Questions about hiring a caregiver in Canada
FAQ
1. How long does it take to have a caregiver start working in my home?
A placement varies depending on your needs and preferences. However, placement times for caregivers that are abroad start at under two months.
2. That doesn’t sound right. I heard it takes longer than that!
The time it takes to place a caregiver is determined by the agency and the number of countries that they recruit from. Elite Care recruits from over 80 countries, has years of experience, and works with an Immigration Law firm. Together, this can mean a nanny in weeks whereas another agency may not have as competitive a timeline.
3. How many caregivers are available to be placed from your database?
While the exact number varies depending upon the season and demand, we maintain over 100 candidates that are ready to be placed at any given time.
4. How many nannies do you place in a year?
We place over 300 nannies every year, throughout Canada.
5. Does your agency service a single geographic region?
No. We serve all of Canada – including all ten provinces and three territories. We take pride in the long-term placements that we have arranged for such remote locations as rural Yukon.
6. Does your agency have a full-time licensed immigration consultant on staff?
Our agency works with an Immigration Law firm to ensure that, in addition to having immigration consultants available to help us 24/7, we also have the support staff of a registered business to provide quick, effective service. Furthermore, this avoids all the endemic complications and risks associated with having a member of our staff responsible for immigration matters at the same time as managing other customer needs.
7. Does your agency help with government documentation and paperwork?
Yes. Also, we will process your papers immediately and account for your requirements. Your responsibility will largely amount to simply signing the prearranged documents.
8. Can you provide me with references from past clients and caregivers?
Yes. We are more than happy to make this available to you.
9. Does the agency limit the number of candidates our family can consider?
No. While our company takes pride in our unique placement process, our goal is to meet your needs and not to rush an important decision. If you ever want to see additional profiles, we are happy to provide you with them.
10. Is your agency familiar with current labor laws and standards for each province?
Yes. Our agency not only keeps up to date, but incorporates all provincial and territory standards in the paperwork we prepare for our families to ensure that the process is as smooth as possible and to avoid putting your family at risk of government intervention.
11. Does your agency provide information about the Employment Standards Act to assist in our preparing a contract?
Yes. Not only do we ensure all these standards are taken into account, we will prepare your contract for you, ensuring that your needs are met and that it is prepared to a quick and complication-free approval.
12. Does your agency provide support with setting up the wages, deduction, and tax arrangement for our caregiver?
Yes. We will provide you with the information necessary and help you register for your employer number. You will be given software to calculate deductions and payroll.
13. What is your agency’s relationship with overseas agencies? How does your company determine if these agencies are reputable?
Elite Care Canada recruits from 82 countries internationally. This includes both direct recruiting and the use of partner agencies. To ensure each of these agencies meet Elite Care Canada’s standards, an exploratory visit to their facilities and a face-to-face meeting are prerequisites for partnership.
14. What are the overseas pre-screening requirements for your agency?
In-person interviews are conducted by our agents overseas. Our staff speaks with our applicants to assess their language and skills. We check all criminal records, education degrees and certificates, as well as past caregiver positions.
15. What fees does your agency charge?
16. Who is the client: our family of the caregiver?
If a family is paying nothing at all for a placement service, this is the primary indication that the caregiver is the client. This opens families up to the possibility that the agency will not be concerned about a true match so much as bringing that individual to Canada. Such a situation is also likely to leave a family without a placement guarantee, or at best, a replacement that takes at least 4 months.
Our agency values a high quality match and the families that come to us are our valued clients. Since word of mouth is our primary means of finding new families, we are doubly committed to you – our client.
17. What sort of ongoing support do you provide families and caregivers with?
18. Is your agency a member of the Better Business Bureau?