Choosing a nanny agency in Zurich: 9 questions before you sign

Start with three different service models

Put each offer into a model before comparing prices. Phrases such as full service and personal support do not settle the question: the contract needs to say who does what.

• Contact platform: You find profiles and contact people. You organise selection, interviews and employment according to the platform’s terms.
• Placement agency: A provider helps with search and selection. Where you hire directly afterwards, your family remains the employer.
• Staff leasing: The provider employs the caregiver and supplies them for assignments. Confirm the contractual structure and division of responsibilities.

What work does a nanny agency in Zurich take on?

A platform may suit you if you have time for initial conversations and can write a precise role description. Placement support may help when you need a structured shortlist. Still ask what screening means: an existing profile, an interview and a reference conversation are three different pieces of evidence.

For staff leasing, the employment and service arrangements should give you a clear practical picture. Who approves leave? Who receives an absence report? Which duties can you ask the nanny to perform? Write these questions down before assuming a monthly invoice transfers every responsibility away from your household.

• Prepare your nanny search in seven steps

9 questions before signing with a nanny agency

Send these questions to every shortlisted provider. Ask for answers in the offer or for the relevant clause in the terms. Make a note of promises made on the telephone and ask for written confirmation. This gives you comparable evidence even when providers give their packages different names.

• 1. Who is the contracting entity? Get the full business name, address and actual service model in the documents.
• 2. What checks are performed? Ask about identity, relevant experience, references and the scope of document checks.
• 3. What does the search cover? Specify hours, location, children’s ages, languages, start date and essential time windows.
• 4. When is the first payment due? Find out whether registration, starting a search or successful placement triggers a charge.
• 5. How is the success fee calculated? Ask about the salary base, minimum charge, additional costs and the payment trigger.
• 6. Is VAT included? Compare final amounts for the same assignment, rather than one net price against another gross price.
• 7. What happens if employment ends early? Ask about deadlines, conditions, exclusions and whether the remedy is a replacement search or a refund.
• 8. Who handles payroll administration? Allocate registration, insurance, payslips and annual paperwork separately.
• 9. How does the agreement end? Check cancellation, exclusivity, automatic renewal and any fee if you find a candidate yourself.

Published fees: Two offers with different scopes

These examples illustrate pricing models. They do not establish whether suitable nannies are available in your neighbourhood or whether any individual caregiver will be a good fit. A narrow lunchtime role in Küsnacht is a different search from three full working days in central Zurich.

Request the current terms before signing. A fee page alone cannot give a complete answer about replacement searches, candidate suitability or everything covered by the contractual relationship.

• Separate placement fees from ongoing nanny costs

Sources for this section: Rockmybaby Swiss · Babysitting24

Check authorisation without treating it as a quality rating

SECO distinguishes regular paid placement from commercial staff leasing, each requiring the relevant authorisation. Its official directory helps check the business and authorisation scope. Cross-border activity additionally requires federal authorisation.

Search for the actual contracting business and resolve any difference between the brand and company name. A directory entry is not a quality ranking. It cannot tell you whether a caregiver suits your child or how well a promised replacement search will work. This guide provides a checking framework, not verification of individual providers.

Sources for this section: SECO

Offer scorecard: Record evidence, not just impressions

Copy this table for two or three offers. Enter the exact amount or contract clause. An empty field means unresolved, not free or included. Once clarified, you can score each point 0 for unsuitable, 1 for partly suitable and 2 for suitable. This is an editorial decision aid, not an official scoring method.

Essential working hours, affordability and an identifiable contracting entity are prerequisites. A high total must not hide a missing prerequisite. Discuss differences between parents before a pressing start date makes the decision feel urgent.

• Allocate employer responsibilities before the first day

A good agency offer still needs a separate candidate decision

An impressive agency presentation cannot replace a conversation with the person who will care for your child. Use the same core questions for each candidate. Ask them to describe an afternoon involving collection, a meal and handover, then explore a difficult moment they actually handled.

Arrange a paid trial with clear responsibility. Record observations: does the candidate ask questions at the right time, and respond to your child’s signals? A quick yes can feel reassuring, but the start date, commute and working hours need to remain workable after the first week.

An unclear answer is initially a reason to ask another question. Repeated pressure to pay before the terms are understandable is a reason to pause the purchase. You should be able to make a considered decision without signing during the first conversation.

• Twelve questions for a useful nanny interview

Your next step

Your next useful step is a comparable offer, not a longer list of names. Write down your weekly schedule, send the nine questions and resolve every blank field. Use our planning materials to organise your childcare needs before approaching providers.