Received Tuesday, March 13, 2007
What's the best way to conduct a background check on a nanny that you want to hire?
In my opinion, the best way would be to use a reputable private detective agency and make certain that the report is thorough.
Joanna L. Krotz wrote an article for Microsoft that explains why You Can't Skimp on Employee Background Checks. Liz Pulliam Weston wrote an interesting article for MSNmoney.com called Secrets a Background Check Won't Uncover. Both articles are worth checking out.
If you decide to conduct a background check yourself, I have had great success using Intelius and Akiba. You will need to have your employee sign a written authorization before you conduct a background check, please click here for a sample authorization form. The Privacy Rights Organization provides an interesting fact sheet for employers and employees which explains privacy rights with respect to background checks.
If your nanny is driving your children as part of her job, please make sure that the background check includes a comprehensive search of Motor Vehicle Records as driving records reveal more than just how well the nanny drives and in fact can illuminate the employee's judgment, attention to detail, and conformity to rules.
-JD
8 comments:
great info but I would have added, hire americans! People do background checks on people who have been in this country for 2 or 3 years and walk away with a false sense of security.
If she's not an American-
you aren't going to find anything.
As a parent who decided to do the background check herself, i agree with the info. I went to a website and was presented with so many options that I kind of got lost and came away with- what I realize now was an incomplete background check. Parents should know that a complete background check contains criminal, crivil, dmv, credit, social security verification and list of all addresses and some even list previous employment. This would have been helpful in an incident that just occured with my sister where after 3 months on the job, she realized her "experienced" nanny had spent the last 7 years working in a mall food court. All of her references were fake. But the fact that she worked on the books may have showed up on a real background check- one done by an investigator.
And if not, if you use an investigator-make sure you stres you want the employment check. Nanny jobs might not show up, but taco bell should.
akiba looks like a nightmare. i wouldn't know where to start.
Also a nanny SHOULD have a family car provided for work use. She SHOULD be insured under the family's auto policy with an umbrella policy added.
The nanny SHOULD NEVER have to use her personal vehicle for work purposes.
What is with the nanny should have a car provided her comment? How is that related? As a parent, I would never allow my children to be driven in the nanny's car- however nice it might be- the safety of my children is number 1. I need to know that the vehicle is serviced as it should be and kept in mint condition.
Most people can do a background check on their nanny if they have an internet connection.
I agree with you people can use a background check specially if you are the manager of the company, it will have your assurance.
It is quite easy to conduct a background check if you just hire the right screening service. They will ask you what you want to check and what criteria are important to you.
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