Nannies

The average time to recruit a nanny from start to finish is 2-6 weeks.

The Signature Staff team spend a considerable amount of effort to draw up a shortlist of candidates whom are the best-fit for your household based on your requirements and their skill-set and personality.

Further time needs to be allowed for the schedules of both the client and candidates for interviews and possible subsequent trials particularly for overseas roles.

If you require and position to be filled urgently please advise your consultant of your anticipated time frame and we will work out hardest to fulfil your request.

For a temporary nanny the process can prove to be over a significantly shorter time frame (as little as 1 hour).

• What is your current position and why do you want to leave?
• Please outline your childcare qualifications?
• Have you ever had a period without a job? If so, why?
• How do you like to balance work and life?
• How would you make meal time/ bath time/ homework time more enjoyable for a child who doesn’t like it?
• Why did you choose to get into childcare?
• What do you think makes you a fantastic nanny?
• Our children are X and X, how would you entertain them?
• Have you ever looked after a fussy eater? How did you work with them to encourage them to try new things?
• Do you have experience with weaning, potty training, table-manners, reading and writing?
• Have you cooked evening meals regularly in your past jobs or at home? Did you enjoy this aspect of the role?
• If I needed you to cook a certain meal, would you need to follow a recipe/ instructions?
• Are you comfortable managing difficult situations with children?
• Our expectation is that within your role you would complete certain duties. Are there any duties outlined in the job description that you aren’t happy to undertake?
• Sometimes there could be additional babysitting required. Are you happy to babysit?

• The most underlying difference is that a nanny is a trained professional, whereas an au pair is an untrained ‘volunteer’ with no official childcare qualifications.
• For nannies, their job is a chosen profession in which they can practise their learned skills and gain valuable experience with each role to further their career. As such a nanny is employed by a family and earns a salary for her services.
• Au Pairs are specifically aged between 17 and 27 (averaging 20 years old) who come to the UK to experience a new culture. Their primary goal is to learn English and in exchange for full board and a little bit of weekly pocket money (c.£100 per week). They help around the house and with babysitting whilst attending language classes.