This post is for families that are looking to hire an amazing housekeeper.
Hiring a housekeeper may seem like a straightforward affair. You find the person with the most relevant experience and good references. That is correct, but it is not just about experience. Other skills, tasks and some legalities also come into play. In this post, we help you navigate the hurdles when hiring a maid in London, or other areas of the UK.
Read until the end to find out why you may be better off outsourcing this job to a specialising domestic staff placement agency – and where you can do just that.
Where and How To Find a Housekeeper?
Contrary to popular belief, listing an ad on the major job boards is not enough. You might be missing out on the more experienced maids that most likely more families would compete to get them. If you’re looking for more strict requirements, like experience with 5* hotels / royal families or bi-lingual staff, then you need to actively outreach staff in various places, like facebook groups. Word of mouth is equally valuable. In certain cases, you even have to advertise on the most popular social networks and laser target potential candidates.
What Are the Most Essential Skills to Look Out for?
Some housekeeping skills are essential and without them candidates should not be considered. These include but are not limited to:
- Unrivalled knowledge of cleaning methods and products
- They take pride in their work and are punctual
- Exceptional communication skills
- Discreetness especially when working near VIPs and business colleagues
- Detail person
- Ability to work under pressure and be flexible
- Organised and committed to their work
Experience Level and Questions
Experience is a factor that will top the list for families wanting to know how to find a maid. However, some housekeepers that are new to the career may be just as able to clean a house thoroughly and execute related tasks. Unlike some jobs, experience cannot be relied on alone when picking a maid.
One area that experienced maids may trump new starters is in their knowledge of materials. You will require a maid that knows how to clean marble, granite or stainless steel without causing damage.
This can be a good area to test potential candidates by asking them how they would clean the aforementioned surfaces. If entry-level maids can answer these questions impressively, they may be just as good as more experienced candidates.
A more challenging question to ask less-experienced housekeepers is how they will prevent germs from spreading to your home from other homes they clean. The correct answer is that they will only use clean equipment to clean your home, or even better, designate equipment to each property they clean.
Don’t Skip Reference Checks
Most people who hire a housekeeper do it because they are busy people. This means they generally do not have the time to carry out reference checks on the best candidates. If done in a hurry, or left to someone else that does not give it the time it deserves, mistakes can be made.
You should request at least three references and follow up on each of them by asking specific and detailed questions about the applicant. You want as much first-hand information as you can get to make this decision –this is a golden opportunity to help make the right decision.
The Big Questions You Are Forgetting
When employing a housekeeper some employers forget to ask about the maid’s flexibility. Busy businesspeople may host partners and alike outside of usual working hours and you will need a housekeeper who can be present for those events when requested.
You also need to work out their career plans. If the maid is using their job as a stopgap while studying to do something else, you need to know about it. If not, you could find yourself going through the slow, frustrating and time-consuming process of finding a maid all over again.
Other Background Checks
You may have your references, but did you carry out security and identification checks? This is a crucial step to ensure you are employing somebody with the legal capacity to work in the UK – and to keep you and your family safe.
Core Interview Questions to Test Your Candidates
You or your assistant will need some fundamental questions to understand the applicant’s competencies and personality. Here are five examples, but you should also use tailored questions as well:
- Why do you like housekeeping?
- What is the next step in your career?
- How would your previous family describe your services?
- Please explain how you maintain high standards
- What cleaning supply is your favourite?
- Tell me about some constructive criticism you received and what you did with it
The Stress-Free and Better Solution…
Why spend time and energy trying to source a housekeeper from a limited pool when you can use a specialising agent to find a maid in London for you? This way, you don’t need to learn how to hire a housekeeper, either.
At HazeltonClive, we are exceptionally connected with the industry’s best and most trusted housekeepers. Our candidates have worked for the most prestigious and successful people around the globe, guaranteeing impeccable services with the utmost discreetness. We take over all the difficult bits, including the recruitment process, meticulous background and legal checks, as well as careful screening. Choosing to outsource the responsibility is a smart move if you have deadlines to meet and a busy schedule full of important appointments.
For more information on how we can conveniently and efficiently source a maid matched for your household without any headaches, contact us today!
