Service and What It's Worth

Hiring professional management for your household staff (i.e., an Estate or House Manager) is a big step that most homeowners don’t fully understand before taking the leap.

Aside from writing an accurate job description, recruiting and vetting candidates, onboarding new staff, providing mechanical and personnel history, and communicating service wants and needs, there are other, less talked about shifts that homeowners must make for this added staff member to be a good return on their investment.

Ongoing works in progress

These are typically things like:

• Letting go and relinquishing the care of your most valuable assets to someone else

• Getting specific with your wants and needs

• Becoming a strategic communicator

Once these practices have been mastered, homeowners must assess whether their needs are met and whether their staff is a "good fit." 

Another issue: are you getting what you’re paying for? 

Recently, a client asked me whether they were over- or under-paying their Estate Manager. Throughout the conversation, I learned they were paying top dollar, but not receiving what I considered top performance. They knew it, too.

When hiring, many principals consider factors such as college degrees, experience, hospitality certificates, the number of houses or staff previously managed, etc., as necessary criteria. However, some can underestimate the importance of finding someone who makes their life more carefree and fits in with existing staff.

Aside from typical resume qualifications, something must be said for the Estate Manager who puts your life at ease by eliminating your worries and responsibilities related to your complex mechanical systems, staffing and HR issues, and day-to-day household responsibilities that drive most homeowners to consider hiring full-time management.

New Free Resource:
Estate Manager’s Report Card

I created the Estate Manager’s Report Card for in-depth analysis – to be used before or after hiring household management.

The template includes a list of essential skills for an Estate Manager to possess, plus additional blank cells in case your situation is unique. 

If you’re not sure if you’re getting a good ROI, determine whether your Estate Manager is all that you need them to be.

Grade your staff member, A, B, C, etc., on each topic and note how that staff could improve their performance. My new Report Card template gives homeowners a roadmap to determine which corrections need focus. Or, before hiring, use this list as an interview questionnaire to determine where your candidate stands compared to other interviewees.

Logical and measurable feedback is the kindest way to let your staff know where to focus education and improvements.