Parents want the best for their children in every aspect of their life. One of the aspects parents worry more about their children is their education, how they are receiving it and if it’s good enough, also if they need some extra help after-school to keep their studies levels. Knowing that the children receive the best education and care while they are at work is their priority number 1.
However, finding the perfect governess is not as easy as people might think. It can be easy to find someone willing to teach your children, but the question will always be the governess’ capabilities and qualifications. Of course, all parents would agree that they will want someone with great personality and character traits because the governess will be around the children more often.
When finding the perfect governess, the parents will have to consider many factors that may affect the hiring process. For example their budget, the governess experience, and if they have the same values or childcare perspectives. So here are the top tips of finding a suitable governess for your children:
Don’t wait until a few minutes before the first interview with prospective governesses to prepare a list of questions and requirements. Planing ahead all the hiring process will save you time and stress to find a suitable governess for your children. In addition, making a check list of what they must have, for example, that they need to speak French and have a degree in Maths, will help you choose candidates worthy of interviewing.
Composing your plan includes making a checklist of all the requirements, qualifications, and skills you’ll need from your governess. It is also essential to think about what type of governess you’d like to have for your children. For example, do you prefer a bilingual governesses? Would you need someone who will only teach your children or someone who will do a nanny role too? Is it essential that the governess has qualifications like Paediatric First Aid training or Infant Care education? Would you desire someone firm and authoritative or someone loose and playful?
Writing a job description is essential; this will give an idea of the job to any governess applying. Hours and days of the offer need to be on the job description, as the subject the governess will be in charge of teaching to the children. The job description will be a guide through your process of finding a governess. The governess you will employ solely depends on you, so make sure to outline everything you will consider from your applicants.
Asking other parents about their experiences with previous governesses will give you an idea of what to expect if this is the first time you are planning to hire a governess. Listening to their good and bad experiences can draw a line of what you can accept and what you cannot accept, don’t forget that the person that you are planning to hire also have their feeling and experiences, so knowing how to act as a good employer will make the candidate feels that they can work with the family. Asking around and checking your network for suitable governess candidates could save you time too.
We are living in a world where technology is getting more and more advance, so we should take advance of it and apply it to every aspect of our lives, for example, using the resource of social media to make a pre-check before interviewing any possible governess, having a look of how is their Facebook and Instagram will give the parents an idea of how is the person. It is a common practice today to get to know your employees through their social media since, let’s face it, you can dig more in there, apart from your one on one interview.
Second, you may want to reach out to their references and get additional information. You can also check. Things like these are only obtainable with proper and thorough research. Finally, of course, a DBS check can officially claim your candidate’s background check and criminal records.
The best way to get to know more about your candidate experience and personality is the classic face to face interview. For the first interview, some families will ask the governess to meet in a cafe near to them, other ones will be more confortable asking them to come to their home. Interviewing them face to face will be one of the most essential steps in the process.
In this first interview, you will get an idea of their personality and if your children will get on with the future governess. Parents are the best people to know with which type of personality their children will get on; remember that it it is not only you who needs to feel comfortable with the governess; your children need to feel happy to share time during the day learning from them. So don’t worry if at the beginning your children show a bit distant; the right fit will always have a quick way to win their hearts.
Don’t assume that the governess will understand everything that you have put on the job description; it is always important to explain to them what you are expecting from them and how you would like your children to be taught and treated during the lessons. For example, do you want the governess to be intuitive or confident?
Even when you have the checklist of everything you need from a candidate, you .have let out what matters to you, type of conversation that will matter in the long run. Would you like someone with their offspring so that they can relate to your children’s needs? Are you looking for a candidate who loves taking care of children as much as spending time with them? Or maybe a governess who will focus and has complete knowledge of the children’s milestones and development?
Parents will want their governesses to treat the children like their own little ones, meaning putting the children’s interests first or even giving their time and effort to make them feel loved and cherished.
At this point, you might already have someone in mind. The candidate that you selected is entitled to decide whether they will settle with your family or not. So making a plan of how you will present yourself will attract the candidate that you’d like to work for you.
Parents could make themselves seem warm and friendly, organised, and above all, respectful of the candidate’s time, culture and needs.
Indeed, the first meeting could be different for when your governess is already looking after your children. A trial run will allow you to observe your governess’s style, personality, intuition and ability to follow orders, rules and regulations. Don’t expect your governess to be perfect, but you can at least give her time to adjust as well. The trial period is also the time to teach the governess your way of handling things and basic training needed to reach absolute satisfaction.
Reputable agencies could be the easiest way to meet the most suitable governess for you. This is because they have a professional method in finding someone who would fit your criteria. They will do the work of checking the candidate’s written and verbal references, DBS check and work experience.
Based in Central London, Little Ones are known globally for their permanent governess services in London and throughout the world. Our consultants, many bilingual or multilingual, are trained and experienced in placing governesses in Europe, the Middle East, Russia and beyond.
Our governesses get the highest level of education, and many are fluent in a second language or even multilingual. In addition, our governess candidates come with years of experience in the care and tuition of pre-school and school-aged children. Each of our governesses will have a unique method of educating and raising children. Our consultants use their wealth of experience to match candidates with your family’s ethos and needs.
Our governesses and governesses undergo specialist vetting procedures developed over the years we have operated successfully as an agency. The safety and comfort of our clients and their families is our priority. Therefore, each placed governess candidate comes under the following:
If you wish to try out Little Ones’ Governess and other services, you can check out our website at https://www.littleoneslondon.co.uk or call us on 02071830309 for more information. You can also send us your enquiry at enquiries@littleoneslondon.co.uk. For updates, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or LinkedIn.
