Many parents are eager about the prospects of hiring their own Family Helper, but often aren’t sure where to start. Following these 10 steps can help assure your family gets the right help they need and the right helper to provide it.
1. Determine the needs of your family
Consider what type of help you need. Are you looking for someone to help out around the house or someone to care for the kids? Are you in need of a full-time helper or part-time helper? What salary range are you looking to hire in? Does your helper need any special skills? You can find a list of helper definitions here.
2. Draft a written job description
Consider the role you want your helper to play and the responsibilities you want your helper to have. Define your expectations and conditions for employment.
3. Contact Family Helpers
Once you have an idea of the type of helper you wish to hire, contact our agency. Family Helpers can help you find the right helper for your family by presenting to you only well-screened candidates that can meet your family’s needs and fulfill your employment expectations.
4. Contact the applicants you’re interested in
Once you’ve reviewed the information on the candidates we’ve presented, contact the ones you’re interested in. Be sure to discuss the basics about the position that you’re offering and about the candidate’s work history, experience, training and interests.
5. The in-person interview
Once you’ve narrowed down your list from the phone interview, arrange an in-person interview with the most promising candidates. Many families who will be hiring a nanny prefer the candidates to come to their home so they can observe how they interact with their children. Parents should get to know the candidates more and screen for compatibility during this stage of the interview process.
6. Set up a working interview
Once you’ve decided on your top candidates, consider arranging a working interview Observing candidates while they work will give you the best indicator of how they perform their job. It will also alert you to any potential concerns and confirm your thoughts on who may be the best person for your job.
7. Complete Reference/background screenings: Once you’re convinced you found the right helper for your family, let our agency know.
At this point, we will further investigate the background and references of the candidate you wish to offer your position to. We’ll present you with our research so you can make an informed decision about offering the candidate the job.
8. Job the candidate the position
Prepare a written work agreement to present to your candidate with the job offer. Family Helpers provides all of our clients with a sample agreement they can use to create their own. A written work agreement can help solidify roles, responsibilities and expectations and prevent future conflicts about terms of employment.
9. Starting the Job
Once the employment agreement is signed by both parties and the start date is determined, your candidate is ready to begin work.
10. Relationship maintenance
Open and honest communication is the key to a successful helper/employer relationship. Holding regular meetings to discuss work related issues, concerns and accomplishments can help keep the lines of communication between the helper/employer open. Annual reviews also provide an opportunity to document a helper’s performance.