If you’ve ever hired a nanny, you know how much energy it takes. Asking around for referrals, posting ads on Craiglist, interviewing, checking references… not to mention Google searches and mines of myspace and Facebook. You may discover, as one local mama did, that your top pick has a predeliction for some, uh, unusual bedroom behaviors. This might turn you off, this being of course, the person who will be caring for your children.
No, it’s not a job many relish. For Emily Hume, however, interviewing nannies is a full-time job. She runs Olive.You.Nanny service, which recently opened in Portland after creating a successful model in Chicago about four years ago.
For every nanny placed through Olive.You.Nanny, Hume has had dozens of coffees, checked scores of resumes, and talked to hundreds of people – both nannies and parents.
“I interview way more nannies than I am going to place. I eat the time on nannies that don’t show up or don’t work out so parents don’t have to waste their time” she says. “I meet every nanny in person – when I recommend someone to a family, that is someone I have personally met and vetted.”
The nanny service claims to differ from others by offering this highly personalized service. “Plenty of agencies that call themselves ‘placement agencies’ are basically just selling a database of babysitters,” says Hume. “And when you go through Craigslist there aren’t any filters.”
Of course, sifting through responses from Craigslist costs nothing – if you don’t count your time – while using a service such as Olive.You.Nanny will require an initial outlay of between $1200 and $1700 depending on how many hours you need.
Hume, who used to be a nanny herself, finds nannies in spots that many parents wouldn’t think to look. “For the most part, great nannies are really good people. I work very hard when I meet a great nanny to find her a job.
People who really impress me get to move on.”
Olive.You.Nanny
503-327-1847
emily@oliveyounanny.com
www.oliveyounanny.com
