We hear this request often: “We only want candidates who have stayed with every family for several years.”
We understand why.
Families want stability and they want to work with professionals who have real in-home expertise.
They don’t want to go through the hiring and onboarding process, then welcome them into their home if they have to do that all over again in a year or less.
However, in the world of domestic staffing, it’s important to remember that shorter positions don’t always mean the candidate lacks expertise, commitment, or longevity.
In fact, most professional nannies, housekeepers, household managers, and other domestic professionals want to build long-standing relationships with their employers.
They understand that finding a new role can be stressful and time-consuming and can lead to uncertainty around finances and benefits.
Most candidates truly want to find a position they love, in a home that they can thrive in. The reality is that families, household dynamics, and jobs change.
That means that sometimes, positions shift and roles end, and it doesn’t have anything to do with the employee’s performance or their commitment to the family.
Why Household Staff Tenure Needs Context
Changing Family Needs or Dynamics
This is probably one of the most common reasons a household position ends or changes.
For nannies, it might mean that the children get older and start school, which could cut hours or eliminate a position entirely.
Maybe a family relocates to another state or country, or a parent decides to quit their job and stay at home, allowing them to absorb more childcare, cooking, and housekeeping duties.
None of these situations reflect poorly on the employee.
Reduction in Hours
Sometimes, a family may love their employee but no longer need or can offer the hours that the employee needs.
For example, if the employer reduces an employee’s hours from 40 to 20, it might not be financially possible for the employee. This is their career and they have living expenses to think of.
They have rent or house payments, insurance, groceries, children to care for, and many other financial responsibilities to consider.
Just as someone working in the corporate world may need to find a new job if they find out their hours are being cut, the same goes for a domestic employee.
Leaving to find a role that suits their needs doesn’t make them untrustworthy or disloyal.
Additional Responsibilities
When you hire an in-home employee, it’s crucial to create a written work agreement that outlines their job description and duties, wages and benefits, and any other information pertinent to their role with you.
As you craft that document, keep in mind that sometimes, household positions will evolve. You might need to add additional duties or adjust what you thought was needed.
That, however, means adjusting the work agreement, having a detailed conversation about it with your employee, and providing additional compensation to cover extra responsibilities.
If a family significantly increases the scope of the employee’s duties, but doesn’t adjust wages and benefits accordingly, the employee may find a new job that aligns with their experience and financial needs.
Career Growth
Job-hopping can be stressful and most domestic professionals don’t prefer it.
However, if they are committed to ongoing growth opportunities, they will seek jobs that allow them for career advancement and progression.
Household professionals are professionals. Sometimes a nanny making $85,000 is offered a $110,000 position with better benefits and a schedule that works better for their family.
Sometimes a housekeeper who has worked weekends for years finally has an opportunity to accept a Monday–Friday position.
Better opportunities can come along, and that doesn’t mean your employees aren’t committed to their positions.
Career advancement should not automatically be treated as a red flag.
Most employees are dedicated to long-term learning and looking for roles that challenge them and progress their career upward.
Life Scenarios
Sometimes a gap in an employee’s resume is due to life circumstances. They had a baby, there was a death in the family that required time off, or they had a health problem that needed attention.
The pandemic is also something to note here. It disrupted the private staffing industry in a unique way – families stopped traveling, people lost their jobs or went to completely remote work, or during quarantine, their household staff was laid off, furloughed, or had their hours reduced.
For some domestic professionals, their roles changed overnight and that was not their fault.
When reviewing a candidate’s work history during or surrounding the pandemic, keep in mind that it may have been due to that disruption.
Context Is Key
We look closely at candidates we work with and if there is a résumé showing repeated short-term positions with no reasonable explanation, we’ll ask more questions.
And when we introduce a candidate to a family, we recommend using the interview process to ask questions that are important to you.
It’s okay to ask why each position ended. Their answers will tell you more about the candidate than the dates on their résumé.
Take some time to get to know the candidate as much as you can during that conversation so you can ensure the position will be the right long-term match.
Career household professionals understand that private households evolve. Therefore, it’s not realistic to expect that candidates have four, five, or even 10 years of experience with one family.
By focusing too much on employment dates, you may eliminate someone who is highly qualified and meets the priorities of your household.
Ready to find your next household employee?
Your home is unique and we understand that.
Our team of experienced recruiters works with each client to understand what they need and how we can help find the most qualified candidate for your home.
Contact us today or complete our New Hire Form to get the process started!
