Other FAQ Groupings

 FAQ Families Recruiting a Nanny
 FAQ Building Successful Family : Nanny Relationships

Questions Specific to 4nannies.com Family Membership Services

What are 4nannies.com Terms of Use? What do symbols such as and that I see through out the site mean? What information about the family is published in the online advertisement? We want access to the nanny resumes only. How do we prevent our ad from being published? How do we know 4nannies.com has appropriate available candidates? How does 4nannies.com screen the candidates? How quickly will nannies respond to our inquiries? What is the difference between a Guest Membership and one of the paid memberships? How flexible is the candidate search? Can a specify a Christian nanny, or a candidate of a particular ethnic or religious background? What have other clients experienced? How does 4nannies.com help me manage my nanny recruiting? What do you mean when you say a background check is included? How does a family contact a nanny candidate? My search results show candidates that I don't want to see anymore. How can I stop this? What does the CERTIFICATE icon mean next to the nanny candidate information? How do you set the nanny salaries? How do we place our on-line advertisement? Can we change it? I staffed my position. How do I remove my job advertisement? What is 4nannies.com's placement guarantee? How does 4nannies.com recruit candidates?

What are 4nannies.com's Terms of Use?

4nannies.com publishes its Terms of Use HERE.

What do symbols such as and that I see through out the site mean?

4nannies.com uses icons through out the site to quickly communicate information to site users. All icons are defined - simply mouse over the icon and a definition will pop up.

What information about the family is published in the online advertisement?

4nannies.com makes every attempt to balance family's privacy and safety with the legitimate need nanny candidate's have to respond to your advertisement. We make several Contact Preference Options available to you as you register for services, and remain flexible for you to change these preferences at any time. When considering your Contact Preferences, please remember that 4nannies.com does not pre-screen nanny applicants. This is your responsibility.

The quickest way to see what the online advertisement looks like is to look at an advertisement by clicking on Preview Jobs on the top site navigation and look up a job. We publish to registered nannies...

• Family Name: Available to registered applicants. If your name is very unique and you are concerned that a nanny applicant may be able to use this information to obtain more specific information elsewhere on the web, you may choose to use first names only in the Family Name field - John and Mary for example coupled with an asterisk in the Last Name or an alias such as Virginia Beach Family.
  Note: Your name as it appears on your credit card is required for processing your membership. This is a separate field and is never published.
• Day time and evening telephone numbers: If a confidential search you may consider using a cell phone number. You may Opt Out either or both of these numbers.
  Warning! If your home phone number is published in directory assistance, a candidate can locate your address via other online reverse directories using this number. This further argues for the use of cell phone or non-published numbers.
• Email address: This is masked - candidates click on a link to e-mail this family and all mail is sent and tracked through 4nannies.com. This protects you from e-mail harvesting programs.
• Ages and sexes of the children: Not their names! This information is important, should you fail to provide it your family advertisement will not appear in candidate search results when they specify the maximum number of children they will care for.
• Your city and state: We never publish your street address. This is very important for your family's safety. Several 'bargain' services publish complete contact information to all site users as they do not have the flexibility of the 4nannies.com job intake processes.

Of course, all other data entered in the online position description is available to both registered and non-registered (guest) candidates. Your credit card data is only retained for billing purposes (after your subscription expires, the credit card data is purged from our databases). Our data processing and data retention processes are fully PCI compliant, and our website security is tested daily against known vunerabilities by a trusted third-party vendor. We must have the full name of the credit card holder for online billing purposes. However, this information is never published at our site.

Again, it is important that you balance your family's privacy and safety with the legitimate need nanny candidate's have to respond to your advertisement.

We want access to the nanny resumes only. How do we prevent our ad from being published?

Families have the option to keep their family job profile PRIVATE. This means that the job is not published in search results, and the only applicants who can view it are those the family has added to their FamilyFolder. The PRIVATE setting is located in the Contact & Preferences area, and may be accessed via the Member Dashboard.

** Choosing to keep your job PRIVATE (non-published) is not recommended. This site is designed to present integrated search features to families and nannies. When your job is non-published, you will not appear in applicant job search results. We have found that families who 'non-publish' their positions experience a longer staffing time and often change their mind and publish their job within the membership period.

How do we know 4nannies.com has appropriate available candidates?

4nannies.com offers families a FREE preview of the actual available candidates. The only difference between this preview and the actual nanny applications is that contact information (email, telephone numbers, addresses) are masked. We strongly recommend that you utilize this preview before you register.

