How ShanghaiNanny Works — From Inquiry to Placement

If you are searching for how to hire ayi Shanghai, you are probably not looking for a generic helper list. You need someone safe, reliable and well matched to your family’s real life: school runs in Jing’an, a newborn routine in Pudong, cooking preferences in Xuhui, a bilingual toddler in Changning, or a compound schedule in Minhang. ShanghaiNanny is a concierge placement service for expat families who want a trusted nanny or ayi without having to screen strangers, negotiate from scratch or guess what is normal in the local market.

Our role is simple: we learn what your household needs, hand-vet suitable candidates, arrange interviews, guide the trial and support the placement so both family and ayi start with clear expectations. We do not offer online checkout or instant booking because good domestic staffing in Shanghai is personal. The right match depends on your home, children, schedule, language needs, management style and the kind of support you want day to day.

Step 1: Send us your inquiry

The process starts when you submit an inquiry, message us on WeChat at fangche100, or email hello@shanghainanny.com. Tell us where you live, when you need help to start, and what type of role you are hiring for. A family in Lujiazui needing a full-time childcare ayi from 8:00 to 18:00 will need a different profile from a family near Shanghai American School in Puxi who needs cooking, laundry, school-bus pickup and evening bath time.

Useful details include your district and nearest landmark or metro, children’s ages, working days, live-in or live-out preference, language expectations, pets, cooking style, cleaning workload, travel requirements and whether you already have an ayi leaving soon. If you are newly arrived in Shanghai, we can help translate your needs into a realistic local job description.

Step 2: We clarify the role and the market

After your inquiry, we help define the position before candidates are approached. This matters because many ayi problems begin with vague expectations: “some cleaning,” “a little childcare,” or “occasionally stay late” can mean very different things to different people. We will help you decide whether you need a housekeeping ayi, a childcare-focused nanny, a newborn-experienced yuesao-style caregiver, a cooking ayi, a part-time cleaner, or a hybrid role.

We also advise on current Shanghai compensation expectations. For 2026, a straightforward part-time cleaning ayi commonly ranges around RMB 40–60 per hour, depending on district, frequency and scope. A full-time live-out ayi with housekeeping, cooking and light childcare is commonly around RMB 8,500–13,500 per month for a five- or six-day schedule. Childcare-focused nannies with strong infant or toddler experience usually range from RMB 11,000–18,000 per month. Newborn specialists, bilingual caregivers, live-in roles, heavy weekend coverage or high-travel families can sit higher, often RMB 16,000–25,000+ per month. Exact salary depends on hours, responsibilities, language, experience, references and urgency.

We will be honest if the job description and budget are misaligned. For example, a family in Gubei asking for English communication, Western cooking, infant care, two children’s laundry, deep cleaning and Saturday coverage will need to budget differently than a one-bedroom household in Huangpu needing three mornings of cleaning and simple meal prep.

Step 3: We hand-vet suitable candidates

ShanghaiNanny does not simply pass along names. We hand-vet candidates before recommending them. Screening focuses on identity, work history, relevant family experience, references where available, communication style, stability, attitude toward children, hygiene standards, cooking ability and practical fit for your location and schedule.

We look for more than a nice interview. Can the candidate manage a busy elevator-and-parking routine in a Pudong compound? Is she comfortable with a foreign employer who gives written instructions in English? Has she worked in an expat home where children are encouraged to be independent? Does she understand safe sleep, food allergies, bottle hygiene, school-bus timing, playdate supervision or ayi-camera boundaries? For housekeeping roles, can she maintain closets, handle imported appliances, follow laundry care labels and cook meals your family will actually eat?

Because Shanghai is a relationship-driven market, many strong ayis are not actively browsing public posts. They move through referrals, community recommendations and prior employers. Our work is to access, screen and present the candidates who match your brief rather than asking your family to chase dozens of leads across WeChat groups.

Step 4: You receive a focused shortlist

Once we understand your requirements, we prepare a focused shortlist rather than overwhelming you with unsuitable options. Each candidate is presented with the information families actually need: role type, availability, location, salary expectation, languages, previous experience, strengths, limitations and any questions to clarify.

For example, a family in Former French Concession may receive one candidate who is excellent with toddlers and Western-style routines, another who is stronger in cooking and housekeeping, and a third who has newborn experience but prefers a six-day schedule. We explain the trade-offs clearly so you can make a practical decision. The best ayi for a newborn in Century Park is not always the best ayi for an older child attending Dulwich, Wellington, YCIS or a local bilingual kindergarten.

