Hiring a housekeeper in London is an incredibly personal experience. Not only do you have to find someone who you are happy to have in and around your home and family, but you need to bridge their experience with your specific needs and requirements.
While the standard recruitment process for household staff covers experience, knowledge and each applicant’s ability to remain professional but personable at all times, in this blog we’re sharing a few of the questions that we recommend asking for yourself.
These questions, geared towards personality and the balance of experience and personal skills, will help get a feel for a potential housekeeper and whether they are the right match for you.
1. What’s your favourite part of your job as a housekeeper?
This is a good question to ask because it uncovers an applicant’s previous experiences and what they did as part of their role – while also demonstrating an interest in how they perform their role and duties.
By asking an applicant what their favourite part of the job is, you can learn a little more about them and perhaps uncover tasks and responsibilities that they are happy to do, and that they enjoy doing, on top of what you expected as part of their role.
For example, you might find that an applicant particularly enjoys getting involved in some cooking, or in caring for and walking pets – opening up a plethora of other tasks you could discuss with them if appointed.
2. Are you seeking a live-in role or an external role?
Housekeepers and household staff will sometimes work as live-in professionals, and sometimes as external professionals who come to your house every day for work.
Knowing if an applicant is seeking a live-in or live-out role will help you to iron out details like expenses and their salary and will enable you to plan their daily tasks in line with a standard workday or a more flexible live-in role.
TOP TIP: If you want a housekeeper to be able to pick up tasks and operate a more flexible schedule, hiring for a live-in position means that you can adjust their roles and responsibilities with ease, as per your convenience.
3. What are your skills and interests?
Finally, what are their skills and interests – and how do those skills correspond with the role you need them to do? There will be some skills that come from experience, and some that are learned in other areas of life – either way, knowing what skills each candidate has can help you to make an informed decision on the best professional for the role.
If you’re struggling with any stage of the recruitment process, there are companies and specialist recruitment teams that are primed to help with job advert creation, marketing and the interview and shortlisting process. Reach out to the Graham Agency for guidance in and around the London area, or for remote advice.
