Whether you employ an experienced family assistant, nanny, household manager, private chef, or a combination of all of these, managing your domestic staff requires professionalism. When it comes to performance reviews, using a reflective, more personalized approach can be especially beneficial.
That’s because private estates or households are a unique type of work environment that often require different rules than traditional workplaces. Regular performance reviews should be standard in your home and if done well, they can strengthen trust, build a long-lasting working relationship, and ultimately help your home operate more efficiently.
Here are some best practices to help ensure productive performance reviews.
The Performance Review
Have a clear job description outlined ahead of any reviews.
At the time of hire, make sure you provide your staff with a work agreement that has a clear job description. Detail what’s expected in the role, in addition to wages, time off, and any other important details that pertain to the job. Be sure you and your new employee go over it together to ensure there are no questions that could cause confusion down the road.
If everything is agreed upon by both parties, sign it and keep it on hand for your performance reviews. At the time of review, you can go over the job duties, determine if the employee is doing those well, and then make adjustments as needed.
Set a time.
Review conversations should be at a set time in a place that is quiet and comfortable. Avoid having the review at a time when your employee is busy multi-tasking or when other staff or family members are present. This is a conversation that should be professional and taken seriously and should invite openness.
In addition, make sure reviews are consistent. Many households conduct annual reviews for the employees, while others find that more regular check-ins are more beneficial. For example, 90-day reviews or six-month reviews can be helpful in touching base and ensuring everyone is on the same page.
Ensure a balanced conversation.
At the beginning of the meeting, discuss what’s working well and compliment your employee on their strengths. For example, if you see them as reliable and ready to take initiative, thank them for that. If you notice their ability to build rapport with other staff, take notice and give them credit.
If there are areas that you would like to see improvement, balance that constructive criticism with kindness. Be specific but be careful not to discredit anything about their personality or character. Provide clear examples and have solutions that you can put on the table.
Give your employees a voice.
Building a respectful working relationship means allowing your employees to provide feedback and use their voice. Ask your staff how they feel the job is going, ask about their workload to ensure it is manageable, and be sure they have the tools or resources that they need to do their job well.
Talk to them about any professional goals they have and see what you can do to help them achieve those. For example, when discussing wage increases or benefits during the review, consider offering tuition reimbursement or paid training that can help them take their role/career to the next level.
Keeping an open line of communication is critical in building trust and loyalty for domestic staff.
Use the time to address compensation and benefits.
Performance reviews are the ideal time to talk about benefits, raises, or bonuses. Prepare ahead of time for this discussion and come ready to answer questions about benchmarks for other similar roles, and an explanation about why or why not your employee will be getting a raise.
Be transparent about what you’re able to provide and be sure it’s a two-way conversation where your employee feels valued and seen. If a raise is not on the table, consider offering alternative benefits like a more flexible schedule or additional paid time off.
Follow through.
Once you and your employee have had a productive review meeting, follow through on what was discussed and promised. Whether it’s a pay increase, a change in scheduling, a bonus, or something else, be sure to implement things in a timely way. This is key part of building and maintaining trust with your staff and shows that you respect and appreciate them.
The staff members in your home are an integral part of how things function daily. A thoughtful performance review will help recognize them for the job they’re doing and allow you to discuss all that they contribute to the smooth functioning of your estate.
The Household Staffing Commitment
Looking to expand your in-home staff in 2026? For more than 30 years, our team has specialized in helping estates across the country build trustworthy teams. Call our experienced team at Household Staffing, or complete our New Hire Form today to start the hiring process.
