Questions to Ask Before Signing With a Nanny Agency

The questions that separate a serious firm from a mediocre one, and protect you before you commit.

Choosing an agency is itself a hiring decision, and the right questions up front will tell you most of what you need to know. A reputable firm will answer all of these readily; hesitation or vagueness on any of them is itself an answer.

Ask how they vet candidates, in detail. A serious agency should be able to walk you through exactly what its background screening covers, criminal records across jurisdictions, driving history, employment and education verification, and reference checks, and tell you who conducts it. "We check references" is not enough; you want to hear specifics.

Ask about the guarantee, and its length. What happens if the placement does not work out? Is it a replacement search or a refund? How long does the guarantee last, thirty days, ninety, a year? The length tells you how confident the agency is in its own work.

Ask how they source candidates. Do they simply forward you whoever is on a list, or do they recruit to your specific brief and go find the right person if the right person is not already known to them? The difference is the difference between matching and searching.

Ask how selective they are. What share of applicants do they actually accept? A firm that takes nearly everyone is not really screening. The best are highly selective, and they will tell you so.

Ask what their fee includes, and whether candidates pay anything. You want the fee structure explained plainly, what it covers, when it is due, and whether the guarantee is included. And reputable agencies never charge the candidates; if a firm takes fees from the professionals it places, be wary.

Ask what happens after you hire. Does support end at placement, or does the agency remain a resource? Strong firms offer real post-placement support to both family and professional.

Finally, ask about their track record and reputation. How long have they been placing? How long do their placements tend to last? Can they speak to their standing in the industry? Experience and longevity are hard to fake.

A good agency welcomes every one of these questions, because the answers are exactly why a discerning family should choose them. It is what families come to Nannies + more…® for.