Employer FAQs Page 2

Most staffing agencies don't charge money up front. Why do you?

We are fundamentally different from other staffing agencies. In addition to the differences that we outlined on the first EMPLOYER FAQs page, here are some other very significant differences:

OTHER AGENCIES

Only work 9 to 5 Monday through Friday
Usually have to set a phone appointment to have a detailed conversation with them
Only about 20% of their time during the week it dedicated to placing your role because they are also trying to find birthday clowns, nannies, dog walkers, gardeners and chefs for other clients as well (high-volume)
Not specialists (often part-timers and college interns in their office; high turnover and impersonal)
Never been in the roles they place (came from other unrelated industries)
Can't reach them on weekends or after 5:00 pm during the week
Working for commission and racing to place a role before their competitors do (no care, just rushing)
Many use $40 per transaction websites to run background checks
Often poach candidates back so they can score even more commissions
Most have bad reputations with private service industry staff because of the rampant use of fake job ads and misuse of candidates' references

OUR FIRM

Work 9:00 am to 9:00 pm Monday to Friday, plus available on weekends when needed (VIP concierge service)
Available anytime to take your call, so no need to set an appointment
100% of time is spent on placing your role because we usually are working with only one client at a time. We limit our engagements so we can always be going above and beyond the call of duty during every phase of the placement process
Brian Daniel is a world-renowned specialist in the field (with Thought Leader status and featured in dozens of media outlets and prestigious industry magazines worldwide)
Brian Daniel has actually been in the roles he places (working for UHNW, billionaires, aristocracy, celebrities, Forbes list families and royalty), so there is a much deeper understanding of the match (pedigree)
Use private investigators who are former law enforcement to do background checks (licensed, bonded and insured)
No poaching policy (We won't re-sign a candidate and place them with another employer unless they've been with the employer that we placed them with for at least a year and leave with a solid recommendation letter)
Never use fake job ads and have superlative "street cred" globally, which attracts the best of the best candidates

Could you explain what your placement process is like in practice?

When you hire us and have paid the deposit, we are working for you for 30 calendar days. Essentially, we become independent HR advisors (aka recruiters/headhunters). Based on the characteristics you're looking for and the skills in the job description you give us, we will start sending you resumes for you to review.

Those resumes will have a summary of what we learned during the interview process, then you tell us which candidates you're interested in. We will connect you with the candidate and the interview process can begin. Employers can interview candidates by phone, video, or in-person.

We consult with you throughout the entire process, and you give us feedback about the candidates you've seen. We can start honing our search even further based on your feedback.

If, hypothetically, we were to place that role in a week, then we will continue working for you behind the scenes while the candidate is being onboarded.

Will you send us photos of the candidates?

We will not ask the candidates for a photo because that's illegal. The employer can be sued for asking for photos. You are free to run the interview process the way that you'd like, but here's what we suggest:

Review the resumes we send (almost all candidates have a LinkedIn profile anyway, so there is no need to break the law and ask for photos).
Do an "exploratory interview" by phone first just to get a sense of what the candidate is all about. Those are typically about 10 or 15 minutes.
Start the formal interview process after the exploratory interview. The first interview can be by phone, video (Skype, Zoom, etc.) or in-person.
Have second or third interviews if/when you feel it's necessary (with the employer's hierarchy).
Finally, the last interview should be with the VIP or Principal that the assistant will be working for. We do not recommend hiring someone without them meeting the VIP/celebrity/patriarch that they will be working for.

How many candidates are you going to send us?

There are a number of factors that go into this estimated answer, which include but are not limited to:

The desirability and reputation of your company
The workload and number of hours to be worked each week
How competitive the compensation package is
The city/country of the job
The perks and fringe benefits
And, very importantly, the market factors

Right now, arguably, is the "Golden Age" of domestic staffing. There a worldwide shortage of talent in all sectors, and that is especially true for domestic staffing. There has never been a greater demand in the past 100 years.

Having said all of that, we are about quality, not quantity. We would rather send you five very good candidates than 10 mediocre ones.

What if no placement is made in the 30-day period?

We are going to send you qualified candidates. If you don't hire any of them, or none except your job offers, then we can continue to work for you. We charge another retainer fee for every 30 days that we are engaged in work. It's rare to have to go past 30 days. If the role, for example, has a "high degree of difficulty," especially if it's a worldwide search, then it can take longer. Another factor to consider is if the employer is looking for "lightning in a bottle."

Any recruiter worldwide (regardless of the industry they recruit for) will tell you that some employers are eccentric; this is especially true in the world of the ultra-high net worth. Some employers don't "feel it" when they interview the candidate, even though the candidate is qualified for the role. If the employer interviews, say, five or 10 candidates and doesn't want to hire any of them, then we can keep searching. Again, another retainer fee is charged for every 30 days that we are engaged.

