Families come to Mom’s Best Friend seeking highly-screened nannies, however, in the past 8-9 months, it has become a seller’s – ‘er I mean Nanny’s – market, as nannies are in extremely high demand. It is (don’t say it, don’t say it) unprecedented.
Nannies have a variety of jobs from which they can choose, and it is to your benefit to make your position stand out and be the most attractive. Here are our industry tips:
Competitive Pay: This is the obvious one, but in the past year, we have seen the average rates for nannies go up about 20-25%, so you’ll want to make sure you are at least competitive with the local market.
Standard Hours: Interested candidates decrease when a position is <35 hours (unless the pay is several dollars per hour above the market), and candidates narrow even further when the job includes any evenings or weekends, is over 50 hours, is live-in, or requires extensive travel.
One-Year Minimum Commitment: Nannies often do not want to have short-term jobs, because they have to look for another job so quickly, and their short-term positions on their resume require explanation, or can make the candidate appear less dependable.
Special Requests: Your search will be even more difficult when your position includes bilingual requirements, educational requirements, special skills such as cooking proficiency, a wide range of flexibility, etc.
Location: Well, this is just a tough one. You live where you live, and that can cause issues if it’s not in a location that is easy to find candidates. In this case, consider adding bells and whistles to your pay and/or benefits, and/or include consistent travel pay.
Benefits:
The typical vacation for a full-time nanny is 2 weeks/year, and 3-5 days of sick time (or all days grouped together as paid time off that can be used for any purpose)
- Standard paid holidays are: New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, Day after Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve
- A signing bonus is a great way to make your job stand out. We recommend paying 50% at the start and another 50% after the first 30-90 days. Contact MBF for recommended amounts based on your position.
- A health insurance contribution is an excellent perk. Stipends, as well as other benefit options, are appreciated, and can be administered through our partners at GTM & Associates.
We definitely understand families cannot meet all of the criteria suggested, and we are certainly not trying to push people out of their budgets. However, as always, our goal is to educate you about the industry, and to help you be successful in your search.