Hiring a nanny can be an intimidating process; do you know for example what you should look for in an applicant, what questions you should ask, how many references you should check? If not, working with a placement agency can be an excellent way of finding a suitable applicant and ensuring the subsequent paperwork to enable that person to work for you is dealt with correctly and efficiently.

Before deciding to use a particular agency, do your research; ask people you know who have hired live-in caregivers which agencies they used, find out what the service was like, both before and after the caregiver arrived, and if they would use that agency again.  The purpose of using an agency after all is to reduce the stress of finding a suitable applicant, you should be sure you can trust them to do so.

A good agency will show an interest in your family, assess what they feel your needs are i.e. work schedule, number of children, etc. and recommend applicants to you on these bases.

If you wish to hire someone locally, the agency will only send you pre-screened applicants, who they have already assessed as being suitable for your family. This will save you heaps of time by avoiding having to read through every application should you have advertised for the position yourself and interviewing many unsuitable candidates before finding one you like.  By working with an agency you should feel confident that the applicants you are interviewing with will already have had their references checked up on and have been deemed by the agency to be good applicants.

If you are hiring someone from overseas, using an agency can mean having access to a much larger pool of applicants, who again will have already been pre-screened. The drawbacks of hiring overseas in not being able to meet the candidate in person, have been minimised in recent years with families being able to communicate regularly with their chosen nanny throughout the processing time by phone, email and webcam.  Some agencies may require this communication to be regulated by them initially to minimise the opportunity for unsuitable candidates to make undue requests of the family i.e. asking for money.

There are also benefits to be had by using an agency after your nanny or caregiver has arrived. The agency should follow up closely with you both, and offer suggestions during the sometimes tricky initiation period. Throughout the employment you should know you have the agency as a contact should you or your nanny have any questions and concerns, and be confident that you have the most up to date information as an employer in regards to such items as minimum wage increases, new mandates made to the Live-in Caregiver program and labour standards in your province.

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