Nanny agencies can be a great resource for finding nanny jobs. While nanny agencies offer many excellent services, there are also some challenges involved with finding jobs through a nanny agency. Ten of these challenges are explained below.

1. Scams. Some agencies are a scam and really just a person who wast to make money. These agencies don’t actually have members who hire nannies. Making sure an agency is legitimate is important before giving out personal information.
2. Competition. Many nanny agencies list hundreds, or even thousands, of applicant profiles. Unlike directly applying and speaking to a family, with an agency an applicant may have to rely on standing out among the rest of competition.
3. Costly fees. Because nanny agencies act as a middle man, matching nanny applicants to families, they usually charge commission for their services.
4. Time consuming process. Especially when going through a popular nanny agency, it can take a long time to have an application processed or to create a profile. Thousands of people use agencies and sometimes there is a long waiting period.
5. Lots of paperwork. Reputable agencies will want to see proof of identity, finances, and certifications. Getting in all of the paperwork can be stressful for applicants, and again, these things can slow down the process.
6. Limited family pool. Many families are reluctant to go through agencies because of fears of an agency not being legitimate, or because of expensive fees involved. Applicants who go through a nanny service will miss out on that demographic of families, some of who may really need a nanny.
7. Possibility of outdated information. It can be difficult to determine if an online nanny agency actually contains current information. Sometimes sites list dozens of families looking for nannies, but those families may have been listed on the site for months and no longer need a nanny.
8. Misuse of personal information. Whenever giving out personal information to any service or agency there is always the possibility of receiving spam or unwanted mail for long periods of time. This can be annoying, especially when using a personal email address or phone number.
9. Lack of personal contact. Nanny agencies may never meet an applicant or family before placing them together. While most agencies ask extensive questions on paper, not actually meeting nannies and families before matching them can sometimes be ineffective.
10. Geographical distance. Nanny agencies, particularly agencies that are national and serve people all over the country, may not keep in mind distance when making matches. For nannies hoping to stay close to home, this can be a challenge. Especially in rural areas, a nanny may get matched with a family who lives far away if there are no closer options.

Finding work as a nanny can be difficult. Though nanny agencies can be a great help to job seekers, there are also challenges involved with using agencies to find a job. If the above challenges are kept in mind, nanny agencies can be a great resource for prospective nannies.