How does 4nannies.com screen the candidates?

We do not pre-screen the candidates, we simply provide a comprehensive on-line interview to collect candidate data for use by the family. We do not independently verify any information supplied by the candidates. The total responsibility of screening, selecting and supervising a nanny rests with the parents.  See Terms of Use.

Bounced candidate email results in immediate removal from our candidate pool. Families are encouraged to report any instances of failed mail or invalid telephone numbers to support@4nannies.com. We must have the candidate ID number to investigate.

We do include, and strongly encourage, a candidate pre-employment background check provided by a third party as part of the family membership package. Optionally, we offer families the ability to order a professional check of candidate references at a very economical fee.  ABOUT REFERENCE CHECKING

  ABOUT BEHAVIORAL INTERVIEWING

How quickly will nannies respond to family inquiries?

Nanny candidates registered at 4nannies.com are actively seeking employment, and postings automatically expire after 21 days. Nanny candidates will generally respond to your e-mail and telephone inquiries within one to two days. If you do not receive a response within that time frame, you would be wise to try again to make sure your initial inquiry was received - e-mail is not fool-proof and people do not always get their telephone messages. We have developed a site communication feature that enables you to send candidates inquiries via the 4nannies.com website and tract the communications. Follow-up is easily done by following the 'Contact Candidate' link in your  Family Folder.

Nanny candidates are advised as a condition of membership that they are required to respond to all family inquiries. While most 4nannies.com nanny applicants keep their information current, a family will occasionally find a candidate who does not respond to e-mail or phone inquiries, or even fails to show up for an interview. We cannot control whether or not a nanny responds to your inquiry. 4nannies.com has created a reporting system to monitor nanny responsiveness and maintain the quality of our candidate pool.

To report a non-responsive nanny, or to make 4nannies.com aware of another serious issue, you may use our 'register a complaint' feature. This is located with the nanny's information in your FAMILY FOLDER. ( More About Family Folder) Upon receipt of your complaint, we will either send an e-mail to encourage her to either respond more quickly or to deactivate the nanny membership at our discretion. A nanny who fails to respond to three families is permanently removed from our registry.

What is the difference between a Guest Membership and one of the paid memberships?

Paid membership includes full site privileges, including a pre-paid background check and unrestricted contact via email or phone with the candidates. The Guest Membership is limited to searching the candidates, sending and receiving a message of interest (cannnot be personalized or include off-site contact info), and having the job posted for candidate review. Guest members often 'try us out' and upgrade after a few days to a paid membership.

How flexible is the candidate search? Can a specify a Christian nanny, or a candidate of a particular ethnic or religious background?

Many families are more comfortable with a nanny that shares their religious or ethnic beliefs, customs and world-view. This is understandable. Similarly, many Christian nannies desire placement with a Christian family, LDS nannies seek communities with LDS singles wards, etc. Our site search tool will allow paid members to search on key words - Christian or LDS for example. This will search on the essay answers given by the candidate. We do not ask the candidates about their religious preferences or ethnicity, it is completely voluntary. You are free to include your preferences in your job posting. Similarly, if you feel that your family's tradition might be a factor in finding a suitable match, you might spell these out. Same sex partners are an example; they wish to attract candidates open to their lifestyle. There are no US laws that prohibit a family from using age, sex, religion or ethnicity as a factor when chosing a household worker.

What have other clients experienced?

Firm placement data is not available as 4nannies.com is not a party to the employment relationship you enter into with a nanny. Survey data indicates 87% of families looking for live-in nannies report that they have successfully recruited a nanny within their initial 4nannies.com enrollment. The recruiting success for families looking for the live out (or come and go) nanny is reported at 66%. Nearly one-quarter of current clients have recruited with 4nannies.com in the past.

Spring 2007 Update The US economy is very strong, with historic low unemployment. This being the case, experienced nannies are in strong demand and do not remain available for long. Salaries have leveled off, but remain substantially higher than the mid-90s. Qualified and/or experienced candidates report they receive multiple competing job offers. You will experience the best results if you:

• "Sell" your family's position well in your online advertisement. If possible, personalize with a photo of you children, home, or nanny quarters.
• Be competitive in your salary, benefits, perquisites, and position description. MOST candidates are unwilling to accept full charge housekeeping along with child care; keep this in mind when specifying household responsibilities. See  Nanny Salary and Compensation for more specifics.
• Benefits: A combination of 10 sick/vacation days is the norm. A full time nanny expects to be paid her weekly rate for 52 weeks per year, even if the family takes additional holidays without her.
• Live In Positions, make the nanny quarters as inviting as possible. Fresh paint, a nice TV/VCR, a private phone are all appreciated. A gift certificate to a local linen supply store is a nice way to let the nanny 'personalize' her space.
• Don't Wait! If you find a strong candidate, act promptly. She is looking for a position NOW ... if your position doesn't start for three weeks, you might consider moving the date up to lock in the good candidate.