Step 5: We arrange interviews that reveal real fit

We coordinate interviews and help you ask questions that matter. A productive ayi interview is not just “Can you cook?” or “Do you like children?” It should explore daily structure, discipline style, safety judgment, flexibility, boundaries and communication.

We may suggest discussing scenarios such as: your toddler refuses lunch; your baby has a fever while you are in a meeting; your child wants to go downstairs to play in the compound; a grandparent gives different instructions; the washing machine damages a delicate item; the ayi needs time off during Chinese New Year; or your family needs occasional late nights when a parent is traveling. These practical questions help reveal whether the candidate will be calm, honest and compatible with your household.

If language is a concern, we can help bridge communication. Many excellent ayis speak limited English but are highly capable with children and home management. Other families prefer conversational English or bilingual support. We help you separate true must-haves from nice-to-haves so you do not miss a strong candidate for the wrong reason.

Step 6: Trial period and expectation setting

Before final placement, we strongly recommend a paid trial. The trial may be a few hours for a part-time role or one to several days for a full-time nanny or live-in position. During the trial, observe how the candidate enters the home, washes hands, interacts with children, follows instructions, handles the kitchen, moves around your compound and asks questions.

We help families set trial tasks that reflect the real job. For a childcare ayi, that may include snack preparation, stroller walk, nap routine, toy reset, lunch cleanup and a short handover. For a housekeeping ayi, it may include laundry sorting, bathroom cleaning, vegetable prep, floor care and organizing a child’s wardrobe. For a newborn role, the trial should focus on hygiene, feeding support, soothing style, sleep routine and calm communication with parents.

Clear expectation setting at this stage prevents misunderstandings later. We recommend confirming working hours, rest days, overtime, public holidays, food at work, phone use, camera rules, household privacy, guests, travel, sick leave, Chinese New Year arrangements and salary payment date before the start date.

Step 7: Placement support and start-day guidance

Once you choose a candidate, ShanghaiNanny supports the placement details. We help clarify salary, schedule, duties and start date, and we can provide guidance on a simple written work agreement. In Shanghai, having expectations in writing is especially useful for expat households because cultural assumptions around overtime, annual leave, hongbao, holiday travel and live-in boundaries can differ.

On the first day, we encourage families to provide a home walkthrough: where cleaning supplies are kept, which products can be used on marble or wood, how the water purifier works, child allergies, medicine rules, emergency contacts, compound security procedures, school pickup authorization and preferred daily update style. If your building has strict management, such as many serviced apartments in Huangpu or high-security compounds in Pudong, we also recommend arranging access cards and registration early.

Step 8: Follow-up after the match

Our concierge approach continues after the introduction. Early follow-up is important because small adjustments can make a good match last. Perhaps the ayi is doing excellent childcare but needs clearer instructions on Western laundry. Perhaps the family expects more initiative with meal planning, or the ayi is unsure whether she may take the child to the playroom without asking each time. We help identify these issues early and keep communication respectful.

A successful ayi placement is built on trust, clarity and fair treatment. Shanghai’s best caregivers often stay with families for years when the role is stable, expectations are realistic and communication is kind. Our goal is not just to fill a vacancy; it is to help your household function smoothly.

What makes ShanghaiNanny different?

• Hand-vetted candidates: We screen for real family experience, reliability and fit, not just availability.
• Shanghai-specific guidance: We understand compound life, expat school schedules, district commute patterns and local salary expectations.
• Concierge shortlisting: You receive a focused set of suitable candidates rather than a flood of unfiltered contacts.
• Practical interview support: We help you test the situations that matter in daily home life.
• Clear expectations: We help define duties, hours, salary, holidays and boundaries before problems begin.
• Human follow-up: We stay available as you move from interview to trial to start date.

Who we help

We work with expat families across Shanghai, including Jing’an, Xuhui, Changning, Huangpu, Pudong, Hongqiao, Gubei, Minhang, Qingpu and international school areas. Some families need urgent maternity support after a relocation. Others are replacing a long-term ayi who is returning home. Some need a polished full-time nanny for a toddler; others want a kind, steady ayi who can cook Chinese meals, keep the apartment organized and help with school pickup.

If you are not sure what kind of ayi you need, that is normal. Many families contact us at the “we need help but do not know what to ask for” stage. We will help you shape the role, understand the cost and move toward a safe, realistic placement.

Ready to hire an ayi in Shanghai?

Tell us about your family, your district and the support you need. ShanghaiNanny will review your requirements and guide you through the next steps, from role definition to hand-vetted shortlist, interviews, trial and placement.

Submit an inquiry today, message us on WeChat: fangche100, or email hello@shanghainanny.com. The more detail you share, the faster we can recommend candidates who truly fit your Shanghai home.