Finding people you can trust is perhaps one of the most critical components when hiring domestic and private staff. But that can be much easier said than done. There’s no shortage of willing applicants to domestic staffing roles and equally no shortage of means to find them – job boards, social media, LinkedIn, personal connections, associates, and specialist agencies. Many would-be assistance will also reach out directly to you, which can show enthusiasm but equally ring skepticism.
How can you truly know who out of all these potential applicants you can really trust to bring into your private residence and personal circle?
How to find the domestic staff you can trust
Through people that you know
A common first port of call when looking for people you can trust to bring into your team is to go to the people you already know and have some confidence in. This can range in success – it can work really well, but it can equally end in disaster. Using your own connections, like hiring friends and family can be a risky choice and doesn’t work for everyone. Ultimately it depends on who your connections are, how much trust you can put in them and whether there are likely to be any conflicts of interest.
Does it sometimes work? Yes. Should you use it? It depends upon your social circle.
Through established agencies
Trust is the foremost priority when it comes to a certified private household staff agency as they look for candidates for their clients. These agencies work specifically within the industry, they know the nuances, tell-tale signs and exactly what to look for when looking for private staff to hire. In some cases staff within these agencies have first-hand experience working as private household staff and know what clients expect and what private staff also expect from the relationship.
Crucially these agencies can help you to hone in on exactly what type of people you need so you can be sure when you hire them there is no room for misunderstanding, discontentment and error.
They can also handle processes like background and reference checks including DBS criminal checks.
Finding an agency you can trust
Of course finding staff with a domestic staffing agency only works if you know you can trust the agency as well. If you don’t have full confidence in the agency then you’re not going to have full confidence in the staff they find. It doesn’t take long to read up about an agency on their website and the wider web to find out who they are, what they stand for and what experience they have.
If you can take the time to find an agency you have confidence in, you can then allow them to do the job they do best, safer in the knowledge that the staff pool for your roles(s) are staff you can trust.
Honing in on exactly what who you are looking for
When looking for domestic staff you can trust, you need can afford to be specific, after-all the more specific you are, the less chance there is of miscommunication and potential trust-issues.
Be choosy, and be clear on your values and what you expect from an individual. The more detail you have in what you are looking for the quicker you will be able to accept or reject candidates as they start to apply for the role.
When you are really specific any means you use to search for and hire domestic staff naturally filters out a large portion of the people who could otherwise lead to trust issues.
Never rush the process – start planning in advance
If you can do anything about it you don’t want to rush the process. The earlier you start the more time you have to be sure that you’re making the right decision. Rushing the process increases the chance of you finding a private helper you can really trust. Try looking forward and considering when you’re going to need domestic staff and work backwards from this date, planning the process out so it keeps on track with exactly what you want and need. It also gives you time to write clear and detailed specifications, incorporate multiple interview rounds and trial periods.
Trust your gut instinct
Don’t ignore alarm bells, if something doesn’t seem right don’t waste time entertaining it. Again the process should not be rushed, so if your gut is telling you something then heed its advice and move on.
Finding somebody you can have full confidence and reliance on is difficult and rare. When it comes to household help, it’s perhaps one of the biggest considerations. The key is being smart with the choices you have at your disposal and using them to your advantage.
Best of luck and happy hunting!
