Job Descriptions

Take your time to draft a professional job description so that you can evaluate what your expectations are and how these might be accomplished. Envision job title, duties, schedules and level of experience and training that you seek.

Job Titles

One level of staffing that you can consider is what might be referred to as a domestic someone who is willing to perform tasks assigned and has some competence and skill. A professional in private service is someone who can think, who will be anticipatory and be willing to assume more responsibility. These higher expectations are what makes the difference between professional private service and daily help. Using the right job title is important in creating a professional position. A Butler or House Manager or Estate Manager or Personal Assistant are some common professional titles for persons who perform the duties involved in the private lives of busy people.

Job Duties

One employee can not do all the tasks that need to be done in a managed home. There will always be a specified group of duties that are most important and that are a priority and other additional responsibilities as possible. Avoid trying to include so many duties in the job description that potential candidates will be scared away.

Work Schedules

It is important to set up a work schedule structure of maximum 45 to 50 hours per week for most long term private service positions. This allows a professional to do a great job and have a life of their own. We have found that more on-duty time than this, on a regular basis, can result in syndromes that can impact job efficiency, inspire less of a professional "boundary". Generally this will work against your long term best interests. This has nothing to do with pay. You can pay someone a fortune, but they will still burn out over time if the expectation is that they devote their life to you. This sounds a bit exaggerated, but the point is that the start of a job is the best time to have a reasonable schedule in place. There will normally be instances when extra hours are required but that obviously goes with the profession.

Split Days

Employers must encourage their staff to maintain and develop their own lives. In our experience, split up days do not work well when staff lives off the property. Unless the staff quarters are very close, the HM must drive X minutes each way, and these minutes are typically not restful. It is hard to do much in 2 or 3 hours off duty before you go back on duty. Also, it is hard to build momentum to be efficient at work when there is more starting and stopping of tasks which a split schedule often entails.