Avoiding agency fees - can I do this?

[PDR]

I have just found the nanny I am interviewing this weeked is also registered on Nannyjob.co.uk.

If I take her on through the agency, I will have to pay them every week...

Do you think it's out of order if I cancel our meeting through the agency (she is coming to our house) and get in touch directly through nannyjob? Or is this totally out of order?

If I take her on through the agency, I will have to pay them every week...

Are they a temp?
If it's a permanent position then I'd suggest you agree a one-time fee, rather than a weekly one.

How comes you now know the nanny is registered on NannyJob but didn't know that before agreeing to the interview via the agency?

No it's just temporary (maternity nanny).

I have her name from her CV from the agency and we live in a small rural area so there can't possibly be 2 people with the same name, similar experience etc.

I have only just looked on NannyJob trying to find someone local to work as a daily nanny once she has gone.

Agency will charge us £95/week + VAT.

Going to post in AIBU to get more responses...

So the agency has matched you with a potentially suitable candidate for the maternity nanny position at the sound of it.

Do you think it's out of order if I cancel our meeting through the agency (she is coming to our house) and get in touch directly through nannyjob?

Unfortunately I would say YES it is out of order to do that, as the agency has done the initial matching for you and have arranged for you to meet the candidate.

Both you and the nanny could be in breach of a contract/agreement that is in place with the agency.

The daily position is another matter... does the agency know you want someone to be a daily nanny in near future? Are there terms in the contract about what fees you have to pay if you offer a temp nanny a permanent position?

Just my view... others may disagree.

Yes they just sent me a load of CVs and I trawled through them to find once that's closest to us.

They know I would like someone to stay on but I was very vague about this as I would prefer someone to live-out and this lady lives over an hour's drive away so it might not suit her.

No idea on fees for a temp to perm position as we are dealing with the maternity wing of a large London agency. Wouldn't be permanent anyway - say 4 weeks maternity then another 3 months daily nanny.

Agghhhh I don't know what to do.

My husband is now refusing to pay agency fees becuase he says we can find someone on Nannyjob - no more work involved than the agency as far as I can see as I would still have to check references myself etc.

Yes they just sent me a load of CVs

That's not matching candidates. Good agencies don't send out loads of CVs... they send out a couple maybe 3!

They live over an hours drive away - that would make them unsuitable for a daily position in my view.

I can see where your DH is coming from given that the agency has just sent you a batch of CVs, not selected a couple and spoken with those people at length and to you at length about them, thus getting to the point where the agency and you jointly decide on say 2 candidates to interview.

Tricky... as a nanny I do support what good agencies do. However I don't like the sounds of this one... if all they have done is send you out a bunch of CVs.

I have spoken to the lady from the agency once on the phone and she has sent me 2 emails. One with 15+ CVs and loads of other standard bumpf and the second to confirm the time for interview with the one I chose.

Not a lot of work...

I also think a daily position with this lady is unlikely - my husband works in the city she comes from so he is finding that hard to understand but then his work pay for his transport.

I would not want to put the nanny in an awkward postion though. I have seen quite a few potential candidates in our area though (not sure why the agency didn't find these ppl as I specifically asked for someone local).

What to do... what to do....

Is this person really a contender for the job? Are there other possibilities that you are now in touch with via other methods?

Sounds like you are not impressed by the agency, so would it not be better to cancel everything with the agency - including the interview.

Then see what turns up from your own advertising?
Check standard bumpf from the agency for their terms and conditions, so you know how long a time period has to expire between you being told about a candidate and you hiring them without incurring agency fees - as any of those CVs you have been sent the agency may claim were an Introduction, thus fee payable if you subsequently hire them.

If you're rural and the agency is a London one those candidates may not be registered. They can only send you people on their books! Agencies probably won't go looking to register candidates local to you for one job in your area, the candidates themselves may not be interested in that agency if it involves a trip to London to register or they may not have the requisite profile.

If you want local candidates then use a local agency.

The candidate will probably not accept a meeting outside the agency. Especially for maternity work a good relationship with agencies is vital and if you double cross one it will make it harder to get work in the future.

Maternity nannies do tend to cone in large batches as there are a lot of them with very varying levels of experience, qualifications and approaches. Or did they just send you everyone in a 50 mike radius?!

frakkit there isn't a local agency - otherwise I would be using them! They just sent me everyone who said they were available I think.

nick I am going to interview her, becuase she looks like a fab maternity nurse, and I will have to take her on via the agency, but I am not going to use them to find anyone else if I don't feel she is right. I am going to advertise locally myself and get in touch with a few other local MNs via Nannyjob.

I don't think she will want to stay on a travel to/from us daily though so I still have to find myself a daily nanny in any case.

Are you sure there isn't a more local one than London? Whereabouts (roughly) are you? There may be a Tinies branch in your area or similar?

We're in North Devon.

Nearest Tinies is in Bristol but IIRC they would refer back to the London branch for Maternity.

I did find a couple of ofsted registered daily nannies through Nannyjob but obv it's a bit too early to be contacting them just yet.

nick thanks for such constructive advice

I think there's a branch of National Nannies near you. I once got contacted about a Devon temp job by a Little Darlings too.

The nannyjob discussion board gave me 'parent and child', 'fledgelings' and 'Sheila's nannies'.

Gwyneth Paltrow's MN lived in Devon! But that random
bit if trivia won't help.

Maybe one of those agencies will know someone if you still want to use an agency? Although nannyjob and gumtree etc are just as good for finding a nanny. Agencies are marginally better for MNs because if the replacement guarantee.

Thank you frakkit I will investigae further...

PDR don't forget to also check the 'work wanted' & to advertise on Gumtree both local to you and London.

I had a fantastic MN job with twins thru a gumtree ad.