Can we remain confidential?

Many celebrities and high-net-worth families come to us and want to remain confidential for a number of reasons, which is fine. The job ad can say "Confidential Employer." But under no circumstances will be engage with someone and not know who we are doing business with.

If we get an email from a John Smith and the domain is yahoo.com, we won't sign a contract and engage. Ultimately, we will need to get an email from a company domain name that is attached to an actual website (with some exceptions).

The first email exchange with us can be anonymous; but if we are going to have a discovery call, then we need to verify your identity. We have journalists and competitors pose as potential clients and try to get information out of us, so we need to be cautious. Just like a quality law firm won't have an anonymous consultation with anyone, we won't either.

In what ways can you verify the employer's identity?

We understand that sometimes a high-net-worth individual may be retired or may have inherited money and doesn't have a business entity under their name. In those cases, you can have a bona fide business entity that represents you email us from their company's domain name.

The business entity can vouch for the identity of the client and confirm the emails that we are getting are legitimate. For example, we would consider an email from a law firm, estate planner, investment firm, banker, accountancy, talent agent, business manager, etc.

How involved is your company with the salary negotiation?

One of the greatest benefits to working with us is our flexibility. Other agencies, essentially, try to hold an employer "hostage" in so many ways. Other agencies are involved in the negotiations because they are trying to drive the price up to score a higher commission. Because we've already been paid a deposit, there is no need to do that. We can be as involved as you want in the salary negotiation process, but you are free to deal directly with the candidate in that respect.

In what other ways are you involved in the search process?

Brian Daniel acts as an impartial coach in the middle, counseling both the candidates and employers throughout the entire process. Other agencies only have loyalty to the party paying their bills (the employer). After 25 years in the industry dealing with high-net-worth families, Brian Daniel has learned many valuable lessons. As an agent, if you're in the middle and earn the trust of both candidates and employers, that's how the best, long-lasting matches are made.

Diplomacy is a critical component in elite recruiting. If agents and recruiters are going to "throw candidates under the bus" and have no loyalty to them whatsoever, even if the employer is unreasonable, then quality candidates run the other direction. Again, Brian Daniel has the experience, credibility, and pedigree in the elite headhunting industry because he understands these nuances.

How can we increase our chances of scoring the very best candidate?

Absolutely, positively the number-one mistake high-net-worth employers make worldwide is they don't understand and manage the hiring process well; and that turns off quality candidates. If employers are unrealistic, eccentric, or low-ball candidates with sub-par job offers, it completely sabotages any chance of ever scoring the best of the best candidates.

This is now a very small world. Personal assistants, Estate Managers, Security agents, Nannies and the rest of the domestic staffing world are all connected to each other on LinkedIn and through professional associations. As soon as employers get a bad rap, then it's "game over." Bad news travels very fast.

For example, we once had a Silicon Valley billionaire contact our office for help because they couldn't find the right Estate Manager. Long story short: They had been to 6 different agencies in 6 months. All of the top-tier Estate Managers weren't interested in the role because the hiring process was badly mismanaged, and the salary package was sub-par. Nearly a year later, that VIP is still looking for an EM and has been burning through candidates and has a "revolving door." Ask yourself, is it worth it? In the long run, it costs more money (and more heartache) to do it wrong than to just do it right from "go".

Being aboveboard attracts and retains world-class candidates

A final note on attracting the best of the best candidates: There are countless stories worldwide of high-profile families hiring full-time employees and paying them cash under the table and considering them "independent contractors." Nearly in every instance, it's against the law.

We advise against breaking the law, and we won't work with employers who don't follow the law. Most other agencies don't care. Many agencies have an unwritten and unspoken policy: "Don't ask, don't tell -- just take the money and run." This policy puts the employer in great jeopardy.

There are literally dozens of high-profile cases in Hollywood where assistants have sued their bosses (and won) in a court of law for unpaid overtime. It's not legal to just say someone is an "independent contractor," pay them a flat rate salary in cash, and just work them 60 or 70 hours a week.

We require that candidates be employed legally and be paid through a business entity, regardless of who the employer is. If you break the law, you're going to get caught sooner or later. Then you will have to hire a law firm to defend you, and the losses are usually quite big -- not to even mention the loss of your family's and company's reputation when it hits the news.

These are the types of issues we consult our clients on. It protects you, the candidates, and our industry. Top-tier, world-class candidates won't work for cash. They want to be paid legally and have employment benefits. Enough said.

YOUR CART