You can find a nanny the very same day you start looking, or it can take months. It depends on how competitive the position is your are offering(hours, pay, benefits) and the specific requirements you are looking for.

The rule of thumb used to be that it takes around 4-6 weeks to find a good nanny. Your dream nanny may be currently employed and has to give notice to his/her current job, or they may even be relocating to start working for you.

It’s also important to consider the methods you are using to find a caregiver for your family.

YOU ARE: Searching for a long-term caregiver for your newborn or young children.

YOU WANT: A career professional that is able to discreet, professional, organized, timely, and well-qualified.

While it’s not true that local job boards and social media have never worked for families looking to hire, it often adds extra time to your candidate search, and leaves you with limited options and extra stress. It can leave you feeling pressured to “just hire someone already!” after you get ghosted for the third time that week, or interview someone that ends up not being as qualified as they had said.

Desperation is the last thing you want during your search for a nanny.

Let’s consider the following scenario: You post in a Facebook group looking for a nanny.

I’ve got this, you think to yourself as you carefully curate your job description:

“Loving family of four…searching for a reliable, responsible, caregiver for our two precious daughters…”

Hmmm.. am I forgetting anything? You think to yourself.

Oh, right! “Must be CPR and First-Aid certified, COVID vaccinated, and taking necessary precautions…Hourly rate is negotiable and depending on experience. Can be flexible in the schedule and willing to discuss extras for the right fit.”

There. I’ve done it. That wasn’t so hard.

You get 20 responses. (Not bad!)*

You finally get the contact information for all of these potential candidates. This is so exciting! Now… you don’t have a resume from them, but that no problem, you can just ask them to send one over when you talk next week. Wait… some of them don’t have resumes. Is that normal? No worries. You can just call their references (hopefully they have some?).

The time has come to call the candidates! Half of them don’t pick up. Some of them ghost you after the first-round phone screen. Some of them are not at all what you were looking for. Some of them misunderstood the job posting. This could go on for weeks. Or months.

*For reference, most elite professional job screening processes usually filter out about 95% of applicants, leaving only 5% of those applicants actually considered for hire. If you were to screen 20 candidates properly and ask the right questions, that would mean that only 1 of them should fit the criteria for an in-person interview for your particular role.

Almost every single client that we speak with asks: “How long does it typically take to find a nanny?”

A typical nanny search using an agency can take anywhere from 1-3 months to find the perfect fit. During this time an agency will be combing through hundreds of resumes of active and passive job-seekers using their current database of candidates as well as paid advertisements and established contacts in order to get the widest pool of talent options available.

We recommend starting your search no sooner than 3 months before your anticipated start date. The sweet spot is right around 6 weeks.

What you shouldn’t do is waste too much time searching on your own. Most first-time moms start their search while on maternity leave. They follow the above-mentioned formula of looking on local job boards and start to panic when it gets closer to the day they are supposed to return to work.

Why not leave it to the hiring professionals? Working with an agency will give you peace of mind, so that you can focus on doing the things in life that matter most to you.

You’ve got enough on your plate in your day-to-day life — let us make your life easier by handling your unique household staffing needs.

If you are a family looking to hire a nanny, household employee or other home service, submit an application with My Household Managed.

If you are a professional nanny, house manager, or other household employee looking for a job, apply at My Household Managed.