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How a Staffing Agency Can Help

Anita Rogers, founder of household staffing agency British American, has more than a decade鈥檚 experience in pairing families with household staff, from nannies and butlers to personal assistants and estate managers. She鈥檚 earned a reputation for finding successful matches鈥揳nd also for helping to handle any situation that may arise in the working household. Here, she shares her insights on why hiring for your childcare or home needs is profoundly personal, and how a staffing agency can help with the process. View on Goop.

A Q&A with Anita Rogers

Q: What are the upsides to using an agency?

A: An agency helps you determine what kind of help you really need, and devises the way in which you want your staff to fit your lifestyle. It also saves you time and keeps you safe during the interview process. Some families have limited experience interviewing and hiring childcare and household staff, which makes it easy to miss signs of danger, red flags, or dishonesty. We enforce strict standards as we interview thousands of candidates each year. This has allowed us鈥攁nd other reputable agencies鈥攖o become experts at spotting dishonest references and to be able single out specific personality traits and potential challenges. A staffing agency has seen how聽similar聽traits have played out with other candidates, which lends to its ability to find the best fit for you, your family, and your household.

Q: What are the biggest misconceptions about household staffing?

A: Both parties must be willing to give and take in order to find the best match. Often people think they can hire a candidate if they offer a competitive or high salary. Or if a nanny or butler has excellent experience, they might assume they can get a higher salary and an ideal schedule. But staffing is a matchmaking process, and both parties must be satisfied with the relationship and the circumstances in order for it to work.

Q: How do you recognize good talent?

A:聽It鈥檚 a long process鈥攁nd it鈥檚 so much more than just a great r茅sum茅 and reference letters. We look for candidates that have a balance of experience, training, and education in their field and glowing references from past employers. Other indicators we look for include personality, attitude, flexibility, grammar, responsiveness, and confidence.

The r茅sum茅 is always the first indicator of talent, where we look at formal level of experience, age appropriate childcare experience, the types of homes an individual has worked in, longevity聽in previous jobs,聽and demonstrated professionalism and willingness. We screen all r茅sum茅s and references and do extensive state, federal, and international background checks, as well as a thorough screening of their social media.

Q: What鈥檚 the secret to finding a good match between a family and nanny?

A: 聽Everyone must be on the same page from the very beginning of the process. One family鈥檚 dream nanny could be another鈥檚 nightmare. It鈥檚 imperative that the candidate and the family have a similar approach to聽raising children, as well as complementary personalities. Someone who is really laid back isn鈥檛 going to work well in a聽formal home that thrives on structure. (The reverse is true as well.) The perfect nanny and family pairing has similar philosophies about discipline, education, and responsibilities. There has to be聽a mutual respect between the parents and the nanny regarding the decisions made concerning the child. As a parent, if you feel like you have to micromanage and instruct your nanny on how you鈥檇 like every situation handled, you聽will聽become frustrated and resentful of the situation.

One of the most important factors to consider during the process of finding a good match is assessing the needs and expectations of the family. There鈥檚 a huge difference between a parent looking for an extra set of hands to help with driving,聽activities, and meals and a working parent who needs someone to be the child鈥檚 primary caregiver. A take-charge, independent, problem-solving nanny with sole-charge experience isn鈥檛 going to thrive as a helper. In the same way, a nanny without the confidence to make聽decisions on his or her own and聽proactively foresee situations isn鈥檛 the best choice for a family where the parents are gone most of the day.

Q:聽Once the hiring process is done, what other support do clients typically need?

A: It depends upon the family. Clients will often come to us for help with communicating with their new employee, especially during the transition process while the employee settles in. We always encourage regular, open and honest communication between both parties. On occasion, we will go into the home as a 鈥渕anager鈥� and help iron out any small issues that may exist. A relationship between a family and their household employees needs to be nurtured and carefully built, as this is a private home, where discretion is of utmost importance. We encourage clear communication and a weekly sit-down between a family and staff.

Q:聽If a match doesn鈥檛 work out, what is your advice for handling a potential change (or parting ways)?

础:听We suggest that each party be gentle but honest about their feelings. The parting should be done with kindness and care so that everyone involved understands that it isn鈥檛 a personal attack, just a relationship that has outlived its potential. When hiring staff, you are creating a business in your home. I have seen people distraught if something isn鈥檛 working out because they don鈥檛 want to offend someone, they don鈥檛 want to hurt their feelings.

In certain situations, we鈥檒l go into the residence and let the candidate go so that we can assure it鈥檚 done with delicacy. Every situation is very different. We鈥檝e learned it鈥檚 best to never point fingers and to make everyone feel good. We directly address and try to resolve any problems, serious or minor, that are brought to our attention, and to support the client or candidate. The ending of a professional relationship can be emotional, particularly if it involves an intimate household setting, so we work to minimize any potential animosity a much as possible.

Q:聽Is there a difference between a nanny and a career nanny?

A:聽Most definitely. A聽typical nanny is different from a career nanny in that they often have a lot of experience with families, but no background or education in child development. Other nanny candidates are great聽with聽children and may have teaching degrees or聽other聽formal education, but limited in-home experience (typically part-time babysitting work).

A career nanny is someone who has chosen childcare as his or her profession.聽Most聽often, these candidates have formal聽education聽in child development and/or psychology. This can include a college degree in education or or training from previous jobs. Career nannies also have an聽employment history of long-term placements in private homes, understand the dynmics of working in a home environment and are great with children. A career nanny knows how to anticipate needs, respect a family鈥檚 privacy and space, and handle the logistics of high-end homes. Being in a home is very different than working in a school or daycare; there is no way to prepare or train someone for it, it鈥檚 something you learn and understand only after having experienced it.