It’s time to meet!

How do we get the ball rolling? 

We encourage the parents to take the lead and suggest some possible times to meet over our messaging system.

If you don't hear back within a day or two, let us know and we can help.  

Should we do a phone interview first?

It’s completely up to you. Often our families like to meet face to face right away as this is usually the best way of deciding whether or not a nanny is the right fit for your family. If you’re really busy or would like to have a preliminary chat, then a phone call is the perfect way to introduce yourself.

Often it will just be a quick five minute chat to find out a little more about them before deciding to meet face to face. If you’re really getting on and there’s lots you want to find out, then it might take fifteen minutes.

We’d always encourage you to meet your nanny in person before you agree to start working together. You can arrange a time and place to meet each other using our messaging platform. This is also a great chance for your nanny to meet the kids.

When should we meet? 

Often arrangements move quickly with meetings happening within 7 days and families coming to a decision shortly after. Our nannies also meet with multiple families so we recommend arranging a meeting as soon as you can.

If you need any help arranging a suitable time to meet then let us know and we'd be happy to help out. 

Where should we meet?

It's always best to try and meet in person in the first instance, but if you're struggling to find a good time for this we would encourage an initial Skype/FaceTime conversation to get the ball rolling.

Most families like to meet at their own home as it's more convenient after work. Just make sure that communication is always crystal clear, especially concerning the location and time of the meeting, so that everyone is on the same page.

Who should be at the meeting?

We would encourage the whole family to meet the nanny so everyone can get to know each other.

Even if one parent has to join via Skype, this can work out much better than having multiple meetings.  In the past, we've had nannies snapped up by other families before any second meetings can take place.  We don't want that to happen with you!

What questions should be covered?

It's important to manage expectations on both sides from an early stage.  We want all of our after school arrangements to succeed!  So here are the key points that should be confirmed at the first meeting:

Get to know each other:

  • Have a read of their CV again and ask some questions about their experience and interests. This helps to get the conversation going and make the nanny feel more comfortable
  • It's good to talk about homework. Especially if there is a routine you want them to follow or specific areas they should focus on with the kids
  • Our nannies always have lots of ideas for fun activities. It's good to discuss their ideas and see which ones the kids would enjoy most
  • It's useful to run though the routine and schedule again including any activities the kids attend
  • Our nannies are all available in term time — if you need help in the holidays it's good to have a chat about this. Don't worry if they aren't available – let us know and we'll try to find another nanny who can cover them for you
  • Let the nanny know if you'd like them to help with babysitting or any ad hoc activities outside of their regular hours e.g. helping at school events or batch cooking. Don't worry we'll take care of all the admin for this and your nanny will report these hours at the end of each month as normal
  • Discuss any potential for change in the nanny's university timetable
  • Discuss your expectations of the role — would you sometimes expect them to stay a bit longer if needed? Are they happy to do some washing, tidying…?
  • How you do things e.g. foods/treats, screen time, discipline, routine

Can we do a trial?

Yes, you can definitely have a trial. Anything beyond an interview, where the nanny is learning or performing the role, is considered to be a trial.. This payment has to be processed through Koru Kids, not cash in hand.

We want to work together!  What's next?

That's great!  Let us know as soon as possible and we'll start the ball rolling with everything you need as an employer. We'll also run the nanny's DBS check and invite them to our Paediatric First Aid course. (The nanny can start as soon as you both wish. First aid and DBS are normally completed within 2 weeks). Here’s some more information on what happens next.

Finally – best of luck with your introduction!

If you have any further questions, don't hesitate to give us a call on 0208 050 5678, or email care@korukids.co.uk.