Employer coaching: Learn the A to Z of domestic staffing
Are you new to domestic staffing? Do you need help finding suitable candidates? Are you burning through staff? Well, you're not alone. My name is Brian Daniel, and I am a former PA and Chief of Staff to celebrities and high-net-worth families.
For the past 16 years, I have been a staffing consultant for affluent families, and I coach individuals who are either new to the game or ones having challenges with staffing. I help employers understand the complexities of our industry so they can attract, hire, and retain the best domestic staff.
For the past 16 years, I have been a staffing consultant for affluent families, and I coach individuals who are either new to the game or ones having challenges with staffing. I help employers understand the complexities of our industry so they can attract, hire, and retain the best domestic staff.
What do you discuss during the domestic staffing session?
We will have a "no holds barred" session to discuss everything you need to know about the business so you can set yourself up for success. Don't make and keep repeating the same age-old mistakes for years because that will cost you time, money, and heartache. Our session includes but won't be limited to:
- Understanding the vocabulary: Learn the difference between a family assistant, PA, executive assistant, companion, nanny, and housekeeper. What's a house manual? When should you have one? What is a "service heart" and "thick skin"? Learn when it's alright to create hybrid roles and when it makes the employer look unrealistic and unprofessional.
- How to craft a job description: Certain non-negotiables should be in a JD. Learn how to attract talented candidates. Avoid breaking the law and getting sued for discrimination. Did you know it's against the law to ask for a photo of the candidate? Learn how to put "hidden tests" in the JD to see if the candidates have "attention to detail" as they describe on their resumes.
- Be in compliance with the law: Dozens of high-profile celebrities have been sued (and lost) by their domestic staff. Nobody is immune from the law. If you don't comply fully with the law and your staff complains to authorities, very stiff penalties and fines are involved. Hiring a lawyer to defend yourself is astronomically expensive.
- How to avoid the "independent contractor" mistake: Domestic staffing workers are NOT independent contractors. If you pay your assistant in cash or cut them a check as an IC and both parties aren't paying taxes, you're breaking the law. Sooner or later, you're going to get caught. There are no warnings or "slaps on the wrist" for lawbreakers, so you must pay fines and penalties (plus the cost of a lawyer to defend yourself). Also, when you have a legal action against you, that is a public record. Your name could be posted on the internet (court records saying "Candidate's name vs. Your name"), and future candidates who Google your name could find court records that your domestic staff sued you.
- Understand what you should and shouldn't ask your staff to do. We get countless calls from employers who say their assistant walked off the job the first week. Learn best practices.
- Salary and benefits: How much should you pay your staff? We will discuss best practices with you. Learn how to avoid getting blacklisted by the domestic staffing community in your city. Many of the staff in your area know each other. They are part of associations and are connected on LinkedIn. Once you cross the line with your staff, getting trusted and loyal people to work for you (regardless of how much you are willing to pay) will be challenging at best.
- Learn how to interview staff: If you're going to take out ads online, there is a good chance that the people you interview for jobs will know more about the domestic staffing industry than you do. Know how to shine in the interview and be in control. Learn how to identify if candidates are authentic or opportunistic.
- Background checks: Learn how to vet a candidate and verify former employment properly. It would help if you learned what questions you can and can't ask. Avoid getting sued.
- Leadership: Learn how to be a leader, not a boss. Like top corporations want to train and develop staff (so they stay long term), your household is no different. Don't burn through candidates because you're underpaying them, or they don't feel respected. In that case, you must go through the time and inconvenience of hiring repeatedly. It's heartbreaking and inconvenient. There is a difference between being a diva and aiming for perfection. Learn to avoid the mistake of being unrealistic and over-demanding.
- Dissecting resumes: Learn to read between the lines and know where candidates are "adding fluff" or exaggerating their experience and abilities.
- Employment agencies: Learn about the complexities and nuances of employment agencies and domestic staffing firms. Knowing the mechanics of the industry will put you in control. Learn when agencies are trying to take you for a ride and inflate the rates to make more money. Don't fall victim to doing what most employers do and hire multiple agencies. You'll get yourself blacklisted in the local domestic staffing community. Finally, understanding when to pay a "retained search" firm is essential.
A final word about learning the mechanics of the domestic staffing industry
There can't be any "ego" in this industry. All parties involved (employers, candidates, and agents) must be humble during every stage of the placement process. Even professional athletes at the top of their game have coaches (or you can't win the gold). Set yourself up for success and get insider information from experienced professionals.
