Finding the right private staff for your household or family office goes beyond assessing skills and experience. It’s just as important to ensure they align with your lifestyle, household dynamics, and expectations. That’s why many private employers choose a temp-to-perm (TTP) hiring model—allowing them to trial a candidate before offering a permanent contract. A survey by the Recruitment and Employment Confederation found that nearly 50% of temporary workers transitioned to permanent positions within the organizations they were assigned to, demonstrating the effectiveness of this approach in securing committed employees.

Why Choose TTP for Private Staff?

Ensure the Right Fit

A trial period lets you assess how a staff member integrates with your household, interacts with existing staff, and handles responsibilities before making a long-term commitment.

Flexibility Without the Admin Burden

If a candidate isn’t the right match, you can adjust your staffing needs quickly. As your Employer of Record, we handle payroll, HR administration, and compliance, meaning you avoid the complexities of setting up contracts, taxes, and benefits.

Adjust Working Hours as Needed

Hiring on a temporary basis allows you to fine-tune schedules and workloads before committing to a full-time hire. Whether it’s determining the required hours for a housekeeper or trialing a private PA’s support level, TTP hiring provides valuable flexibility.

Quick Replacements When Needed

If a candidate isn’t the right fit, we can provide an alternative, ensuring minimal disruption to your household or family office operations.

Key Roles That Benefit from a TTP Approach

Housekeepers

A housekeeper plays a vital role in maintaining a home’s cleanliness and organization, but every household has different standards and preferences. A trial period allows you to assess:

• Their attention to detail and ability to meet household expectations.
• How well they integrate with existing staff and daily routines.
• Their level of discretion and professionalism in a private setting.

Butlers

A butler is responsible for a household’s formal service, front-of-house management, and guest hospitality. The right fit depends on factors like:

• Experience with formal service protocols or specific household traditions.
• Ability to manage staff, oversee events, and cater to personal preferences.
• Adaptability to the household’s pace, lifestyle, and guests.

Private Chefs

Food is deeply personal, and hiring a private chef requires more than just reviewing a CV. A TTP approach allows you to:

• Ensure their cooking style aligns with your family’s dietary needs and tastes.
• Assess their ability to plan menus, source ingredients, and adapt to preferences.
• Determine if their personality and discretion suit your household.

Nannies

Hiring a nanny is one of the most personal staffing decisions for any household. A trial period helps ensure:

• Their childcare approach aligns with your parenting style.
• They build a strong and comfortable bond with your children.
• Their schedule and adaptability work within your household’s routine.

Private PAs

A Private PA manages personal affairs, travel, and household administration, requiring a high level of trust and efficiency. A TTP period allows you to:

• Test their ability to manage sensitive information discreetly.
• Assess their efficiency in organizing schedules, handling logistics, and coordinating with other staff.
• Ensure their communication style aligns with your expectations.

By opting for a TTP arrangement, you gain peace of mind, flexibility, and ease of hiring – all without the administrative burden of payroll and compliance.

For more information on hiring private staff on a TTP basis, contact us today.

The post The Benefits of Hiring Private Staff on a Temp-to-Perm Basis appeared first on Tiger Recruitment.

Regardless of whether you’re seeking sunshine, or planning to escape to a winter wonderland, it’s time to stop worrying about whether to bring the children on your next vacation. While spending one on one time with the family can create special memories for everyone, traveling with children can also be tiring and time consuming. But why should you limit your plans? Look no further for the key to a stress-free vacation. Hire a travel nanny today and say hello to relaxation.

What is a travel nanny?

A travel nanny is someone who specializes in caring for children on family trips, however long you might be looking to get away for. Travel nannies can adapt to new environments quickly and with ease, and are accustomed to remaining calm under pressure or in challenging situations, such as in the unfortunate event that a child becomes sick whilst you are away.

Is it better to hire a traveling nanny or to bring help from home?

If your family already has an everyday nanny, there is of course the option to bring them along on your trip. However, if you’re also looking to give your regular nanny some time off for themselves, or some of the family are staying at home while you’re on vacation, it can be worth looking for an extra helping hand.

And if you don’t normally have a nanny whilst at home, the added bonus of a traveling nanny means you can be so much more flexible with your vacation, casting aside any worries about finding a resort or hotel with childcare options. Even if your hotel offers a nannying service, hiring your own travel nanny means that you are able to meet them ahead of time in your own environment.

A traveling nanny is also a great option as they may already be familiar with your destination of choice, acting as both a tour guide and providing an extra layer of security for your children, especially if there is a language barrier.

Three benefits of hiring a traveling nanny:

1. Balance for parents

Being a parent is a 24/7, 365-days-a-year job. Traveling with children can be tiring and many parents return from their trips feeling more tired than they were before they left. Hiring a travel nanny means alleviating stress for everyone. With help at your side, everyone is free to make the most of their vacation. The children can have their own adventure while you relax by the pool, or whatever else might take your fancy!

