Your first few weeks at a new job can be both exciting and challenging. You and the family both have a lot to learn about ways to communicate best with each other, preferred work style, and personal preferences. The family may feel nervous about having a new person in their home and may be on high alert for any red flags or potential problems. You may have many questions and may be fearful of appearing incompetent or overstepping boundaries.

An overall goal during the first week should be to make the family feel at ease and build the element of trust. This trust-factor is essential to ensure a great long-term working relationship. Soon, the family will be so impressed with you that they will wonder how they ever managed their life without you and you will be on the fast-track to being an irreplaceable employee!

Show Up on Time 

The night before your first day, properly plan your commute to make sure you will show up on time, accounting for any delays due to traffic or parking issues. If you will need to get a parking sticker from the family, be sure to allot extra time for running inside to grab the parking permit, or keep some in your car, so that you can actually "start" at the time you are expected to, if not a few minutes early. Also remember to factor in time for being buzzed into buildings, being greeted by doormen, or riding in elevators. The family will need extra time during your first week to get you settled in, so timeliness is of utmost importance, especially early-on.

Be Prepared 

Come prepared with a game plan or ideas for the week and a way to stay organized. A nanny (or any other household employee)  should have a proactive nature. Keep in mind that the family has hired you to help make their lives run more smoothly and would appreciate it if you brought your own ideas or thought problems through rather than relying on them for step by step directions.. Be proactive in managing your own day to day duties as much as possible, as a family of working professionals with young children would appreciate having one less person to micromanage.

Go The Extra Mile

Small gestures like tidying up the home, doing dishes, or organizing the children's play areas are all things that the family might appreciate. Find out what the family values (cleanliness, organization, keeping their children active) and ways to integrate those into your daily routine.

If you are a nanny, bring activities or come with project ideas to engage the kids. A fun arts and craft project, building a fort out of cardboard boxes, making slime, or trying a new recipe or all things that will not only be fun for the kids, but will impress the parents! Hold off on suggesting taking the children to activities that require you to drive the children or go far distances outside of the home until the family gets more familiar with you or suggests it first. Instead, maybe find walkable activities or something that can be done indoors or in the neighborhood.

Dress Appropriately

You can ask the family if they have a specific dress code in mind, but most households will expect you to dress casually. Do make sure your appearance is neat and professionally appropriate, however. Wear something that you can feel comfortable moving around in, especially if you will be cleaning, tidying up the home or sitting on the floor playing with children. It might also be helpful to keep a sweater or jacket on hand in case you get cold in the home. Remember that as a household employee you represent the family, while you are “on the clock”. While most of the work is done inside the home, you may go out into the community while you are running errands or picking up children from school. There is a chance you will see a friend of the family, neighbor, colleague, or family member of your employer, so be mindful of the clothing choices you make.

Get To Know the Family's Preferences and House Rules

One personality trait that makes a great household employee is the ability to “read a room”,  anticipate needs before they are addressed, and knowing when to step in and step away as needed.

In addition to the dress code, there will be spoken and unspoken rules around the home that you will slowly learn with time and experience.  For example, family members might all take their shoes off at the door, or maybe they keep their bread in the refrigerator instead of on the counter. To learn the answer to questions like these you should either not be afraid to ask questions, or be prepared to pay very close attention to detail. 

Some questions you may have in your new role are:

• What are the family’s house rules?

• Are children allowed to have screen time?

• Are there any items that do not go in the dishwasher and should be washed by hand?

• How do you operate the appliances, security systems, heating/cooling systems, and TV?

• Which clothing items should be hung to dry and which clothing items are dry clean only?

• Which areas of the home should remain child-proofed?

Be Mindful of Boundaries

Professionalism

While you will likely share information about yourself with the family as you get to know each other, be mindful of oversharing about your personal life. Some things are better left unsaid in order to make sure the family views you as a professional first and foremost. We believe professionalism is so important that we have an entirely separate blog post about it here.

Privacy

Inevitably, you will learn things about the family that should be kept confidential. Do not take photos of the family's home or children unless you are given permission to do so. Many families have a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) in place, but even if they don’t, you should assume that the family requires that the identities of their children and the location of their home is to remain private. You should also refrain from sharing your location on social media while you are out with children as well as their names and faces.

In conclusion, remember to keep in mind that your professionalism and attempt at making a good first impression should extend beyond just the first week. Timeliness, preparation, effort, discretion, good communication, and the ability to pay attention to detail will take you far in your career in private households.

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 for a nanny, house manager, personal assistant, or other domestic staff, submit an application with My Household Managed.

If you are a professional household employee looking for a job, apply at My Household Managed.

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