General Requirements

What are families generally looking for in a candidate?
Families who hire a recruiter to hire a domestic employee generally expect to be put in touch with experienced candidates with excellent references. However, the decision to hire involves much more than a skill set and a resume. Other factors that play into the hiring decision can be:

Intuition: The art of private service includes the use of ones intuition. Generally, a household that needs "help" lacks the time to manage and direct that help. They need a team member who is a self-starter, logical, observant, and will work in sync with the household.

Family Dynamics: Taking care of the children and/or a home is usually the easy part of the job. Doing it in the midst of an ever-changing family dynamic is the tricky part and an innate ability to navigate various verbal and non-verbal cues is essential.

Empathy: Homeowners want to feel as if they are not being judged in their own home. A successful domestic employee has a good dose of empathy, sincere willingness to help, understanding, and flexibility - and not an ounce of judgment.

Professional Boundaries: It is often a fine dance between being "friendly" yet not being "friends." Domestic employees are exposed to the private side of individuals and it is a very close, intimate working relationship. A successful domestic employee has a friendly approach but is always cautious about what private information gets shared. A successful, professional domestic employee knows how to listen but also knows how to discreetly redirect the conversation to something less private. This is "professional detachment" - a term known to all professionals in a service position (doctors, teachers, etc.).

Reliability and Trust: No matter how many years of experience you have as a domestic employee, you cannot start a new job with a sense of entitlement. Proving that you are trustworthy is up to you - it takes time and building a history with your new employer.

Respect for Resources and Property: Generally, families want an employee who respects their private belongs as their own but does not "use" their belongings as their own. Failures occur when domestic employees forget that the home, the children, the car, the boat, the plane, etc., do not actually belong to them. Part of being successful in service is to take ownership, yet also respect that you are still "of service" to a household and family. How you allocate your time, what you do to keep yourself busy, and how you utilize the resources put in your charge will determine your success with the family who employs you.

Discretion: Whether the family you work for is of public notoriety or not, as a domestic employee, you are charged with a code of discretion. Those who gossip or are prone to gossip have no business in this industry.

Lifestyle Choices: Families have a right to raise their children (within the limits of the law) with their own set of beliefs and parenting philosophies and don't want those choices infringed upon; therefore families usually hire an employee who demonstrates a fairly mainstream lifestyle.

The Art of Remaining Neutral: In most cases, a successful domestic employee is not an extremist and allows a family's own beliefs and preferences to make up the family/household culture. It is preferable to not have your religion, political opinions, etc. pressed upon your employee or their family.

A deep appreciation and respect for children and families: Candidates should truly enjoy working with children and families, recognizing that the job, as any job, will sometimes be tedious and difficult as well as rewarding.

Trustworthiness: Candidates should be able to carry out responsibilities conscientiously and with discretion, honesty, professionalism, and unwavering ethics.

Independence: Candidates should accept responsibility for making adult, educated decisions.

Common Sense: Candidates should be able to calmly and effectively manage emergencies and deal with unexpected events. Their problem solving skills and resourcefulness should be above average.

Adaptability: Candidates should adapt to changes in the work environment, as the nature of home and family is to forever change and grow.

Collaborative Communication Style: Candidates should be able to address conflict constructively and seek win/win solutions by listening, understanding, and problem solving.

Fun: Candidates should actively build a positive, fun, low-stress relationship with an employer.

Good Health: Candidates should be able to meet the physical and emotional demands of private service.

Language Ability: Candidates should be able to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and family calendars/schedules as well as write routine reports and correspondence such as phone messages and daily journals, utilize modern technology such as emails, troubleshooting computer problems, alarm systems, Internet research, e-commerce, etc.

Reasoning Ability: Candidates should be able to solve practical problems and interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.

Knowledge Base: Candidates should be experts in their field. For example, a Nanny should have knowledge of ages and stages of childhood; a Housekeeper should be well versed in product care and use; a House Manager should have a good understanding of home economics. Additionally, the successful candidate is always learning and is progressively minded.

Certificates and Licenses: A responsible driving record of two years or longer as well as a clean criminal background. Candidates must also be willing to sign a non-disclosure statement.