but not the maximum which she quoted to the agency..and the agency have told the nanny that she wasn't offered the top amount, leading to upset all round.

foxinsocks · 14/06/2009 08:37

I didn't put the rate in my job advert either

I have an idea in my mind but as pointed out below, it depends on experience and fit. I could put a range in but would rather not tbh and I see a lot of people don't.

Can understand your frustration though!

Millarkie · 14/06/2009 08:43

Pixi - could you ring a few nanny agencies in the places you are considering and ask them what salaries people are accepting (although do bear in mind that agencies seem to quote the top end of the market).

MrsMattie · 14/06/2009 08:44

I didn't put a job rate in my ad either. I wanted to see what sort of experience/age group/calibre of person I was getting first. Nanny salaries in London seem to start very low and go very, very high, so as a first time person employing a nanny, I really didn't have a clue of what I should be paying. I had a rough idea in my head of what we could afford, but waited to see what people said at interview.

Blondeshavemorefun · 14/06/2009 10:00

i prefer to know what salary they are offering as it saves us both wasting our time

if they cant pay me what i want/need then no point in me going for an interview iyswim

nannyL · 14/06/2009 11:06

I agree.... there is no point going even picking up the phone if they arnt prepared to pay what I want.

However i dont mind "salary negotiable"... this gives them the option to pay younger less experianced nannies less, where as i, with my decade of experiance and degree require a higher salary.

nbee84 · 14/06/2009 11:59

I was looking at a job last year - on paper was ideal hours, duties, childrens ages etc couple of nice emails exchanged but when I was chatting on the phone to finalise interview plans Mum actually asked me what my salary expectations were and when I mentioned £75 - £80 per day (10hour day) she went very quiet and said that they were only able to offer £55 per day. So if I had gone for the interview I would have wasted her time and my time and travel expenses.

nannyL · 14/06/2009 12:08

yes... i exchanged emails with a mum too...

she wasnt even paying minimum wage (£5 gross per hour)
i told her this and she said her current nanny works for this
I said sorry it wouldnt be legal for me to work for that and i need at least £8 net
I had another mum tell me it would be cheaper to send her baby to a nursary than pay me... so i just agreed yes it would!

PixiNanny · 14/06/2009 12:09

Millarkie: Genious. I had't even thought of that! & also, I can't beleive that the agency did that?! Why would they stir trouble like that?!

nbee: for a 10 hour day isn't 55 really low, as in below the average for nannies? By the time I start looking for a live-out job I would have had 3/4 years as a nanny (5/6 years experience with kids though) and I assumed that I'd be expecting a min of £6.50 hourly?! (This is Cambridge I'm looking at though).

nbee84 · 14/06/2009 12:11

Yes, £55 is very low for my area and I think she would only have been likely to get a 16/17 year old with only babysitting experience for that!

PaulaAtMummyKnowsBest · 14/06/2009 12:30

if you look at any job section, you'll see that they all have a rough salary guide.

The exception seems to be nannies.

Why?

foxinsocks · 14/06/2009 13:43

I think it's because there's such an enormous range of candidates.

I'd always say our rate once an email or phone conversation has started.

But there is an ENORMOUS difference between an 18 year old girl who has just started working with children and an experienced nanny who has worked for years, with several age groups, has maybe done some qualifications etc. etc. A huge difference. And that is reflected in the salary you offer.

I also think employers don't like the whole net pay quoting system but also don't like quoting gross as it's still not the done thing.

The people who have answered my ad have been quoted a gross annual salary though .

sarah293 · 14/06/2009 13:51

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

nbee84 · 14/06/2009 14:04

At the age of 40 with over 20 years child care experience. I would like to think I command a higher salary than an 18 year old. I do see what you mean about doing the same job, but I bring with me a wealth of experience and tried and tested childcare ideas.

nbee84 · 14/06/2009 14:05

I'm also far less likely to need much hand holding, guidance or direction.

Original poster

willowthewispa · 14/06/2009 14:47

Another lovely sounding mum has been in touch with me today and has been completely upfront about what she's willing/able to pay - much less stressful! I think I'm just a bit of a wimp about asking for money

OP posts:

foxinsocks · 14/06/2009 16:29

well it's the same as any job really. Experience counts for a hell of a lot, especially as a nanny. And as nbee said, with an experienced nanny, I wouldn't feel as much of my input was needed.

I would never employ a newly qualified accountant on the same salary as someone who had been qualified and working for years.

And more experience nannies imo, command and ask for a higher salary than the new to nannying ones.

You don't pay more depending on how well looked after you want your children but you do pay for experience. With older children, you may feel that new to nannying nannies are fine. But with babies, you may want someone who has had a wealth of experience with babies. It's not that they are doing it 'less well'. It's just a personal preference depending on your situation I think.

nbee84 · 14/06/2009 18:03

Some of it will come down to what the employer can afford to pay. They may well want a nanny with 10 years+ experience that they can just hand the reins over to, but in reality may have to employ someone younger that has just finished college or has just done 2 years as a mothers help and realise that with that will come the need to 'manage' them a bit more. Some also might refer a younger nanny that they can micro manage as they like to have total control over their childrens day to day schedule. As with a lot of jobs it will depend on the type of employee that the employer wants.

surpriseme · 14/06/2009 18:09

I think because nannies don't get promoted as such the wage increase is the only way to show our experience etc.
The is no minimum wage for live in.

Blondeshavemorefun · 14/06/2009 18:13

my 1st employers had me straight from college (18years ago) and they freely admitted they choose me as they couldnt afford an experienced nanny - they had a 4mth old a 5yr

but if it wasnt for them, then i wouldnt be where i am today and can ask and get the salsry i do

when i left as they moved, they again got a newly qualifeid nanny

everyone has to be given a chnace BUT once you have experience you want more money

as nbee says we have a wealth of experience and should earn much more than a 18yr just starting

we can go striaght into a job and parents will know we can cope with any problem that may arise

Flip

1 2

Swipe left for the next trending thread