IV. Domestic staff:

a) Staff:
Domestic staff automatically becomes part of the Estate. Besides the normal duties they serve as your protection of privacy and identity. Depending on the Estate and the staff structure they may wear many hats and could be involved with care of your children, pet's etc. It is therefore of essential importance that you recruit staff with the right qualifications and professional attitude. When it's time for your new automobile to be serviced, you do not leave it in the hands of a mechanic who is not experienced, but to a garage authorized specially for that make; the same should apply to your Estate. Note: Remember the clause of confidentiality in the contacts.


b) Recruitment:
There are various ways to find staff, but the easiest and by far the best is through a placement agency. Unfortunately not all agencies are able to deliver what they promise and there is perhaps only a hand-full with the knowledge and the right connections to make the hiring a long-term success. After locating a suitable agency, you also need to schedule time to interview a minimum of 3 candidates per position. A period of up to 4 month should be allowed for the hiring process.


c) Job description:
A job description has proven to be a very handy and satisfying tool for both parties. Existing staff could make their own job description, inspected and approved by you. It should always include the daily/ weekly and monthly tasks. If you are away from the Estate for a longer period, these tasks become very different. The handling of wardrobe, art and antiques, automobile, silver etc. is an important part of the job description and should be given similar attention. Each job description must be tailor-made, for example a gardener's job description at one Estate cannot be copied to the other Estate, since the grounds, climate, trees and plant are different. The more detailed and precise the job description is the better the control and fewer the errors. It will also be much easier for the staff to perform their duties to the standard you wish and have set. Note: remember to clarify in the general policies the rules concerning private use of the phone and car.


d) Training:
Even the finest of staff will benefit from advice and professional input. Engaging a company to give your staff onsite training is a very good way to up-grade the standard; it will keep your staff interested and give them extra motivation. The best training to begin with is "appearance and greetings", since all members of the staff can be included and the use of such training is not limited to the grounds of the Estate.