Nanny Job Description How-to

One of the first steps in hiring a nanny is putting together a job description. Bringing on board an in-home caregiver for your children is a decision you don’t want to take lightly. A thorough, comprehensive, and well-developed nanny job description will help attract the types of applicants you want to interview and ultimately offer the position of caring for your children.

The hiring process isn’t easy, and you don’t want to go through it again because you employed the wrong person.

But before you put fingers to keyboard and bang out your job description, think about what your position will entail. Consider all aspects of your nanny’s job including duties (essential and non-essential), responsibilities, work hours, schedule, and requirements. Determine what you want in a nanny such as experience, skills, abilities, and talents. Also, will your nanny be live-in or live-out?

Once you’ve given your position some thought, you’re ready to craft the perfect nanny job description so you can pick a nanny who is an ideal fit for the job.

What’s in a nanny job description

Your nanny job description should include:

Title

State the official title of the position. Typically, this is simply “nanny” but can be “nanny/housekeeper” or “nanny/personal assistant” if you’re looking for a caregiver who will also do your housework or errands. Just remember that professional caregivers will be seeking jobs that focus specifically on childcare. Adding more duties outside of childcare may turn off some qualified candidates.

Summary

Provide a one- or two-sentence summary of the position that describes the primary function of the job. Indicate if the job is seasonal (you just need a summer nanny) or temporary with a set end date.

Work schedule

Include the number of hours and days of the week your nanny is expected to work and whether these will be guaranteed hours. If their schedule will vary day-to-day or week-to-week, describe your situation. Some nannies may not mind a varied schedule but it’s important to be clear on expectations. Also, state if the job is for a live-out or live-in nanny.

Who will be in their care

List the number and ages of the children your nanny will have responsibility for.

Essential functions

Stipulate the primary responsibilities of the position. These are the necessary functions of the job to be performed on a regular basis. They could include preparing meals, taking children to music lessons or sports practices, and more.

Non-essential functions

These are the duties that account for a small part of the job. These tasks could be picking up after the day, doing the children’s laundry as needed, arranging play dates, and others.

Knowledge, skills, and abilities

Here is where you list the qualities of your ideal nanny. Consider your “must-haves” and “nice to haves” as candidates likely won’t meet all of your criteria. But putting together a strong nanny job description will help you find caregivers with the qualities you most desire.

These qualities can include:

• Knowledge of basic first aid and CPR
• Certifications
• Licenses
• Background in early childhood education
• College degree
• Years of experience
• Fluent in a second language
• Skilled in music or art
• Driver’s license and clean driving record
• Non-smoker

Wage and benefits

State a gross hourly wage and overtime rate (if applicable). This is what your nanny will earn before tax withholdings. Your position’s hourly rate will be determined by:

• Location (working in an area with a greater cost of living means a higher hourly rate)
• How many children the nanny will care for (more children means more money)
• Ages of your children (nannies may ask for higher pay to look after infants and toddlers as opposed to school-aged children who are more independent and may require less supervision)
• Skills, education, and experience (a more qualified nanny will demand a higher hourly rate)

The Nanny Salary & Benefits Survey by the International Nanny Association can be helpful in determining how much to offer for your position.

Is there potential for performance bonuses? Will you offer annual reviews with the opportunity for raises? Anything that will influence your nanny’s pay – and make your job stand out from the others – should be included.

Offering benefits like health insurance or a retirement plan is a great way to attract the top candidates to your position.

Also, include paid time off. How many days will your nanny receive? Does this include sick days? Will you ask your nanny to take PTO when you go on vacation?

Working conditions

Add details like pets in the home, whether a family car will be provided, and the location of the job. You should also indicate whether any of your children have special needs.

Success factors

What will make a nanny successful in your position? What qualities or personality traits do you want? Reliability, trustworthiness, positive attitude, attention to detail, and good communications are some qualities you may seek in a nanny.

How to use your nanny job description

Now that you have a comprehensive nanny job description you’ll use it to attract applicants to your job by posting it online, sharing it with family and friends, or providing it to your nanny agency so they can match candidates to your job. Also, have a copy of the job description with you during every interview whether in-person or on the phone. Refer to it when determining if the applicant is a good fit for your position.

Once you’ve hired a nanny, one of your next steps is to create a work agreement. This is one of the most important documents in household employment. A comprehensive nanny job description can be the basis for your work agreement.

GTM can help

If you think finding and hiring a nanny is a hassle and time-consuming, then you won’t want to take on household payroll and taxes. But don’t worry, GTM Payroll Services can manage it all for you from paying your nanny by direct deposit to filing employment taxes to handling your workers’ compensation policy. You’ll also get unlimited support from a team of household employment experts. All of this with just one call to (800) 929-9213. Call now for a complimentary, no-obligation consultation.

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