Find The Perfect Au Pair

Are you considering hiring an Au Pair, to help care for your child? At Juggle Street, we find that Au Pair experiences can be incredibly beneficial for both the family and for your carer. But an important part of this process, of course, is finding the right person for the job.

As these roles usually involve a live in arrangement, you will want to find someone who fits in with your family values and who will make a great addition to the household. Fortunately, the Juggle Street network makes this process even easier for you, by connecting you with local Au Pairs that suit your family’s needs and budget.

Specialising in Au Pair Australia experiences, Juggle Street is a wonderful tool to use when you are ready to start your search, in preparation for hiring. But, before you do, it is important to know what to look out for – especially if you are new to the world of hiring carers for your child. So, in this blog post, we have compiled some of our top tips for how to find the perfect Au Pair. Happy hiring!

1. Keep an eye out for strong references

One of the best ways to get a feel for someone’s character is by reading through the references that they provide in applying for a position. Juggle Street makes this task even easier, by sharing references for Au Pairs within our network. So, when compiling your list of prospective carers, keep an eye out for strong recommendations via our reference checks. This should help to give you a good idea of who each candidate is and whether they would be a good fit for your family.

2. Make a list of your needs

Before you start the hiring process, it is a good idea to compile a list of your ideal needs in a carer. Would you like your Au Pair nanny to have a driver's license, for example, so that they can drive your children to and from school, or sports commitments? Or perhaps first aid training is important to you and to your children’s circumstances? Whatever your specific needs are, getting clear about these needs before you start hiring is a great way to simplify the process and to ensure a positive outcome for all parties.

3. Think about your expectations for the role

When hiring an Au Pair in Australia it is also important to have a think about what your expectations are for the role. Would you like your carer to help out with light domestic duties around the house, for instance? And what are your ideal working hours for the role, within reason? Whatever your expectations are, it is a good idea to make a list of these and to have an honest conversation with your prospective carer before you officially hire them.

5. Try to be flexible

Now that you have got your list of needs and expectations sorted, it is important to try and be a little bit flexible when choosing your Au Pair. The perfect candidate might not meet every single criterion you had in mind, but they might have a sunny disposition and some great prior experience working with children. Or perhaps they do not have first aid training, but they do have a driver’s licence, for example. Either way, it is important to take care in weighing up all of your options, to choose the perfect person for the job.

5. Ask what each candidate could bring to your family

Many of the Au Pair jobs that Juggle Street facilitates are between local families and carers from abroad. This is because many Au Pairs are young adults between the ages of 18 and 30, who come from overseas and are looking for an opportunity to experience living in a different country and learning about the culture there. When searching for the perfect carer for your children, then, why not ask yourself what each candidate might be able to offer in terms of cultural education, or exposure to another language and/or way of life?

6. Consider a trial period

If this is your first time working with a live in carer, then you might like to consider implementing a trial period, to work out if they are the right fit for your family. For example, you could ask candidates if they would be open to spending a few hours in your home, interacting with the kids while you are there. If things go well, then it gives your children a chance to get to know their new Au Pair nanny and will also prove a good way to put your mind at ease before formally hiring.

7. Take your time

The journey to find an au pair is a marathon, not a sprint. So don’t feel like you need to rush the process. Remember that you can take your time in choosing the ideal candidate – especially considering they will be tasked with caring for your children and will be living under the same roof as you. Consult other family members or friends if you are unsure, compose a list of pros and cons, and consider all of your options before making the final call.

8. Trust your gut

Ultimately, the most important thing you can do when looking for the perfect Au Pair is to trust your gut. Use the resources available to you through the Juggle Street network and then use your intuition to decide which candidate would be the best fit for you and for your family. After all, you know your child and other family members better than anyone else does, so it is important for you to make an informed judgement call when hiring your live in carer.

Au Pair Australia & Au Pair New Zealand

Juggle Street can help match a local Au Pair to your family’s needs and your budget in 3 easy steps. When you are ready, you can start your Au Pair Australia search using Juggle Street.