Part of what makes My Household Managed so successful is the fact that we have trusted partners across the private household staffing industry that we work with, and that we can connect our clients and candidates with. Find out more about Private Service Alliance from its founder Natalie Hudson and discover how it has become one of the leading professional development providers and networking organizations for those in the Private Service community in our blog. She also explains the problem with hybrid nanny-house manager roles and how to work out a salary for hybrid roles in private household staffing.

What is Private Service Alliance?

Private Service Alliance is a global membership organization and has become the leader in professional development and networking for the Private Service Community. Our reach goes well beyond our current membership and is recognized globally throughout the industry. PSA’s approach to raising industry standards is unique: we don’t leave anyone out of the communication circle when managing estates and residences.

Typically, our members are:

• Private Service Professionals

• Domestic Placement Agencies

• Industry Consultants

• Industry Educators

• Luxury Business Partners

Our goal is simple: to provide resources to the Private Service Community that promote the careers and businesses of our members and elevate best practices within the estates they serve.

As the founder of Private Service Alliance, can you tell us more about yourself? What is your background, and how did you get started in this industry?

I’m Natalie Hudson, a veteran in the Private Service Industry. Starting in 1995, I spent my first five years in the industry working for a few high-profile families in blended roles as Nanny, Household Manager, and Personal Assistant. To further my education and industry knowledge, I graduated with honors from The International Butler Academy (TIBA) based in The Netherlands in 2001, and then helped create The International Association of Household Professionals (IAHP).

I landed a position as a butler fresh out of the academy, and then spent several years as a freelance personal assistant in the Minneapolis area before accepting a role with a favorite client. That kept me busy for nearly ten years, as an Estate Manager and Family Assistant. 

After being downsized in 2017, I enrolled as a student at Metropolitan State University in St. Paul, MN. I curated a degree plan focused on Luxury Lifestyle Management through the College of Individual Studies department. Supervised by my proctor, I wrote many industry-specific courses, outlines, and learning outcomes. In addition to my studies, I served as Virtual Chapter President for The Domestic Estate Management Association (DEMA). As President, I created, produced, and hosted a weekly virtual meeting, presenting relevant content with industry experts presented to Private Service Professionals worldwide. I graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in 2020, Summa Cum Laude. 

When DEMA closed its doors in 2019, I saw an opportunity to fill the void and create a new organization dedicated to developing industry standards and best practices for all aspects of the Private Service industry. This platform also allows me to simultaneously give back and pay it forward to an industry near and dear to my service heart. Private Service Alliance has become a reality thanks to the generous guidance and encouragement of a small team of supportive partners. 

What is your “why”?

I wanted to find a way to give back, pay it forward, and leave the industry in better condition than when I started my career. I always presumed that, like my instructor at TIBA (a 75-year-old English butler), I would find myself teaching through my golden years… until the pandemic hit and PSA became a viable opportunity to share my decades of experience and provide a platform for PSPs and industry partners to meet, network, and learn from one another. 

What’s your biggest success story or “aha” moment from this line of work?

I can’t think of anything in particular. I tend to find the greatest job satisfaction in the small moments. Such moments happen when someone has an urgent need, and I am able to swoop in, wave my magic wand, and make their world right again. 

Sometimes, my magic wand provides advice, a shoulder to cry on, crazy ideas, or connects the dots between chaos and order. That person in need may be my principal, but often, they are a peer, PSA Member, neighbor, or a total stranger.

Tell us a fun fact about you!

I was in the final casting call for Nanny 911 (a reality show on Bravo from 2004 to 2007) before they pivoted to the all-British cast.

About The Private Household Staffing Industry

What are some things you wish more private service professionals knew?

There are three things I wish more private service professionals (PSPs) knew:

Firstly, the private service industry is comprised of thousands of hard-working, dedicated people who love their work. However, studies have shown that less than 20% of PSPs are actually TRAINED to do what they do. The majority of these PSPs complain about  the state of the industry and lack of standardization when it comes to: 

• Defined job titles 

• Job descriptions

• Pay + benefits

• Career advancement

• Recruitment process

What the industry has not realized (or implemented) is how a mandated, standardized, formal training program (similar to the Yachting industry) could be the ideal solution for all these issues. 

• Does formal training take time? Yes, about 3 months to 4 years (Butler program or college degree). 

• Can you get a college degree in the private service industry? Not directly. However, there are a few universities with Individualized Studies Departments that, with an appropriate proctor, will allow students to curate their own degree programs. 

• Is it expensive? Yes, but you can usually recoup tuition costs within 1-2 years through increased wages. 

