Creating a Great Nanny Job

By Colleen O'Connor

Even in an employer's market, the best jobs will attract the best candidates. When hiring a nanny, create a position that will appeal to the kind of caregiver you seek. Here are some criteria to consider:

Hours: A full-time job should require no more than 50 hours per week. You may have a harder time finding a nanny if you ask for lots of evening/weekend work, schedule 10+ hour days, have a highly variable schedule, or expect on-call availability. Be prepared to pay overtime or give compensentory time off for extra hours worked. If you can, offer occasional flexibility to accomodate a nanny's personal or family needs.

Job Duties: The best childcare professionals will want to devote the majority of their time and attention to the children. While some child-related household work (such as general cleanup, preparing children's meals, and washing children's laundry) is standard, asking for intensive housework may dissuade some nannies.

Compensation: Do some research to find out what going pay is for the kind of candidate you seek. Most nannies don't receive many benefits, so consider perks such as a contribution to health insurance or a family car to use when driving the children. When it comes to taking paid vacation time, typically the nanny is allowed to choose half of the days and the family the other half. Be sure to pay your nanny legally as most experienced nannies won't accept being paid "off the books."

Freedom: As with most employees, nannies want some autonomy to take children on outings or lead activities of their choice. Many experienced nannies will hesitate to work for a family in which a parent frequently works from home.


As a note, don't take your cues from Craigslist "nanny wanted" ads when creating a competitive nanny job. Many of the job postings on Craigslist are unrealistic in their expectations and pay; these families may find caregivers but they won't be the highly-experienced nannies we place. The best jobs are often not advertised through Craigslist or similar sources as families appreciate the screening, privacy, and time savings that only an agency can provide. Nannies from the Heartland will always provide our client families with feedback on how to make their job attractive to nanny candidates.