Keeping Nanny Happy: How to Reduce Nanny Turnover

Hiring a private, in-home child care provider can be a great investment for many families, but it does require a significant amount of tedious work during the hiring process. After sifting through a number of resumes, conducting interviews and talking to references, parents usually aren’t eager to repeat the process unless absolutely necessary. High nanny turnover rates can also wreak havoc on a child’s routine, and it can be very upsetting for a child to lose a beloved caregiver. For parents who also happen to be nanny employers, the best course of action is to hold onto the high-quality private caregiver they’ve already hired in order to provide children with consistency and avoid household disruptions. The key to reducing nanny turnover, in many cases, is simply providing a good environment in which to work.

Set and Maintain Realistic Expectations

Nanny salaries, the requisite taxes and a benefits package can be a significant household expense, and it’s not abnormal for parents to look for ways in which they can get the absolute most for their money. Nanny employers should remember, however, that there’s a difference between expecting a nanny to earn their wages fairly and setting unrealistic expectations.

Before reprimanding a nanny who isn’t living up to their expectations, parents should stop to objectively evaluate the situation. Nannies should not and cannot be expected to shoulder a larger burden than their employer could reasonably bear in the same circumstances.

Offer a Competitive Compensation Package

An acceptable nanny may be willing to work at bargain prices, but a great nanny will and should expect to be compensated accordingly. A nanny who holds advanced degrees, fluently speaks more than one language or has highly specialized training will be in very high demand, and will field offers on a regular basis from other parents in the area. A nanny who’s being treated and compensated fairly is less likely to accept one of those offers, but employers must work to foster a sense of loyalty. Failure to adjust wages for a climbing cost of living, refusal to honor or offer vacation time and paying a nanny less than they’re worth will not foster such loyalty, and will eventually lead to turnover.

Be Aware of Burnout and Reduce Nanny Turnover

One of the most common causes of nanny turnover is them simply becoming burned out due to overburdening. This often occurs when nannies are subjected to the gradual increase of duties known as “job creep.” During the hiring process, it’s always wise to draft a nanny contract which clearly outlines a nanny’s duties and responsibilities, but it’s also important for parents to uphold their end of this bargain.

Unless explicitly stated in a signed working agreement, a nanny’s job does not entail any household tasks which aren’t directly related to the care of a family’s children. It may not seem unreasonable to add a single item to a nanny’s to-do list, but continuing to add them over the life of a working relationship can easily cause responsibilities to become overwhelming. Avoiding the snowball effect of job creep and burnout can help parents to reduce nanny turnover.

Establish and Maintain Boundaries

The nanny/employer relationship is a unique one, and it can be easy for boundary lines to become blurred. Parents may come to consider their nannies part of the family to a certain extent, but it’s still important for them to remember that their nanny is a childcare provider, not a friend, confidant or marriage counselor. A nanny will naturally witness some personal situations, but they should not feel pressured to discuss them with employers in the same manner they would with a friend.

When boundaries aren’t respected on a personal level, it can easily translate to a lack of respect on a professional level. Nannies who are expected to behave as a friend can feel pressured to take on extra duties as a “friend,” or to sacrifice their own privacy and time off in order to accommodate the wishes of their employer. This can become a major source of job dissatisfaction, which can often cause a great nanny to leave a job.

Maintaining a good working relationship without overstepping natural boundaries, providing fair compensation and actively working to create a work environment in which a nanny can flourish can all help to reduce nanny turnover significantly. With some consideration and effort, parents can keep their nannies happy and work to eliminate the risk of unexpected resignation.