Hiring the right candidate for your household staffing needs is an extremely important decision and should not be taken lightly. This domestic professional will be working closely with you, your family, and within your household, so you want to ensure you hire a reliable, trustworthy, hardworking individual that is easy to get along with and that will stay with you long-term.
It may be overwhelming to start the process of finding and interviewing candidates, complete background screenings and reference checks. You are not in this alone – help is available to walk you through the process or even handle it all for you.
Using a professional household staffing agency has many benefits, including finding qualified and experienced candidates quickly. An agency understands the steps involved when matching a candidate with a client.
Ultimately, they take the stress and guesswork off of you and simply hand you the perfect household employee. They are also familiar with the legal and tax requirements for hiring household employees, so you know what is required to avoid legal trouble. Since this is a personal matter, you want to work with an agency that has the experience and expertise needed to fill your open position with the right fit quickly.
Common Household Staffing Positions
Personal Assistant
A personal assistant will be your go-to person for many of your daily tasks. They can manage your schedule and set up appointments. Other responsibilities may include arranging your travel plans, managing day-to-day family agenda, and arranging events.
Caretaker
A Caretaker is responsible for the maintenance of the home both outside and in. Duties typically include yard work, gardening, plumbing, painting, carpentry, and overseeing contractors for more extensive work.
Housekeeper
The duties for this position will vary depending on the needs of the family. The Housekeeper is in charge of running the home, typically including overseeing other staff, cleaning, laundry, dusting, grocery shopping, and running errands.
For some households, meal preparation and childcare duties may also be required.
Estate Manager
The estate manager has many responsibilities, which may include overseeing the staff and services of the home. They may handle the selection and supervision of contractors, caretakers, and gardeners. They may also care for automobiles and supervise household accounts.
Nanny
A nanny typically stays with the children full time and takes care of their needs while the parents work. Nannies will prepare meals for the children, plan activities, clean up their messes, and transport them to different activities.
Butler
A Butler, also known as a Major Domo, carries out the fine details of running a household. Typical responsibilities include supervising household staff, valeting, ordering supplies, caring for silver, china, and crystal, setting and serving at a formal table, overseeing dinner parties and other events.
Chef
There are different levels of cooks ranging from simple family cooks to the trained gourmet Chefs. A professional Chef will have all the training on proper food handling and serving. They can provide an excellent meal for your home or company.
Couples
From being entirely hands-on to supervising other staff and overseeing outside vendors, couples can fully manage your home or estate.
Houseman
A Houseman is typically responsible for the heavy housework, for example, cleaning hardwood and marble floors and minor repairs. Depending on the household’s requirements, the responsibilities could vary greatly.
Finding the Perfect Individual
If you choose to tackle the search yourself, complete an extensive background check and check references. You don’t know who a person truly is when you first meet them, so do your due diligence, including checking their social media. This person will be working closely with you in your home, so hiring an honest and reliable individual is essential.
It’s critical to outline your exact needs before you start looking for a domestic professional. When you find the individual with the skills and experience to fit your needs, it’s best to communicate your expectations and requirements before you hire them.
Be upfront about the details of their responsibilities, so there are no surprises that may cause upset in the end. For example, if you’ll need them to transport your children to different activities, they should know before accepting the position.
They should also know if they will need to use their personal automobile for work. You will want to provide them with the typical schedule you need and the pay and benefits you will provide, including the holiday schedule and pay.
Important Questions To Ask Your Staffing Agency
What Types of Staffing and Industries Do You Specialize In?
There are many types of staffing agencies. Before you begin working with one, be sure they can fill your staffing needs. Some agencies only offer temporary workers, while others only do permanent placements. Some do both temporary and permanent placement.
Also, most staffing agencies specialize in certain industries, positions, or job functions.
Making sure the agency is experienced in staffing the role you need will make for a quicker and smoother process.
What Are Your Rates and Fee Structure?
Before you hire an individual through a staffing agency, you want to have a clear understanding of the hourly rates and any costs you will incur through the hiring process, so there are no surprises later. A bad hire could be costly.
How Do You Identify the Right Fit?
This is the most important question because the individual you hire could save you a lot of time and increase productivity, or they can cost you a lot of money.
A successful, experienced agency knows what to look for when matching a candidate with a client. You want to be sure the staffing agency knows all about you, your goals, and the exact duties required of the position you need to fill.
Ensure the staffing agency you choose shows genuine interest in your expectations and asks questions to understand your exact needs.
What Are Your Screening, Onboarding, and Hiring Processes?
A staffing agency that conducts initial interviews and screenings will save you a lot of time and money. When the agency interviews and weeds out unqualified individuals, you only spend your time on ones that have passed the initial screenings.
Some agencies will have individuals seeking office-type positions complete typing or other questionnaires or tests to ensure they can meet the needs of their clients.
An experienced staffing agency also looks for traits like personalities, attitudes, work ethic, problem-solving, and communication skills.
How Do They Handle the Sourcing, Screening, and Selection Process?
A staffing agency that handles HR services such as background checks, initial interviews, and skill assessments can save you time and money. When hiring managers can be confident that the candidates they are interviewing meet the job requirements, they can evaluate the candidates’ other traits, such as personality, work style, and communication and problem-solving skills.
What Type of Experience Will You Be Looking for in My Open Position?
It’s important to keep in mind the perfect fit may not have any experience in a household position. That doesn’t make them any less of the perfect fit. The critical elements are an honest, trustworthy, reliable individual with an excellent work ethic, attention to detail, and great communicators. For example, if the position you are seeking is a nanny, then the individual may be a woman who has raised children who are caring and attentive to kids and understands their needs.
Summary
Hiring a household employee is an elaborate and time-consuming process. You have the option to tackle the search yourself or get an expert staffing agency to help find the perfect employee for you. If you are looking for a more hands-off approach to save yourself time and stress, a staffing agency would be best for you. A staffing agency will use a thorough screening process to select qualified candidates on your behalf carefully. They will complete interviews, background screenings, and check references.
The employee will be working closely with you and in your home, so it’s critical you hire a trustworthy person with high ethics. A reputable and experienced staffing agency will know what to look for to find the perfect fit for your position.
Contact Pocketbook Agency to learn about our process of domestic staffing.
Sources:
Personal Background Check: Run a Background Check on Yourself Now | Backgroundchecks.com