If you need to renew your service after your initial subscription expires, returning families are offered renewal discounts - and still receive all of the same benefits. This reduced fee is available any time within 12 months of registration.

How does 4nannies.com help me manage my nanny recruiting?

4nannies.com knows that keeping track of the nanny candidates you are pursuing is a vital component of a successful recruiting effort. We have integrated the Family Folder, a unique contact management system, into every family membership. To access your Family Folder, mouse over Resources > Family Folder

 MORE INFORMATION: FAMILY FOLDER

What do you mean when you say a background check is included?

4nannies.com is proud to be the only online nanny recruiting venue to include a FCRA compliant pre-employment criminal background check in the subscription fee. (Candidates residing in the US and Canada Only.) Yes, this costs more, but the safety of little children is not a place to cut expenses!

Verifications Inc. (VI), a Minnesota based corporation with a national background screening network, will perform a social security number trace (SSN Trace) to determine your candidate's previous residence(s), confirm date of birth, and any other names or aliases associated with that SSN for the past 7 years. Additionally they will perform an in-court criminal records search in the one county that you indicate to determine if the individual has been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor in a given jurisdiction within the past 7 years. Additional searches and optional investigations may also be ordered. If your candidate has lived in multiple counties, as determined by the SSN trace, we strongly encourage you to obtain criminal searches on those locations also.

Registered members, to order your background check simply click on Background Check on the site header and follow the online instructions. You will be challenged for your member ID and password as you order and issued the appropriate credit prior to order submittal.

Registered members may order additional searches on additional candidates. The basic search will be discounted significantly when you provide your member ID and password when challenged.

 BACKGROUND CHECKING FAQ

How does a family contact a nanny candidate?

A family must be registered and logged in to see the contact information of the nanny candidates. 4nannies.com provides an efficient automated system to families to contact nannies. A family follows these steps:

• Log on with your family ID and password.
• Click the link Preview Nannies.
• Either filter the applicants using the search criteria OR key a specific nanny ID into the Quick Search box.
• Click to view full applicant information.
• At the bottom of the applicant information, you will see a box titled "Reply to this resume." You may type in a message to the applicant of any length. This is generally something to the effect 'Hello. We viewed your application at 4nannies.com and would like to talk to you about our family and our position. Could you please call 212.555.1212 between 7 and 10 EST to discuss? Collect calls are okay.'
  
  Simply click on Send Reply and the nanny is automatically emailed. The email will include a link to your family's online job description. You may send yourself a copy of the communication by clicking the Send Me a Copy box.
• When you contact a nanny via this website, nanny information is automatically entered into your Family Folder for future reference.

My search results show candidates that I don't want to see anymore. How can I stop this?

Families who are registered and logged into their account can mark candidate applications to be hidden from their search results. From the Nanny Search Results, click view this resume. At the top of the Resume Detail page, click Hide this Nanny.

If at a later date you want to include hidden applicants in your search results, use the Advanced Search tool and click on the option VIEW ALL, including hidden resumes.

A few notes...

• Candidates whom you have hidden from Search Results may still view your online job advertisement and respond to your posting.
• Candidates whom you have hidden from Search Results may still be viewable in your Family Folder if either you contacted the candidate, or the candidate contacted you. To remove from your  Family Folder, you must check the box next to the candidate(s) name(s), and Submit the page.

What does the CERTIFICATE icon mean next to the nanny candidate information?

4nannies.com has teamed with a reputable Nanny Training provider to develop a nanny skills assessment. This free online assessment, found at 4NannyTraining.com, evaluates the nanny candidates knowledge in the following areas:

• Child Development
• Appropriate Discipline
• Nutrition
• Child Safety
• Childhood Illnesses
• Communication Skills & Household Management

This skills assessment is NOT a training program, simply a measurement tool of the nanny's strengths and weaknesses in these areas. The nanny is presented with 50 random questions (out of more than 250 questions in the database) in the five measured areas. The nanny's skills assessment results are made available to the family by the nanny. Simply click on the icon to view the scored skills assessment report. You may view the actual questions asked and the answers given.

