Finding a new estate manager can be a daunting task, especially as you welcome a stranger to your home, as well as entrusting them to be in charge of the maintenance and management of your personal property.
For some who struggle to know if they are hiring the right person or just simply don’t have the time, trusting a domestic staffing agency can be of service to you in finding the right candidate.
But, how can you know they will make the correct decision and what is the best procedure you should take?
Below are some tips on what you should consider when considering hiring a new estate manager.
List Your Requirements
To find your perfect candidate, and before advertising for the role, it is essential to list and highlight your requirements for the position.
Are you looking for someone to be experienced in managing a team of staff? Do you want them to handle your estate’s finances? Will you expect them to work over multiple properties?
All of these are factors to consider when hiring, so be sure you list all requirements and be as detailed as possible for potential candidates to understand what you expect from them entirely. To avoid any confusion, and so that you can be confident in their ability to do the job.
Check the Candidates Eligibility
Now that you have your criteria, it’s time to see which candidates match your list before agreeing to interview them.
To check their eligibility, look through their CV to ensure that they have experience in the areas you have listed. It’s also potentially advisable to conduct DBS checks if the member of staff will need to work with vulnerable people, including children or the elderly.
This is something that you will need to conduct further research into, to ensure that you’re carrying out relevant and thorough background checks. Or indeed, this is something that a domestic staffing agency would be able to handle.
For example, most estate managers will be in charge of other staff members’ daily tasks and responsibilities. In this case, they must be familiar with or have experience in managing others.
One of the most critical factors you should consider is how long they have spent in personal and domestic service. Real-time experience is the key to knowing how familiar they are with the job, as the more experience a candidate has, the better.
Interview, Interview, Interview
Now that you have a shortlist of potential candidates, it is time to arrange an interview.
At this stage, it is vital to analyse the person thoroughly, and unfortunately, you cannot do this after one interview. So, structure your interview process to ensure you don’t make any mistakes in choosing a successful candidate.
A suggestion is to start with a telephone interview, then an in-person interview, and finally a trial run over a weekend. This will help you avoid any hasty decisions, better understand who they are, and prevent implementing a staff member who might be an unnecessary fit from the outset.
It is also essential to follow up or ask for any references if not provided during this stage. A glowing recommendation from a previous employer can be the difference between them and another potential candidate, give you valuable insight on questions not relating to their CV, and check in to see if what they said within their talks with you are authentic.
Although it’s not possible to get in touch with the references of each applicant, make sure to do it for the ones you shortlist for the final stages.
In Conclusion
Whilst this process is necessary, having the time to complete it may be far too tedious for you. To avoid hasty decisions, rushing the decision stage, potentially the wrong individual, you can entrust your requirements with a potential domestic staffing agency.
The ultimate decision is yours. However, working with an expert domestic staffing agency can help take the legwork out of the hiring process for you. Plus, you won’t be forced into any decision you don’t see working for you, and there is friendly, knowledgeable advice for you at every corner.
Whilst it can be daunting inviting a new member to join your home, in these cases, our top advice is to do your research on a person and ultimately trust your instincts.