Ensuring Peace of Mind: Why Background Checks are Essential When Hiring Domestic Staff
Hiring household staff, whether it's a housekeeper, nanny, or any other domestic worker, is a significant decision for any family. You want to ensure the safety and well-being of your loved ones and the security of your home. That's why many families are turning to domestic employment agencies like My Household Managed to assist them in finding the right candidates.
At MHM, we understand the importance of thorough screening for household staff. In this blog, we will explore the question: Should I run a background check for my household staff? We'll delve into the reasons why background checks are essential, and we'll also shed light on our comprehensive 7-point screening process.
The Importance of Background Checks for Household Staff
When you invite household staff into your home, you're entrusting them with the care of your family and the security of your residence. To ensure peace of mind and a safe environment, it's crucial to run background checks on potential candidates. Here are some compelling reasons why background checks are essential:
Safety: The safety of your family, especially if you have children or elderly family members, is paramount. A background check can uncover any criminal history, ensuring that you hire individuals with a clean record.
Security: Your home contains valuable possessions and sensitive information. Background checks can help you identify any potential security risks among your household staff.
Trustworthiness: Trust is a fundamental aspect of any employer-employee relationship. A thorough background check can provide insights into a candidate's character, reliability, and honesty.
Legal Compliance: In Chicago, and across the United States, there are legal requirements and regulations that must be followed when hiring domestic workers. Conducting background checks helps you stay compliant with these laws.
Peace of Mind: Knowing that your household staff have passed a rigorous screening process can give you peace of mind and allow you to focus on other aspects of your life.
Our 7-Point Screening Process
At MHM, we take pride in our commitment to providing families with the best household staff. Our 7-point screening process is designed to ensure that only the most qualified and trustworthy candidates are presented to our clients. Here's a detailed look at our process:
Detailed Online Application Process: Our candidates begin by filling out a comprehensive online application. This initial step provides us with essential information about their qualifications and experience.
Resume Review: We carefully review each candidate's resume to assess their skills and experience in the household staff role they're seeking.
Professional Phone Interview: Our team conducts a professional phone interview to further evaluate the candidate's qualifications, communication skills, and professionalism.
In-Depth Zoom Interview: Candidates who pass the initial stages undergo an in-depth Zoom interview. This step allows us to assess their personality, work ethic, and suitability for our clients' specific needs.
Reference Checks (Using a Professional Service): We understand the importance of reliable references. We use a professional service to conduct reference checks, ensuring accuracy and completeness.
CPR/ServSafe Verification: Depending on the position, we verify candidates' certifications, such as CPR or ServSafe, to confirm their qualifications.
Premium-Level Professional Background Check: Our comprehensive FCRA-compliant background check includes:
National, federal, state, and county criminal record checks.
Global watchlist search to identify any potential international issues.
National sex offender registry search to ensure the safety of your family.
SSN trace and address history for a comprehensive overview of the candidate's background.
Motor vehicle records check for candidates whose responsibilities may include driving.
At MHM, we also offer extensive social media screening which is done through advanced machine learning to aggregate and analyze seven years’ worth of social media posts as well as web and news articles, for undesirable behavior. Our social media report reveal behaviors such as hate speech, bullying, violence, harassment and more.
By the time a candidate reaches our clients, they have successfully passed each of these rigorous screening stages. Our commitment to thorough screening sets us apart as a trusted domestic employment agency.
Running a background check for your household staff is not just a good practice; it's essential for your family's safety, security, and peace of mind. When you choose to work with us, you can rest assured that the candidates we present to you have been meticulously screened to meet the highest standards. Your family's well-being and the security of your home are our top priorities. You can find out more about our household staffing process here.
Not sure where to start with hiring a new nanny, housekeeper or house manager?
My Household Managed takes a consultative and personalized approach to household staffing.
We help you hire domestic staff qualified to fit your unique needs, saving you time and providing peace of mind.
Let us help you find the best nanny, house manager, housekeeper or any other domestic employee you may be searching for and submit an application with My Household Managed.
