Nanny screening: Tips for finding the best nanny for your child
Hiring a nanny in San Diego, CA is a ridiculously tough task, filled with anxiety and fear of the unknown. Reading a resume and calling references may be helpful but will not provide you with the full picture. Will the nanny be the right long term fit for your family? Is she going to give your child the loving attention he or she deserves every single day? It’s hard to know if you’re making the right choice when you’re choosing from several nannies you found online and you aren’t used to this kind of hiring.

Ann Wycoff, Ph.D. of Safe and Sound Nannies, located in San Diego, CA has been screening, reference checking and interviewing nanny candidates every day for the past 19 years. She performs a thorough personality assessment (as a psychologist) to match families and professional nannies. Further, nannies also undergo a thorough background check, employment history and references (called personally by Dr. Wycoff). Here are the basic and essential screening tips that are used by Safe and Sound Nannies to check a nanny’s preliminary qualifications:

1. Define the role for your care provider
To make the nanny hiring process simple, first define the roles and responsibilities that you expect from the future nanny of your baby. Do you want a part-time or full-time nanny? Or do you need someone who is more flexible and willing to spend extra time or sleep over, in case of an emergency? Do you need housekeeping? Errands? Organizing? Scheduling flexibility? Dr. Wycoff can help guide you through this process while she learns all about the personality of each member of the family, including your pets.

2. Start the search
Once you have determined your criteria and the parameters of your job after a thorough phone call with Dr. Wycoff, she will use this information to search her database throughout the greater San Diego area for nannies who have passed her stringent criteria are the right match for your family. She will send you a small number of candidates who are right for your position. Safe and Sound Nannies sends quality, not quantity, and 90% of their client families hire the first or second nanny that they send to a family.

3. Interview the candidates
To compare different candidates, create a list of interview questions. Dr. Wycoff can provide some to you if you’d like. Most families conduct the interview in their home with their children present for some of the interview so the parents can watch them interact.

4. Open ended questions in your interview

To get inside the head of a prospective nanny, we recommend open-ended questions. Ask questions such as “what would you do if a child throws a temper tantrum?” or “what kind of disciplining techniques would you use with a child?” This is that point where you gain answers to critical concerns. You can also note how the applicant handles the situation if you disagree with her. Is she confident in her experience? Is she able to put her views and opinions aside and defer to you as the parent? Is she agreeing too much? Is she service-oriented? Does she respect authority? Is she a good blend of playmate and authority figure? Dr. Wycoff can help you with what to look for during the interview.

5. Thorough reference checking

Dr. Wycoff checks every reference through a phone call rather than relying on emails that can be evasive or may be coming from someone other than the employer. It is not enough to use a checklist to decide how well the nanny performed for the previous employer. Safe and Sound Nannies asks open ended questions and listens carefully to signs of enthusiasm or hesitation on the part of the former employer. They also make a note of how quickly the reference called back. Moms who loved their nannies are excited to talk about their experience. You can’t simply rely on information that’s provided to you. Safe and Sound Nannies writes up each reference verbatim and these references are sent to the family with the nanny’s employment history and bio. Safe and Sound Nannies in San Diego, CA recommends that you also call these references yourself so that you can ask further questions of the former employers and raise your comfort level even further.

6. Inviting the nanny for a trial period in your home.

After interviewing nanny candidates, there will be one or two who you feel are the right match for your family. Safe and Sound Nannies encourages you to try one or both (or more) separately in your home before hiring one. You’ll gain an enormous amount of information by watching the nanny in action caring for your child or children. Some families want to try her for a day, some want a week. After this trial has been conducted, the nanny has performed beautifully and is offered a position, then Dr. Wycoff helps you with a contract that lays out the parameters of the position. Only then are you responsible for paying Safe and Sound Nannies’ fee.

7. One year replacement policy.

Safe and Sound Nannies, located in San Diego, CA provides you with a one year replacement policy. If your nanny were to leave your job for any reason, other than if she isn’t given consistent pay or hours, (or is subjected to unreasonable working conditions), then Safe and Sound Nannies will replace her. Safe and Sound Nannies rarely needs to replace a nanny, as they work hard to find the right fit from the start. Sophisticated personality screening, thorough reference checking, thorough background checking, and in-depth interviewing ensure that only the most qualified nannies are accepted by the agency. By taking the time to gain a detailed understanding of each client family—their unique personalities, expectations and needs, Dr. Wycoff carefully matches the right nanny candidates to each family. Dr. Wycoff knows how important it is for your child to form a solid bond with his or her nanny, so her goal is get it right the first time. Fewer than 3% of nannies placed by Safe and Sound are replaced, and those instances are usually because a nanny moves or her situation changes in a way that precludes her remaining in her job. It is extremely rare for the agency to replace a nanny for performance issues.

Finding the best nanny in San Diego for your family is not an easy task and should not be approached lightly. There are professionals who understand how to screen and assess a nanny candidate’s skills, experience and personality to assure the best match possible. To speak with a professional and pioneer in the field of personality assessment, contact Ann Wycoff, Ph.D., from Safe and Sound Nannies at (619) 972-2505 or for more information visit: http://www.safeandsoundnannies.com.