Don’t be fooled – cheap nannies

It is simply human nature and a fact of life that we all look for a bargain. When we plan to buy something or use some service, we look to get the best at the lowest possible price. In the back of our minds we really all know that you ‘get what you pay for’ and that the correct price or level of anything is determined by the market it falls within.
In the nanny industry the balance in employee and employer requirements translates as the nannies looking for the highest possible pay (and decent family) and the families look to find the ‘cheapest’ or relatively good value nanny who is at the same time extremely competent and fulfils all their requirements.
Whilst it is true that there is a band of salary range which a very good nanny will accept and if you are really lucky you might find a nanny who is very good but who also accepts the lower end of that salary range, really it’s unlikely that you will find the best, most competent nanny who simultaneously is happy to accept a pay which is lower than her/his true worth.

There are many facts which need to be considered when employing, or looking to employ, a nanny.

A good nanny normally knows her or his own worth. Even if they are not acutely money focussed, their friends and other nannies will always point out to them what they should be earning. To be fair, friends and other nannies will usually exaggerate and somewhat inflate their ‘value’, which is not entirely helpful, but is a fact which needs to be borne in mind.
A nanny is unlikely to accept a lower rate just due to the fact that you offer a very good location, or accommodation or other benefit. Other employers will also be offering similar benefits. Ultimately nanny looks for a decent job and working conditions but is as concerned with how much is going into their bank account as you are. They are, like everyone, looking to cover their outgoings and save for their future.
Nannying can be hard work and very long hours, and when it’s been a particularly hard day they will consider again how much they are being paid and whether it is really worth it – can they earn more elsewhere or can they take another job which is easier/shorter hours and still make enough? Nannies often have to work hard to correctly look after, develop and entertain your children. Sometimes it is also boring (if there are periods of time when the children are out at school and there’s not too much for them to do). Boredom can be harder to cope with than being franticly busy!

The Hidden Cost of Cheap Nannies

If you do offer your new nanny a low-ish rate and they accept, be aware that they maybe only accepted the lower rate because they are not actually as skilled or as experienced as they made out OR they are not planning to remain with you for long term anyway. Neither of these is desirable and therein lies the true hidden costs of employing a too-cheap nanny! Finding out too late that nanny is not as good as you expected, or worse still, actually bad and unreliable or that you are left ‘holding the baby’, as new nanny moves on to her next job/ career/ project/ (victim!) leaves you with far more to worry about than if you had paid a fair rate for a better nanny in the first place.

Kinder Nannies Nanny Agency knows the nanny industry inside out and advises on pay, conditions etc.

We promote fair pay. This way everyone is happy and the job is more likely to continue happily and over a longer term. Kinder Nannies has considerable experience and we will guide you on the nannies ‘value’ on the basis of her/his skills, experience, qualifications and other attributes. We can recognise a super nanny, and we can also recognise a lower skilled nanny. When it comes to nannies it is not ‘one size fits all’; What one family adores in a nanny another might severely dislike. For example, there are nannies who are extremely competent and experienced who join a family and sort them all out – including the parents! Some love to have someone take over and direct, for others, they can’t bear it and would rather someone less experienced who is more likely to defer to the parents, than takeover completely.

What should I look out for when choosing my perfect nanny?

There are certainly some very basic skills and attributes to look out for in every good nanny:

1. Honestly, reliability, trustworthiness
2. Punctuality, good organisational skills
3. A good previous work history (ideally not too many short term jobs in different areas)
4. A ‘can-do’ attitude, someone who embraces change and any new instruction or challenge.
5. Good moral code (they are looking after your children!).

And as expected the things which would put all nanny employer families off are the reverse of all the points above, but furthermore, alarm bells may ring for:

1. Someone whose work history does not stack up – their work history differs on paper to that explained during interview
2. Someone who says yes to everything and has no questions to ask
3. Someone who is looking for a nanny job for a very long time, who is registered with several agencies and still does not find a job. They then disappear for a while, before coming back again to look for a job. It could be that this person is not a good nanny candidate.
4. Someone who is willing to accept a very low pay. Are they just not money- aware, or are they not able to get any other job – if so why not?

Kinder Nannies checks for all these points and more

It may be understood that the Nanny Industry in the UK is unregulated, however there are in fact many laws governing employment, employment agencies - such as Kinder Nannies & Staff, and everyone working in the employment services industry has to adhere to these regulations. They govern what one can and cannot ask a candidate, discrimination, advertising standards, privacy, employment contracts etc. Becoming an employer is a significant responsibility and those who try to navigate the whole process without the proper professional guidance of a reputable agency are certainly ‘brave’ as a minimum!

Kinder Nannies has a plentiful of advice and can spot a good, bad or indifferent nanny a mile off!

We have a tonne of advice for finding, selecting, and on-boarding your new nanny. We can discuss with you, how much you should pay and why, what to avoid offering and what you should put in the nanny contract. Kinder also works with ‘Junior’ or ‘Trainee’ Nannies. If you are have a restricted budget for a nanny and your circumstances do not require a more experienced and highly trained nanny, then a Junior Nanny may be for you. Please call to discuss with our team. These junior nannies are not the same as a ‘cheap nanny’ as they are transparent about their lower amount of experience and are new in their career as a nanny.

Experienced Nanny Agency, to help find, select and support your new nanny

Selecting a nanny and making this very private employment arrangement work is a skill.
If you feel that it’s worth having all the help of seasoned industry professionals, and limitless guidance for you as a client. If finding your perfect nanny, having all the interviews and vetting professionally taken care of, in exchange for a fee equivalent to few weeks’ nanny pay sounds fair to you then call Kinder Nannies now. We won’t waste your time and will get straight to work for you.

Find me the best possible nanny for a fair rate of pay - here's my Brief!