Expectations for Professional Nannies and Housekeepers
When we receive inquiries, we occasionally find families looking for a “full-time babysitter”, a “house cleaner”, or a “maid”. This gives us the opportunity to differentiate the candidates we represent – career-minded, professional Nannies and Housekeepers such as yourselves. With that distinction comes higher pay, vacations/holidays/sick time, legal pay, an official work agreement, and an additional set of expectations.
Families expect that professional nannies and housekeepers are:
- Proactive:
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- Nannies build a schedule/routine and know what to do instead of being told, and will build educational activities into the day
- Housekeepers jump right in with a daily/weekly/monthly checklist (tailored to the specific household), take initiative to organize, and keep track of inventory/supplies
- Have industry-related knowledge:
- Nannies will know age-appropriate activities, developmental milestones, and will have expertise in the age group of the children in their care (e.g., sleep training, potty training, when to introduce foods, homework assistance, etc.)
- Housekeepers will know what cleaning products should be used on what items, have an idea about how to use natural products,
- Organized and detail-oriented: Families should not have to double-check your work or tell you to do something more than once.
- Reliable and punctual
- Flexible, with a can-do, positive attitude
- Excellent communicators: Nannies and Housekeepers should be clear, open and honest. They should check in regularly, making sure important conversations are done face-to-face.
While most of our career nannies and housekeepers deliver on these expectations, we do occasionally hear from families that their candidates are not living up to the professionalism they anticipated. Even if you feel like you are doing an excellent job, it never hurts to check in every so often to see if you have room to improve, and make it very clear that you are open and receptive to feedback.
If you would like to apply to one of our jobs or have any questions, please email us!