When it comes to hiring for your home, estate, or family office, strong retention and long-term placement don’t happen by accident. Instead, this is the result of demonstrating respect, setting clear expectations, and ensuring the workplace culture makes your staff feel valued and supported.
Steps to Improve Staff Retention
With proper onboarding, good communication, professional growth opportunities, and a focus on building trust, top talent will want to commit and perform at a high level. Keep reading for tips on improving retention and building a team of staff that stays for the long term.
Take time to build trust.
Just like any relationship, building trust takes time and intentionality. So, keep in mind that establishing respect and trust begins from day one. Offer competitive wages and generous benefits.
Communicate job duties and expectations clearly from the beginning and if those change at all, have a conversation with them – don’t assume they know what you’re thinking or expecting. Show that you respect their time and mental capacity by not asking them to take on duties they didn’t previously agree to.
Provide your staff with the tools they need to succeed.
Whether you’re hiring a career nanny, a house manager, private chef, or an experienced family office accountant or philanthropy manager, domestic and family office staff need the tools they need to do their work well.
Consider offering them training, reimbursements for classes, certifications, or other courses related to their role, or cross-train them with other domestic professionals so they can assist each other to reduce stress and keep things running more efficiently.
Prioritize stability.
A home or family office that feels chaotic or stressful can yield frenzied employees who feel like their role is always in flux. So, keep job duties and routines consistent, establish clear policies, and ensure management structures are solid.
All these help support long-term placement, minimizing feelings of confusion or frustration, while fostering a predictable working environment.
Celebrate contributions and recognize great work.
Gratitude and employee recognition are important for individuals working in any industry but are especially key in domestic roles due to the nature of the personal service that’s often provided.
So, say thank you regularly, compliment them often, and recognize a job well done with a bonus or unexpected and occasional paid time off.
These efforts demonstrate respect and build trust – and if your employees feel that, they will want to reciprocate by giving their own respect and trust back to you.
Promote a positive work-life balance.
Domestic and family office roles can be physically and emotionally demanding. Offer regular, predictable schedules, encourage them to take their paid time off, and be willing to accommodate occasional personal needs that pop up.
A home or family office that keeps each person’s work-life balance in mind usually has happier, more loyal employees.
Listen.
Provide regular check-ins and ask for feedback, so your domestic professionals can voice any concerns that come up. Two-way communication allows for any questions or concerns to surface before they become large problems. Giving your employees a voice will help strengthen your working relationship.
Recognize burn-out.
Many employees burn-out quickly if they are overworked, underappreciated, or feel like they are taken advantage of or disrespected. This leads to lack of job satisfaction, can reduce their performance on their job, and can ultimately lead to burn-out.
Recognize if your employee is showing signs of frustration or confusion on the job, set up a time to discuss how they’re feeling, and find a solution that helps them get back on track. This will help you avoid the stress of having an employee quit unexpectedly and the anxiety that comes with having to find a replacement.
Improving retention comes down to the basics of building strong, respectful, and mutually beneficial working relationships. When domestic staff feel safeguarded in their role, appreciated, and aligned with the household or family office’s values, they want to stay.
By prioritizing communication, training, competitive benefits and compensation, and creating an environment they want to work in, homes and family offices can retain the best of the best in the domestic staffing industry.
Ready to grow your team of staff in your home?
At Household Staffing, we recognize that the busy day-to-day operations of your home require the expertise and care of professionals you can trust. That’s why we work with you to craft a detailed job description and compensation package that ensures you’re getting access to top-tier domestic professionals.
Our team is also intentional in helping you cultivate long, happy working relationships with your staff – and that happens from the very beginning of the hiring process.
For more than 30 years, our team has specialized in helping families and family offices build teams that are trustworthy, compatible for your lifestyle, and give you the peace of mind you need. Contact us today or complete our New Hire Form to begin a personalized search.
