What We Do (and Don't) Want to See When We're Checking a Candidate's Social Media

If you didn't know, now you do: we Google all of our candidates. No stone goes unturned when we're determining who the best fits are for our agency and our families.

So what do we want to see on your social media? Ideally, nothing, to be completely honest. Discretion is one of the biggest things we're screening for, and a private account tells us you can keep private business private. We always suggest making all of your accounts fully private, no matter how infrequently you post, how unproblematic your content is, or how beautifully you've curated your grid.

When we do find your page (and we will find it), there are some things we definitely don't want to see. Any one of these can send a top-tier candidate crashing down our priority list.

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An account you didn't disclose to us

It's not a great reflection on your integrity when we find that very-obviously-still-in-use account at the top of the search results after you passed up the chance to tell us about it yourself. When we give you the space to hand over your handles, take it.

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‍Complaints about nannying, especially anything that touches a child's privacy

Everyone has bad days on the job. Facebook is not the place to work through them. Call a friend. Write in a journal. Cry it out in your car. We never want to open one of our groups and see a nanny venting about how much they hate their job, or what a hard day their nanny kids had, and we certainly don't want to see video of it.

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Drinking, smoking, vaping, or any other unwinding habits best kept private

Our families are looking for caregivers who model good values, habits, and manners. Even if you'd never show up to work under the influence, you don't want to give off perpetual-partygoer energy, especially if your version of partying isn't entirely legal. Trust us: your future nanny family does not need to know you enjoyed anything at Coachella besides the music.

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Any part of your body you wouldn't want a child to see

North Carolina summers are hot, and we love a beach day as much as anyone. Good rule of thumb: if you wouldn't want a nanny family scrolling past it, set it to private or leave it off your public feed entirely.

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Confederate flags, burning crosses, or anything in that territory

This should go without saying, but we've seen enough to say it anyway. We have a zero-tolerance policy for racial discrimination of any kind. If you can't work with a family of any ethnic background, you're not a fit for our agency.

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Mean reviews and sassy comments

When your dream gig finally comes around, we'll remember the time you showed up in the comments of someone else's nanny ad calling them a red flag for being first-time parents. If we open your reviews tab and see you calling a contractor names instead of reviewing their actual work, we notice. Every comment is a small window into how you handle conflict.

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Anything that casts a shadow on your judgment

Good rule for posting online in general: ask yourself what a potential employer will think when they see it. If you're on the fence, don't post it.

Otherwise exceptional candidates have taken themselves out of the running over exactly this kind of thing. We hate it, but we're not easing up when it comes to our families' privacy and safety. If it doesn't make you look like a scrupulous, capable, unquestionably safe role model for kids, keep it in the drafts.