2. Security and safety

Knowing that someone is watching over your children and having that extra level of supervision, especially in crowded settings and locations with water, means that parents are able to properly switch off.

3. Flexibility

Hiring a traveling nanny for your family vacation gives you complete flexibility with plans and scheduling last-minute changes. Travel nannies are experienced with working both day and night and will be there for you when you need them most, working with you to create a schedule (or lack of) that suits your family.

Whether you’re worried about the children getting bored, decide to go for a late night dinner, or simply need some time alone, a travel nanny can make your dream vacation a reality.

Ready to find a nanny to suit your needs? Get in touch with us today.

The post Why you should hire a traveling nanny for your next vacation appeared first on Tiger Recruitment.

Just like the houses they work in, household staff come in all sizes and structures. In this guide, we will help you put together a team that keeps your home in order and your family looked after, wherever your property is located, and no matter the size.

Read on to learn about each of the household staff roles and their average salaries. Before that, however, you will need to understand your unique household requirements.

Calculate your household needs

If we were to ask you, ‘How many household staff do you need’? how would you respond? There are several factors to consider:

• Size of your property – larger houses will need more cleaning staff, and likewise larger gardens will need more gardeners or a groundskeeper. You might even need to hire an estate manager.
• Size of your family – if you require kitchen staff, the size of your family could affect your chef recruitment needs.
• Age of your children – if you have young children up to around eleven years old, you may wish to hire a nanny.
• Your lifestyle – how busy you are and how often you are away from your property could influence your chauffeur hiring or security recruitment

Types of staff

Once you’ve calculated your needs, you should research the types of household staff and the tasks they cover. Some will have the skills to cover several job roles so, when it comes to hiring, it’s worth inquiring about this.

Let’s look at the most typical household staff.

Butler

The role of butler is one of the most varied of all household staff, and they can be an invaluable help if you have a particularly busy lifestyle. Their responsibilities include greeting and waiting on guests, answering phone calls, looking after the family’s schedule, cooking, housekeeping, managing other staff, and more. The best butlers can often perform many other tasks as well, making them a more cost-effective option for mid-sized properties.

• Butler average salary (2023): $80k-$120k p.a.

Chauffeur

As your on-call driver, a chauffeur is of great benefit to you in countless situations. Perfect if you live in a remote area, need to work on the go, or are often back and forth from the airport.

• Chauffeur average salary (2023): $70k-$120k p.a.

Chef and kitchen staff

Chefs and kitchen staff are a great help to a single working homeowner, or a household where both partners work and need help preparing dinners and schools lunches for their children. Depending on your schedule, you may want to hire a private chef full-time, part-time, or even temporarily for a summer house or dinner party.

You should also consider whether a private chef is necessary, or if a butler or housekeeper with cooking skills will cover your needs. Private chefs are specialists who will create highly bespoke meals, but their salaries may be much higher as a result.

• Private chef average salary (2023): $80k-$130k p.a.

Domestic couple

In larger properties needing constant work and attention, a domestic couple is a practical solution. They are often entrusted with a combination of housekeeper, chauffeur and butler tasks, taking care of all aspects of household running. Due to the necessary closeness of the relationship between the family and domestic couple, great care needs to be taken to find the right match between both parties. Your recruitment consultant will advise you on this.

• Domestic couple average salary (2023): $1300k-$200k p.a.

Estate manager

For significantly larger properties, including those with multiple buildings and extensive grounds, an estate manager is highly recommended. An estate manager will oversee all maintenance and upkeep of the properties and grounds, such as hiring building contractors, landscapers and groundskeepers. They may also manage household staff.

• Estate manager average salary (2023): $100k-$400k p.a.

Housekeeper

If you’re looking for a simple all-round option to keep your small to mid-sized property in top shape, a housekeeper is a great choice. Sometimes called maids or servants, the duties of a housekeeper include cleaning, laundry management, stocking cleaning products, and occasionally greeting guests and cooking. These last two tasks are not always completed by housekeepers, so you will need to inquire with your recruitment consultant, but if you can find a housekeeper with experience in all these areas, they can present a more cost-effective alternative to a butler.

• Housekeeper average salary (2023): $40k-$130k p.a.
• Head housekeeper average salary (2023): $70k-$130k p.a.

House manager

If you have decided to hire several of the above positions, you may be feeling overwhelmed by the logistics and schedules. A house manager is the perfect remedy for this. They will oversee all household staff, arranging their schedules, pay, holiday, and sick leave. As your point of contact for all other members of staff, they streamline many processes, and can help advise on additional hiring needs.

• House manager average salary (2023): $80k-$180k p.a.

Nanny

If you are juggling young children and a busy lifestyle, you may benefit from hiring a nanny. Nannies can be hired on an ad-hoc basis when needed, or as a permanent live-in or live-out member of the household. You may also wish to hire a traveling nanny to accompany you on family holidays. Qualified nannies will typically provide care for children from birth to around eleven years old.

