We're taking a look at nannies in our series of articles. We have talked about how to decide if a nanny is the right move for you, your children, and your situation, and some of the criteria that can be used to find the ideal nanny. In this article, we will give a step-by-step guide through the hiring process.
Find a reputable nanny agency. Agencies for caregivers in Canada are great, as they provide access to many different individuals interested in becoming nannies. They take care of some of the finer points of the hiring process, including criminal record checks and reference checks. To find a good agency, ask friends or co-workers whom they used to find their nanny. If that option isn't available, look for advertisements such as online flyer printing, newspaper ads, and so on. Remember to check references on the agencies themselves if you have to find one through advertisements! This could be a recommendation from someone else in your Leslieville real estate area or through testimonials.
2. Make sure the nanny agency covers the basics. If the agency you are checking doesn't perform the basic tasks (criminal checks and so on) move on to one that does. It will save you a lot of work!
3. Short list. Good agencies will have a database of potential candidates for you, and you can make a shortlist once you see their resumes, like any Toronto search firm would do when hiring. Check out the criteria we suggested in the article "The Ideal Nanny" for some suggestions on how to narrow things down.
4. Interview. Once you have a handful of candidates, it's time for the interview. You should consider doing two interviews; one with just the parents, the next with the kids as well, most likely bringing the candidate into the home plan used daily in your Toronto Annex real estate. You will know by the way the candidate interacts with the family if he or she is the right choice for the job.
Hiring a nanny to look after your children is one of the most important processes you will ever go through. You want to make sure to cover all the bases in order to get the right person, the first time.
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