Ask Mary Poppins (aka Mary Pat)
Mary Pat doesn’t fly around with a black umbrella, but she does have over 20 years of experience as a Child Development Expert. These post will answer questions about child development concerns & managing your employer/employee relationship.
Q. As my Nanny’s anniversary date nears, I want to give her an evaluation. How do I give her appropriate feedback and a fair compensation adjustment?
A. Managing a household employee is a very personal business. Your Nanny is, after all, caring for the most precious part of your life: your children. Regular, open communication is essential to creating a healthy, long-lasting relationship between employer and employee. We recommend giving your employee feedback and praise on a frequent on-going basis.
Conducting regular meetings with your employee creates a forum to discuss issues about the children, your family and job satisfaction. When you first hire someone, you may want to meet as often as once a week and then gradually extend it to once every month. At minimum, we recommend three to four informal meetings to “check-in” throughout the year, with a written evaluation on their anniversary date.
Prior to the meeting, review their work agreement, previous performance evaluations, and fill out the evaluation form. Meet with your Nanny in private and at a time when there will be minimal interruptions, such as while the children are at school. Begin the meeting with their strengths and offer specific examples. This is a great opportunity to acknowledge their contribution to the household and say “Thank you”. Next, discuss any previously identified areas needing improvement. Always ask them for their feedback about the job and for suggestions before introducing your ideas for improvement. At the end of the meeting make any revisions to the evaluation and provide the employee with a copy of this for their records.
While there is no clear industry standard for an annual salary increase for household employees, we have seen a range from 3 to 5% for an annual pay increase depending on whether the job (schedule & responsibilities) have changed over the last year, the employee’s performance, and their longevity in the position.
If you are a registered Town & Country Client, contact one of our Placement Counselors for more advice on employee anniversaries and to receive a sample evaluation form.
Tags: Ask Mary Pat, Bay Area, Carrie Hillen, East Bay, Household Staff, Household Staffing Agency, Household Staffing Questions, Jens Hillen, Nannies, Nanny, Nanny Agency, Palo Alto, Questions for Nanny, San Francisco, Staff Advice, Town & Country, Town & Country Resources, Town and Country, Town and Country Resources
Ask Mary Poppins (aka Mary Pat)
Mary Pat doesn’t fly around with a black umbrella, but she does have over 20 years of experience as a Child Development Expert. These post will answer questions about child development concerns & managing your employer/employee relationship.
Q. Help! My Nanny is habitually late. She is a terrific Nanny for my son, however, she is typically ten or more minutes late everyday. How do I resolve this issue?
A. Managing a Nanny can be a delicate business. It can be challenging to maintain the balance between having her as a part of your family and being her employer.
If you haven’t already done so, I would recommend setting up a regular time for a meeting to discuss the children, household, and employment issues. Many Nannies find it hard to speak up and will appreciate the opportunity to communicate openly with you. Having weekly meetings can help you manage situations pro-actively and develop a solid working relationship.
Meetings should always start with the positive aspects of your employment relationship. This is a time for you to acknowledge your Nanny and thank her for specific contributions and work towards positive solutions to the challenges of family life. Rather than saying, “You do a nice job with Ethan,” she will appreciate more specific feedback like, “I like the way you take the time to let Ethan help you make breakfast in the morning. He seems to be learning a lot about taking turns, measuring, and following directions. And he’s having fun! Thank you.”
Next, identify the problem. In this case I would say something like, “I notice that you have been about ten minutes late to work lately. This causes challenges for my scheduling. I would like to talk with you about how we can get back on track. Are you having a scheduling problem in the mornings that I can help you figure out?”
It is possible that 1) the Nanny hadn’t noticed that she was late. 2) She does actually have a scheduling or transportation problem that can easily be resolved. Many times, a simple, honest talk with an employee will dissolve any employer/employee issue. Also remember to ask her if she has any issues to bring up and make a plan to follow-up and remember to schedule a meeting to check-in again soon.
Tags: Ask Mary Poppins, Bay Area, Carrie Hillen, Childcare Questions, East Bay, Household Staff, Household Staff Questions, Household Staffing Agency, Jens Hillen, Nannies, Nanny, Nanny Agency, Palo Alto, Questions for Nanny, San Francisco, Town & Country, Town & Country Resources, Town and Country, Town and Country Resources