• Nanny average salary (2023): $50k-$120k p.a.

Assessing your staffing needs

Now that you have a better idea of the different specialists you can hire for your household, you can match them to your needs and budget. Make an honest assessment of the tasks you’ll need assistance on and those you can handle yourself.

Managing household staff

Before hiring household staff, you should also consider how you will manage each member of the team – setting their schedule, assigning tasks, arranging payment and booking their time off. With a smaller team, you may be able to take care of this admin yourself but, if you don’t have the time, there are alternative options.

One option is to hire a house manager to handle staff and be your single point of contact for the whole team. Another is to take advantage of Tiger’s payroll services. We can arrange contracts and payment for your staff, taking on the burden and liability. Get in touch  to find out more.

Hiring household staff

Once you have a firm idea of the type of household staff you need, it’s time to begin hiring. Domestic recruitment agencies are the best route to securing experienced, vetted staff for every position. Our consultation process is thorough and allows us to fully understand your personal situation and find the best staffing solutions for your property. We’re always on hand to discuss your needs, so make a hiring inquiry today.

FAQs

If you’re still asking how many household staff do you need, read our frequently asked questions below.

The post How many household staff do you need? appeared first on Tiger Recruitment.

If you’re thinking of hiring domestic staff to take on some of the burden of running a household, we can help.

In this blog we’ll take you through each step of the hiring process, from identifying your household support needs, to creating a job description, interviewing, and finally recruiting experienced staff.

1. Assess Business Needs

Everyone’s household needs are different, and to ensure you’re spending money in the right place when hiring domestic staff, you should do a full assessment of your personal needs before approaching a domestic recruitment agency.

2. Identifying the specific roles and responsibilities you require

The needs of your household will inform the type of staff you hire. Your requirements may be any combination of the following:

• Chauffeuring
• Childcare
• Cleaning
• Close protection
• Cooking
• Estate management
• Gardening
• Groundskeeping
• House management
• Laundry

You will need to learn which roles can cover these tasks. Read our blog on how many household staff to hire to find out more.

3. Creating Job Descriptions

An accurate and detailed job description is one of the most effective tools when hiring domestic staff. Recruitment consultants will help you finesse the document to target the most relevant, experienced candidates.

4. Advertise Job

With your job description ready you can now work with your recruitment agency to craft an appealing job advert. This will include the description, as well as details of salary, benefits, and a small amount about the household they would be working within. Job adverts will typically be posted on your recruiter’s own jobs board and, with your permission, partner job boards they work with.

5. Screen resumes

As applications for your domestic role begin to come in, your recruitment consultant will build a shortlist of the best candidates, cutting out any that lack the relevant experience. To decide which of these shortlisted candidates to interview, you will need to screen their resumes carefully, something your consultant will be able to assist with. Check for relevant experience, skills, values, and previous employers who could be contacted for referrals. You should also run a criminal record check on all applicants before progressing to the interview stage. For more information, read our guide on how to screen resumes.

6. Interviews

By this point you should have a strong understanding of a candidate’s employment history and skillset. The interview is a chance to get a better idea of their values, and to test some of those skills. As domestic staff will have close contact with your personal life, it is best practice to conduct face-to-face, or at least video call interviews, to find out whether you feel comfortable with them.

7. Recruiting Candidates

When you have made your choice on a new employee for your household you will need a formal contract to finalize the recruitment process. If this is your first time employing someone, we can help with writing your contract. Remember, you should still consult a lawyer to be sure the contract is legally binding.

Tiger also offers a payroll and contract service, which can take on much of this work and give you some distance from employees, if you prefer more privacy.

8. Onboarding Candidates

The final step in hiring domestic staff is the onboarding process. With household support, this will involve basics such as orienting them around the property, drawing up their schedule, and laying down any ground rules to follow while they are on-site. If you hire a house manager or butler, much of the training and onboarding process for other household staff will then be handled by them.

Managing Your Domestic Staff

Household employees require ongoing management, and this aspect of hiring domestic staff should be planned for well in advance. If the daily admin becomes too much work as the domestic team grows, it’s advisable to hire a house manager or butler.

Looking To Recruit Domestic Staff

Whether you’re looking for housekeepers, butlers, or gardeners, temporary or permanent, we can provide you with exceptional staff. Our expert team will advise on hiring for any role and any property type, so please get in touch with your requirements and we will be happy to set up a consultation.

The post Hiring household staff appeared first on Tiger Recruitment.

Coralie Fernando, Head of Marketing and Communication at Tiger, sits down with Tiger Private, to talk through how private household staff recruitment has changed during COVID-19. They discuss the high-quality candidate pool available, the popularity of certain household positions, consolidation of roles and how virtual technologies are speeding up the recruitment process. Listen to the podcast below.

You can find out more about private household recruitment here or email Laura directly for more info.

The post LISTEN: How private household staffing has changed during COVID-19 appeared first on Tiger Recruitment.