How to Hire a Nanny

A nanny can be a wonderful addition to your family and help make the transition back to work an easy one for new parents. While finding and hiring a nanny may sound like a daunting task, it doesn’t have to be. Depending on your comfort level, time and budget, you can do much of the legwork yourself or, if you need help, employ an agency.

Choosing a nanny vs. day care

Decisions about child care are deeply personal — what works for your friend or sister may not be right for you and your family. While licensed day care centers and in-home facilities are fantastic options, some families prefer the personalized attention their child gets from a nanny.

In addition to one-on-one care, many families choose to hire a nanny because the arrangement tends to be more convenient. Nannies work around your schedule, meaning you don’t have to drop off or pick up your child at a certain time, or take time off from work when your wee one is under the weather.

Having a nanny come to your house also makes getting out the door in the morning easier, since you don't have to pack extra clothes, shoes, lunch and snacks for day care — everything your baby needs is right there at home.

A few possible downsides to consider? A one-person staff may not be as dependable as center-based day care — if your nanny is sick or can’t make it to work, you’ll have to stay home or locate backup care. You may also have to adjust to having a non–family member in your home (though it’s not uncommon for a nanny to eventually feel like part of the family).

Finally, although it can vary depending on where you live, nanny care is typically the most expensive of child care options.

Hiring a nanny

Write a job description

Before you begin your search for a nanny, think about what is important for you and your family, then write down your needs in the form of a job description.

Detail the hours you'll expect your nanny to work, including start and end times. How much experience do you want a caregiver to have? Do you want someone who is certified in infant CPR? Is proficiency in a second language important to you? Will your nanny be expected to empty the diaper genie or perform non-child care related tasks like grocery shopping? Determine what you're looking for and make sure those needs are clearly spelled out.

Locate candidates

There are a number of ways to connect with potential nannies. Word of mouth from other moms and dads is about as good as it gets. Ask parents you see at the playground, baby classes or during group meet-ups. Often, someone will know of a nanny who has "aged out" of another family — meaning the kids are now old enough to be in school all day or are self-sufficient and don’t require as much, if any, supervision.

If you want to widen your pool of potential candidates or don’t have time to track down leads from friends and family, reach out to a nanny placement service for help finding the right candidate. Call a few local agencies to get a feel for their placement style and methodology. Ask about their process and how they make their recommendations. You’ll also need to consider your budget. Every agency has their own policies, fee structures and replacement guarantee timelines.

If you prefer to find a nanny on your own, websites like Care, UrbanSitter, Nextdoor and even parent groups on Facebook can all be good sources. Some websites allow you to add various filters (distance, willingness to take care of pets) to match you with a nanny who has the experience or skills you are looking for — eliminating a lot of back and forth.

As for recommendations from social media platforms, make sure you do some pretty heavy pre-screening of potential candidates before you meet up with anyone in person. This is also a good time to point out that meeting anyone from the internet should be done in a public place first before inviting them into your home to meet your baby.

Schedule an interview

Once you've narrowed the list down to a few potential candidates, schedule interviews to get a better sense of their personalities, caregiving style and expectations. You'll want to ask a variety of questions, including basics like their background, education and training, as well as more in-depth questions.

Some questions that will help you screen potential nannies: Why did you become a nanny? What do you see yourself doing in the future? How flexible is your schedule? What would you do in an emergency? These questions will give you a sense of the candidate’s professional know-how, personality and commitment to the job.

You'll also want to ask about caregiving style (such as how they'll approach screen time or discipline), and if they're comfortable taking on other household tasks, such as preparing food for your children or doing light cleaning.

For more questions to ask your nanny during the interview, check out this comprehensive list.

Call references

A crucial step in the nanny hiring process is making sure the candidates have experience and top ratings from past employers. Request contact information for at least two previous employers from each of your finalists.

When you make your calls, ask specific questions: "How long were they with your family and why did they leave?" "What did you like and dislike about the nanny?" "Were they reliable and honest?" "Can you give me an example of how they successfully handled a difficult situation?"

If a previous employer doesn’t return your call or doesn’t have much to say, you might take that as a sign that it's time to move on to the next applicant on your list.

Do a background check

Before you extend an offer, you should call the potential nanny's references and run a thorough background check — even if the agency or website you used to find the nanny runs one as well.

To do this, you’ll need the candidate's written permission to run a background check, their full name, social security number and driver's license. Tell them you might use the information for decisions about their employment. If the candidate is not a U.S. citizen, you’ll need their visa or work permit number and passport number. Choose a background check company that is compliant with the Fair Credit Reporting Act, but don’t stop there.

You can also check the National Sex Offender Registry. And if your candidate is from a foreign country, it’s worth running an international background check. If the nanny refuses to authorize a background check, that should be a red flag.

Make your decision

So you have two great candidates and don’t know which one to go with? If you are working with a placement agency, one of the perks is that the agent, acting as the middle person, can suss out how the candidate feels about the family, ensuring both parties are equally enthusiastic about working together.

And if you are still not convinced which candidate is best for your family? Do a trial run with both for a few days or a week and see how you feel after observing them in action (paid, of course) before extending an offer.

Prepare for your nanny's first day

Before your new nanny starts, make sure you both sit down and review your nanny contract, which should include salary, benefits, job responsibilities, use of household equipment and termination clauses to eliminate any potential miscommunications

Paying your nanny

The current national average for a nanny per month is $3,062 (based on an average of 40 hours per week), according to the International Nanny Association’s most recent pay survey. However, what you pay a nanny ultimately comes down to your budget and their salary requirements, as well as factors like job duties and the number of children you have.

The salary should be worked out well in advance and include details like overtime, paid time off, taxes, whether or not transportation costs and health care will be included, as well as bonuses and annual raises.

To legally employ your nanny, you need to prepare the SS-4 form and send it to the IRS, and get an employer identification number (EIN) — what you’ll use when filing paperwork for annual or quarterly reporting.

After that, all that is left for you to do is calculate payroll withholdings and net pay. According to the Social Security Administration, household workers who earn at least $2,400 in wages must have taxes deducted and paid to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), and those wages should also be reported to Social Security.

With the right preparation, hiring a nanny for your family can be a painless process. Remember to be honest with yourself and potential nannies about your family's needs, create a clear plan that you can easily share with candidates, check references and before long, you’ll have a caregiver who is highly committed to your child’s growth, education and safety.