Determining Your Need
Before officially posting the job, accepting applications, or reviewing resumés it is necessary to figure out what exactly it is you and your family require. It is possible that you may not need an estate manager but a different component of a household staff. One thing to consider is how many properties you have that require managing and how often you and your family travel to these properties. This information coupled with the size, number of staff required and maintenance needs of each property will help you gauge the requirements for time, travel, and management skills necessary to meet your needs. It is also critical, before hiring an estate manager, to determine if they will be handling any portion of the family’s finances as well as how often you entertain or host events at your properties. Each of these items (along with any other responsibilities you would like them to handle) will help you formulate the scope of the position.
Requisite Qualifications
Once you have determined the extent of the job, the next step in hiring an estate manager is to figure out the criteria you will use to screen qualified candidates. For example, if your ideal candidate will be handling the household budgeting, it might only consider candidates with a background in finance or experience managing money. However, it is possible to identify some qualification areas to consider before interviewing applicants. Your estate manager will be responsible for overseeing the other members of your household staff as well as any contracted services such as groundskeeping crews, so it is vital that they have some experience in personnel management. Additionally, you may want to consider the amount of time they have spent in domestic and personal service since the position of estate manager is one of the highest in those fields. If you have any near-term improvements being made to your properties, a person with project management experience may be indispensable.
Interviewing and References
After identifying exactly what you need in an estate manager and putting together the qualifications that the ideal candidate should have, you are well prepared to begin interviewing applicants. Interviews should be considered an opportunity to evaluate each candidate to determine if the will be a good fit for your family. It also provides an opportunity to gain accurate insights into items on their resumé and determine if that experience or skill can be leveraged to meet your specific requirements. While you will not contact every applicant’s references, it is advisable to touch base with references for candidates that make your short list. References can be probed for information not included on an applicant’s resumé or to gain a different perspective on the candidate’s experience/skill level and past performance. This type of information can be critical to your decision-making process when hiring an estate manager.
If the process described in this blog seems overwhelming, contact us today and let us guide you through it so you can find the perfect estate manager for your family.
