Knowing Nanny: Working with agencies and families to understand the personality profiles of potential hires before placement in a home.

Knowing Nanny is an idea I have been working on since 2006, the year I had my first daughter Isla. The first time I laid eyes on Isla I fell hard- I was so in love- and I knew from that moment I needed to do everything I could to make sure she had the best life I could provide. I always had the intention of going back to work, and even when Isla came along the desire to continue working didn’t change.

At the time I was working for Skechers in Europe and I loved my job, the Skechers family, and all the opportunities I had to help the business grow. So, in order to keep this job, continue to deliver, and have peace of mind, I had to buckle down and start the process of finding our ideal live-in nanny so I could go back to work.

Before starting the search, I thought long and hard about what kind of a nanny I wanted. We are all different and it truly is different strokes for different folks. For me, I wanted a kind, organized, reliable nanny who would be emotionally stable and could handle the stress of a newborn well. I also wanted someone who could handle my direct approach without taking it the wrong way and would fit into our family.

Was this too much to ask? And was I going to be able to get this insight from references and interviews alone?  Luckily, I married into a family of occupational psychologists (even though I didn’t think it was so lucky in the beginning when I always felt like I was being assessed and profiled while eating dinner!). They had developed a personality questionnaire based on 30+ years of research and had been completed by more than 20,000 people.

Could I use this research and the personality profile to help select our first nanny?  The personality profile was already used with care homes, hotel companies and supported the hiring of care employees. I decided to use the profile to give more insight into the individual we were interviewing, provide me with guidance as to what a potential nanny was like, and what family situation they would best suit.

So, we became the Knowing Nanny guinea pigs and started doing the personality profiles on all of our potential nannies. We started with a shortlist from the nanny agency, then did phone interviews, and followed with face to face interviews at our home. From interview alone, I was sold on a one particular nanny, but after she took the online personality profile it became clear she was so determined to please me that she wouldn’t tell me what was happening while I was out. All I imagined was my daughter screaming day in day out and walking in to hear, “She has been wonderful.”

That image in my head was enough for me to continue the search. Four weeks later, we ended up selecting an amazing nanny who had a calm demeanor, was not going to get upset when I was direct, was very organized, a little quiet and not so open, motivated and loved to be part of a family. She was perfect.

From the beginning, the use of personality profiles to give insight into the individuals looking after our two daughters has been a game changer.   Now, four fantastic nannies later, and after 12 years of thinking, dreaming, and refining the nanny personality profile Knowing Nanny has finally come to life!  With many friends and families already using it, I know it really does add value and provide the insight we, as guardians, need to support nanny selection.

Knowing Nanny works with nanny agencies, child care companies and families across the globe to assess the personalities of their potential hires. The online questionnaire is available in 30+ languages, can be administered anywhere in the world and takes 3 working days to get the personality profile back.

We really do want to help give additional insight and to support a happy family/happy nanny environment. No personality is right or wrong- we are all just different. Reach out today of you wish to have more insight into your potential nanny/care hire or if you are an agency looking to stand out from the crowd!

CONTACT: info@knowingnanny.com | www.knowingnanny.com

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