How to trial a nanny

The relationship with your nanny is probably the most intimate relationship you can have, other than with your romantic partner. So it’s really hard to make the right call based solely on one or two interviews. A trial should be your essential last step before making your final decision to hire a nanny. It will give you a better idea of how the nanny might blend into your lifestyle, how they interact with your children and how they might adapt to your parenting style and needs.

These 8 recommendations will show you exactly how to trial a nanny, helping you sail through the process and have a smoother and happier transition when you’re ready to move ahead.

1. Schedule trials after you’ve shortlisted your top nannies

Trials should be arranged after you’ve completed the interviews and made a shortlist of your favourite nannies. A trial can last anything from a couple of hours to a few days.

Make sure you put the nanny’s practical skills to the test no matter how long the trial is. If you have a baby, ask her to change a nappy, bath, bottle feed or settle them if they’re restless; for toddlers, ask her to play with them or prepare a basic meal and for older children, get the nanny to play with one of their favourite toys and perhaps prepare a meal too. If you’re trialling for a nanny-housekeeper, you can ask them to tidy up or clean something too. For longer trials, you can gradually start giving them more responsibility and possibly leave them alone in your home for a couple of hours.

It’s also worth noting that with any permanent nanny contract, you have a probation period during which the notice period is typically a week.

2. Trial as many nannies as you feel comfortable with

How many nannies you trial will depend on how comfortable you feel and most likely your schedule. If you’re hiring a nanny for the first time, we recommend trialling 3-4 nannies, although 1-2 is often enough for some parents. A more experienced parent/nanny employer might be satisfied with one trial, simply because they’ll have comparison points of reference from prior nannies.

3. Things to look out for during a trial

Most importantly, it’s about how you feel about having that person in your home (quite possibly spending more time there than you). How do you feel about them being around your children and becoming one of their role models? Also, are they coachable and will they take guidance and instructions from you? And how comfortable will you feel giving them instructions? Or, if you’re looking for someone to guide you rather than just a helping hand, you should be looking out for how comfortable they are sharing their expertise. This probably goes without saying, but if you’re hiring a nanny, they should definitely take a keen interest in your children.

4. Nannies are usually paid for trials

You should expect to pay the nanny for a trial if it lasts longer than a couple of hours. This would typically be at a standard live-out rate of £13-£15 per hour.

At myTamarin we allow you to trial a nanny for up to 2 consecutive days without charging you a matching fee. And some parents opt to go for a 3-week temporary contract instead of a trial if they have a clear top candidate.

5. Don’t be afraid to discuss your expectations, likes or dislikes

The trial is a way of introducing a nanny to your home, routine and schedule. It’s also the prime opportunity to establish any boundaries, discuss any likes or dislikes and set the tone for communication and feedback. If you do this now, you’ll both have clear expectations of each other, and this will make it much easier if you decide to move forward.

Boundaries can be childcare or household related - e.g. keeping a diary for your child every day, making sure your children are outside every day for at least two hours (come rain or shine), cleaning after every meal (instead of leaving things to pile up during the day), or keeping the children away from your office if you’re working from home.

6. Give the nanny enough time to shine

There’s no point in wasting anyone’s time so if it’s not working for you, you can decide to end a trial sooner than originally agreed. But make sure you give the nanny enough time in the trial to warm up and to shine. Yes, the nanny is an expert in her chosen field, but it doesn’t automatically mean they’ll be an expert with your children the minute they walks into your home. Also, take into consideration the general mood of your child on the day of the trial. If they’re in a bad mood, it may be hard for a nanny to calm them if it’s their first meeting.

We recently had a parent who sent the nanny home after the first 15 minutes because she couldn’t settle the baby right away. The baby was overtired and hungry, didn’t know the nurse, and vice-versa. While sometimes you can tell that quickly that they are not right for you, usually that's not enough, and nor a fair assessment.

7. Be flexible if you want to trial an overseas nanny

Sometimes trials might be difficult to arrange – for example if you’re hiring a nanny from overseas. In this case, consider offering to pay travel expenses for the nanny to come over and think about a longer trial to get more out of it while you’re incurring the extra expense. If the nanny is actively looking for a job in your country, she may be meeting other parents and decide to pay for her travel herself. In this case, try to be flexible with the timing and length of the trial.

8. The trial is a two-way street - nannies choose as much as parents choose

It’s important to remember that a trial is a two-way process. You’re interviewing and evaluating each other to see if it’s going to work. So, don’t forget to treat the nanny with respect and as you’d like to be treated.

Don’t take it personally if your chosen nanny decides not to work with you. Nannies sometimes struggle to tell parents that they’re not the right fit so you may hear reasons like – the commute is too long, I want to work with different age groups, the salary isn’t right or, the hours aren’t right. You may feel like the nanny has wasted your time and shouldn’t have agreed to the trial in the first place as these parameters were already known. These are often just excuses, and they’re easier for nannies to say than “it just wasn’t the right fit for me”.

Hopefully by now you’ll feel equipped to handle the trial. Check out our other “How to Guides” in the series to help you navigate some of the other stages in the nanny hiring process:

Now that you've got through the interview, check out the other guides in our "How to" series:

How to interpret nanny CVs and profiles

How to interview a nanny

How to reference check a nanny

How to onboard a nanny

Tamarins are monkeys who parent in family groups – like a village – helping each other while children are small.

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Parents sign up here to begin your nanny search.

Nannies sign up here to find your next family. Alternatively, you can send your CV to hello@mytamarin.com and we will be in touch!

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