• Can it propel your career forward? YES! 

Secondly, I also wish that PSPs would ask for a letter of recommendation from each employer every year (in conjunction with an annual review). During and after the pandemic, many staff lost principals and have no verifiable records of their hard work, leaving holes in their career history.

Thirdly, PSPs need to learn to embrace and enjoy networking. They are typically isolated within a gated community, working in “back of house” roles providing invisible services. To maintain their career trajectory, PSPs must build a network outside their peers in the mansion with reputable placement agents, industry educators, and businesses that service HNW clientele. This network will serve them, along with current and future principals, well for decades. 

…And what are some things you wish more principals knew?

There’s two things I wish more principals knew when it comes to the domestic staffing industry: 

First, hiring staff without the involvement of a Domestic Placement Agency is doomed for failure, and here is why.  

• DIY + In-House HR Searches: many details related to previous employment cannot be shared outside the candidate/agent relationship. NDAs often explicitly state that details may only be disclosed to the candidate’s spouse, lawyer, accountant, and placement agent. 

• Corporate Recruiter Searches: these people are experts at matching corporate roles. However, private households are uniquely structured around one individual or family’s needs, lifestyle, and preferences. It is difficult for corporate recruiters to make a perfect match without direct knowledge or experience of how private households operate. 

• Domestic Placement Agencies are specialized recruitment experts for private service staff and roles. They understand the unique nuances needed to match the right staff to fill any given household’s needs, preferences, duties, and personality requirements. 

There are so many benefits to retaining the services of Domestic Placement Agencies that far outweigh the initial costs, including safety and security for all parties. DPAs provide tailored assessments, customized searches, interview prep and feedback, and contract negotiations. These experts are often available throughout the year, providing guidance on best practices for employing staff, negotiating annual reviews, and managing HR matters.

Second, hybrid roles are all the rage. While assigning multiple roles to one individual has merit through lower payroll costs and fewer direct reports, the deficits are rarely worthwhile. Such deficits include

• Hybrid staff are often working outside their natural talents, which leads to burnout.

• Hybrid staff are often burdened with a building list of tasks without equivalent pay, resources, or removal of less essential tasks, also leading to burnout.

• Hybrid staff become unicorns that are nearly impossible to replace when they resign or retire.

• Recruiters are sent searching far and wide for the “perfect” candidate, but no one can match the former employee’s set of skills.

Principals insistent on their staff holding hybrid roles can predict better outcomes when they focus on a few key areas that can quickly run off the rails, such as

• Hybrid staff have defined titles and duties on specific days or times.

  Sample: 

• Nanny from 8-9 am and 2-5 pm Monday-Friday

• Personal Assistant from 9-2 on Mondays + Fridays, and

• Household Manager from 9-2 on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays 

• When new duties are assigned and agreed to, current duties are assessed for importance, and the schedule, pay, or tasks are adjusted to align with the current needs of the household and staff schedules.

• Fair compensation: start by calculating the current weekly salaries and hours for each title in the proposed hybrid matrix. Then divide those salaries by the number or percentage of time the candidate will work in that role.

  Sample:

• Salaries: Nanny: $90k, PA: $120k, HM $150k. 

• Schedule allocation: Nanny: 50%, PA: 20%, HM 30%

• Proposed Salary: Nanny: $45k + PA: $24k + HM: $45k

• Based on these calculations, total compensation discussions should start at $112k (plus basic and enhanced benefits)

What is next for Private Service Alliance?

We are actively working on three priorities for 2024: 

1. A Group Insurance Benefits Program for anyone eligible for membership with PSA (including small business owners)! This launched in March! Info can be found in our private community under the Marketplace section.

2. Launching local chapters of PSA across the country and worldwide! Jackson, WY, started in January! Contact PSA if you are interested in learning more about leadership opportunities.

3. PSA has developed a cutting-edge cloud-based platform where PSPs seize control of their career. The PSA Reference Vault™ platform revolutionizes the resume and job application process by offering comprehensive virtual resume profiles that seamlessly integrate verified references, education, employment history, and future aspirations, safely providing a holistic snapshot of your professional journey. The PSA Reference Vault™ is due to launch in the coming weeks. 

Natalie, from Private Service Alliance shares our passion for ensuring that candidates and clients have the most up-to-date information and access to resources to make private household staffing seamless for all involved.

You’ve got enough on your plate in your day-to-day life — let us make your life easier by handling your unique household staffing needs.

If you are a family looking for staff for your private household or for any other home service, register with My Household Managed.

If you are looking to work within a private household, apply at My Household Managed.