What Makes a Great Household Employee?
Deciding to hire a household employee is an important choice for any family. In doing so, they are entrusting someone else to come into their home and work with them, whether that be as a housekeeper, nanny or house manager. At My Household Managed, we work with you closely to find and match the best candidates to clients so that you have a successful, stress-free experience. One of the ways we do this is by only working with the very best candidates. So how do we know we’re finding the best people for the role in Chicagoland? And if you’re a candidate, how can you improve your skills to make sure you have the strongest chance of being matched with a household? Read on to find out what makes a great household employee…
What Qualities Do I Need as a Household Employee?
The needs of every family and role will be different. Some households will want their nanny or household employee to feel comfortable and operate in a laid back environment, while still maintaining professional boundaries. Other households (typically estates, or high net worth (HNW) family homes) are run like a corporate office, with a clear distinction between the family and the domestic staff. It is up to the employee to use their own judgment when certain things are left unsaid. For example, an employer may treat you as “part of the family” and offer you good treatment and say things like “help yourself to anything”, but it is up to you to know that these items are not yours to take home, their car is not for your personal errands, and that some things are simply off-limits. It is not uncommon for staff to get too comfortable and start to cross boundaries, show up late, or take advantage of privileges, and leave the principals of the home seeking their replacement.
The best professional working relationships in a private household settings result when a family is accommodating, understanding, grateful, and appreciate of the work that their employee does, and makes sure to show it, while the employee understands his or her place in the home, where they add value, and utilizes discretion in the things that they do and say.
Whether you work as a nanny, housekeeper or other, some of the skills and qualities you need will be same despite your role and across households. Here are the 3 essential qualities we look for when we start our search for household employee candidates:
Be Reliable
Be Proactive
Be Discreet
Reliable
Once placed in a role, a family should be able to depend on you to fulfil the job role that you have agreed to. There is a huge amount of trust in all household roles as families are welcoming in someone external to their lives. Therefore it really is paramount that you prove yourself to be a reliable employee just as you would with any corporate role. Reliability is highly valued by all of our clients when looking for a household employee so think about this when applying for roles.
Proactive
Generally when families come to us to hire household employees, it is because they need staff to help them with the day-to-day running of their lives and households. Therefore, it is imperative that you are proactive and take the initiative within your role. Whilst it’s totally understandable (and expected) that you may take time to learn the nuances of your role, make sure that you don’t have to be micromanaged as this can add to the stress of the principals of the home rather than making their lives more manageable. Showing that you are well-organized, willing to learn and proactive when it comes to communicating are all things that will ensure your success in any household role.
Discreet
Sometimes when working in a household you just need to know how to read a room. There will inevitably be times when your employer needs something extra from you or requires you to take charge of a situation, but equally there will be occasions where you are required to work in the background, or perhaps leave a room and get on with a different task. To be a great household employee requires you to know when you’re needed and when you’re not. Similarly, our most successful candidates are the ones who respect a family’s privacy and respond appropriately and accordingly to a situation.
How Can I Show These Qualities?
Before you apply for a role it’s always important to think about the qualities we mentioned and how you can reflect this in your application. To help you know what our clients are looking for we’ve split them into four sections: work ethic, skills, judgement and personality.
Work Ethic
✓ Organized, reliable, excellent communication
✓ Proactive and willing to learn
✓ Shows passion for the job that they do
✓ Does not need to be micro-managed
Skills
✓ Excellent communication
✓ Punctual and knows how to prioritize
✓ Comfortable working with children and/or pets
✓ Administrative skills (spreadsheets, inventory, keeping records, project management, receiving quotes)
✓ Detail-oriented - can leave a room better than they found it
✓ Tech-savvy (apps, emailing, home security systems)
Judgement
✓ Discreet / unobtrusive
✓ Can read a room, know when your presence is requested and when the family requires privacy without being told
✓ Can maintain confidentiality and keep personal matters of their employer private
✓ Knows how to separate their personal life from their work life
Personality
✓ Positive and optimistic
✓ Trustworthy and honest (won’t invite over unapproved guests, compromise the security or private information of the home and its’ residents)
✓ “Service-minded” or “service-oriented” always thinking about how they can best serve others
✓ Passionate about the day to day operations of the job their industry
These qualities are essential no matter what household role you may be taking on. However there are also some more job-specific qualities you should consider. For instance, if you’re looking for a nanny or childcare-based role, it is crucial that you can show times when you have worked with children but also how you are a warm, loving and nurturing person. Similarly, if you’re looking at a housekeeping role, make sure to include examples of how you are detail-oriented so that your employer has confidence in your ability to undertake the tasks that the role requires. Those candidates considering working as an executive housekeeper, family assistant or house manager must be able to demonstrate excellent administrative and organizational skills. Whilst the idea of being a personal assistant might seem appealing at first, it takes a lot of skill to manage someone else’s life versus your own. You have to know when to step in and take over and when to understand that you are still reporting to someone else in charge.
How Can I Improve My Skills?
We often get asked at My Household Managed how candidates can improve their skills so that they can land their dream job. Whilst a lot of the skills are experience-based, there are also some great training programmes you can undertake. If it’s a credibility boost you’re looking for, why not consider a “butler training” or “housekeeper training” course from Starkey International Institute for Household Management? There are plenty of options when you Google training courses but be sure to check its reputation before undertaking any study.
What Next?
No matter what role you’re applying for, or post looking to fill, My Household Managed are experts in private household and estate staffing in Chicago. Get in touch with us today to see how we can help you.
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And most importantly, if you’re a candidate looking for household employment in Chicago, be sure to check out our job board for all of our latest roles.
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