What training and regulation exist in the United States for nannies?

There are no national standards for nanny training and no national OR state regulation of nannies. Anyone may apply for a nanny job or call themselves a nanny.

It is imperative that a family thoroughly interview, screen, and manage their child's nanny!

All candidates are not equal, and all families' requirements for their nanny are not the same. Most US nannies will limit their responsibilities to the safety and well being of the children in their care, and will not assume full housekeeping duties.

The International Nanny Association has developed a Nanny Credentialing Exam, the product of many years of development and testing. Sadly, very few professional nannies have obtained their INA credential. Families may look for membership in professional associations such as the National Association for Nanny Care and the International Nanny Association as indicators of the candidate's commitment to professional development.

Families are strongly encouraged to order a  background check of their final candidate before she starts work to help them discover any inconsistencies in the nanny resume. Please do not rely simply on a good interview or instinct alone!

How do you set the nanny salaries?

You, the family, are responsible for establishing the nanny salary with the candidate. Nanny candidates are asked to state their salary expectations during the on-line interview to assist you in pre-screening the candidate pool. Remember that experienced nannies are currently in great demand, and salaries have escalated in the last few years. It is rare to find a live in nanny willing to accept a position at less than $300/week, and experienced candidates command substantially more ($400-$600 per week). Generally, you get what you pay for. The bargain nanny will likely not stay with you long before they move on to a higher paying position. Your best gauge for establishing a salary is asking friends and neighbors what they are paying. You can be sure the nanny will find this out in short order anyway and you do not want to compare unfavorably. Families who are unable to afford current nanny salaries may consider  'Nanny Sharing', where two families team up to share a nanny.

 MORE INFORMATION ABOUT SALARY, BENEFITS

How do we place our on-line advertisement? Can we change it?

The on-line family advertisement is automatically generated from the on-line family interview you complete as part of the registration process. It is abbreviated due to space constraints and full family information may be obtained by 'clicking' on the job posting. Registered families may change their advertisement by placing your mouse over Update Information and click on Modify Job.

When a family modifies (changes) information on their job advertisement, the job advertisement is temporarily taken offline until an administrator can review and re-post it. During this period, a nanny candidate who looks up your family advertisement by family ID number will receive the following message: "This family job posting has been recently updated and is awaiting administrative review. It should be available for viewing within the next business day - please check back."

I staffed my position. How do I remove my job advertisement?

Congratulations! You must be logged in to 4nannies.com to remove you job advertisement. Simply mouse over Update Information and click on REMOVE JOB ADVERT. You will receive a confirming message that your job advertisement has bee removed. Should a nanny candidate attempt to retrieve your information by directly entering your family ID number, the candidate will receive the following message:"This family job posting is not available for viewing. The family remains an active 4nannies.com member."

IMPORTANT: You will continue to have full site privileges for the remainder of your membership period. We encourage you to avail yourself of the Member Toolkit, including the downloadable work agreement, as you finalize your arrangements with your newly hired nanny. You may order a background check for up to 30 days after membership expiration.

What is 4nannies.com's placement guarantee?

4nannies.com is a classified advertisement service and we DO NOT guarantee successful placement. We make every effort to provide you, the family, with a comprehensive suite of recruiting tools and advice to guide you in the process to maximize your chances of success. See Terms of Use.

Site use subscriptions are offered in varying lengths; renewing clients receive a discounted renewal membership.

How does 4nannies.com recruit candidates?

We are the original online nanny employment site. We began operations in April 1998 - a full two and a half years before any competing sites. We are well known within the nanny community, a tremendous benefit to subscribing families. 4nannies.com utilizes a number of nanny recruitment channels, both online and through more conventional means. Our aggressive recruitment has resulted in more than 125,000 candidates registered since spring 1998. We generally experience a 5:1 ratio of candidates to families seeking nannies.

We attract numerous nanny candidates in the spring-time looking for summer-only employment. These applicants are primarily female college students, often in fields of study involving children (Education, Nursing, Physical Education, Early Childhood Development) and have quite a bit of baby-sitting experience. They are generally NOT interested in nannying as a career, nor are they looking for permanent employment. These applicants can be screened out by the family seeking a permanent provider, and are a tremendous asset to families seeking temporary, summer only care givers.