Nowadays, more and more candidates who apply for Household Staff jobs are invited for an initial video interview prior to a face to face meeting with their potential employer.
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It makes sense because interviews via Skype, Whatsapp, Facetime, etc save a lot of time for both an employer and a candidate, and help avoid unnecessary travel expenses, especially if the candidate is abroad.
That is why Morgan & Mallet International decided to provide some tips on how to prepare yourself for a successful video interview.

• Video setting up. An integral part of a video interview is the quality of the sound, video and internet connection. Make sure that your interlocutor will hear and see you well. It is also very important to set up your camera at eye-level so that you are looking directly into the camera in order to make a proper eye contact.

 

• Choosing the location make sure that you have selected some quiet place with good lighting and presentable or neutral background. We would not recommend having an interview in a café, park, your car or while walking as you or your interviewer may be distracted by the background noise or your background in general, and finally it may leave a negative impression.

 

• Your outfit. Even though you are at home where you are used to wearing casual clothes, it is essential to look smart and presentable for a video interview, so preferably wear a shirt or a suit. You have to take video interviews as seriously as interviews in an office. Make sure that you have your CV in front of you and you are ready to follow it with the interviewer. It may demonstrate that you are an organised person.

Those are some basic things that you can do in order to make a good impression on your potential employer.

Consider a video interview as a privilege of technological progress that was made to save your time, especially if you are looking for a job in other countries.

When candidates are invited for an interview, they try to prepare themselves for it as thoroughly as possible.

​First of all, they try to find useful tips on the Internet like what kind of questions to expect and how to answer properly.

But the thing is that a professional recruiter will always have an individual approach to each interview because all the interviews as well as candidates and their experiences are different, each position (especially in a private household sector) is different.

In this article we would like to provide some information on how normally Morgan & Mallet International conducts interviews with candidates, what information we pay attention to and how we decide if the interview is successful.

Morgan & Mallet International’s main goals are to find a suitable candidate, to save the time of our clients while looking for household staff, and to make the recruitment process carefree for them, that is why our interviews normally last for one hour in order to understand if the candidate will be suitable for a particular position.

In the example of a Chauffeur's vacancy, we will try to explain the logic of our interviews and what we expect to hear from a candidate. Our consultants pay special attention to candidate’s skills during the interview.

• Interviewing chauffeurs, we will check if they are able to estimate the approximate travel time. This skill is important because any busy client would not like to be late for a meeting or to come too early for an appointment and waste time in a car or reception area waiting for the arranged time. 

 

• Some clients that have just moved to a new city or are just visiting may ask to recommend luxury restaurants or clubs in the central part of the city. That is why our consultants always ask to name several good restaurants and their location in order to see how familiar with the area the candidate is.  

 

• All our clients have luxury cars or supercars in their fleet. That is why we will definitely ask a chauffeur how they normally take care of luxury cars for example if they will be willing to wash the car by themselves. For some clients such a thing is important in terms of safety, as they do not want anyone to have access to their private car.

 

• Recruiting for a family with children, we will check if a candidate is child-friendly, what normally they need to have in a car while driving children and what rules should be followed.

 

• Our consultants also check the knowledge of parking rules as a good chauffeur will always plan the route so they are parked on the right side of a pavement and it is convenient for the client to get out of the car.

 

• We will also provide imaginary stressful situations in order to check how the candidate will act, and a lot more.

After the candidate has passed this part of the interview successfully, we will discuss their experience working for private families or clients.
Our consultants will ask the reasons why the candidate left the previous positions and in what environment he/she worked. This part of the interview will help to understand if the candidate will be able to stay in a particular position long.

The consultants of Morgan & Mallet International always have an individual approach to each request that we receive from our clients.
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In case you are looking for household personnel and want to make sure that you will not waste your time reviewing dozens of resumes of unsuitable candidates, please feel free to contact our agency.
​We will be happy to do that job for you. 

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It is a well-known fact that each parent wants the best for their child, especially those ones who cannot spend a lot of time with their offspring because of their career or business and have to hire childcare help.
Parents are always serious and scrupulous in the selection of a nanny or a governess for their children that is why it is extremely important to make a good impression during a face-to-face interview.

The consultants of Morgan & Mallet International would like to provide some tips on how to convince your potential employer that you are right for the job:

• First, you judge 'how nice', then you judge 'how wise'. Preparing for a face to face meeting with parents, you have to remember that you are always judged by appearances at first but by your mind later on. As a child carer and a person who will spend a lot of time with children, you are setting an example for them. First of all, your clothes have to be neat, comfortable and at the same time not revealing. Your hair should be clean and in case you have long hair, we would recommend making a ponytail or a nice updo.  Definitely, it is not forbidden to wear light makeup: neutral tones of eye shadow, some mascara and even bright tones of lipstick are preferred (but do not exaggerate with the last one, as both children and parents may not like dark purple or deep brown lips). If you like wearing accessories, we would recommend something neat and discreet for a childcare worker. It is always preferable to conceal tattoos or piercing at least for your first meeting with your future employer but you may mention about it if you are offered the position.

 

• Organise yourself. As a Nanny or a Governess, you have to be ready that parents may ask you what method of education you use or what kind of activities you are going to do with their children, or if you have any certificates or diplomas that may be relevant to a childcare position. Prepare your documents as if you are going to be hired straight after your interview. We would recommend having copies of your certificates (especially First Aid), passport copy, driving licence copy, even if you have recent DBS check you may include that to your folder and do not forget about references from your previous employers. You may also have a folder with different worksheets that you used with children or a diary template that you made for parents. Such approach to the interview will demonstrate that you are an organized, motivated and trustworthy candidate.

 

• Show positive side of your character. It is very important to be either early or on time for the interview. Meeting your potential employer, you always have to remember that you are going to take care of their children and you have to convince them that you are really a child friendly, reliable and warm person, that every child is special and unique for you and you are going to adore your client’s children as they do. You have to remember that you are the person with experience and you have to be confident in your answers that is why it is necessary to be calm, smiling and relaxed. When you have a chance to ask questions, be sure that you get all information about children, their preferences and routine and after you can discuss salary, your schedule, etc. 

If you are looking for a childcare job, please feel free to apply for our current vacancies

Many successful businessmen and businesswomen have experienced all benefits of hiring such professional time-managers and organizers as Personal Assistant.
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A qualified personal assistant can be a valuable asset both for your business and for your household.

For those who do not understand the real value of a personal assistant, and that the presence of such a candidate in your arsenal will significantly simplify your life, Morgan & Mallet International would like to provide a list of important responsibilities that can be performed by personal assistants :

• Schedule management is one of the main tasks of a personal assistant. A busy person having a lot of tasks on their table may just forget to write down some arranged meeting in a diary and miss that after all. A personal assistant will always make sure that you remember about an important meeting or appointment and will reschedule it if necessary.

 

• Make travel arrangements. A personal assistant will always be willing to organize their client’s trip should it be for business or pleasure. They can do their own research in order to find the best hotel for your business trip in any part of the world or contact special agencies in order to collect information about the best resorts for your vacation.  

 

• Secretary role. Personal assistants can even cover such basic secretary role as filtering your phone calls, answering emails or dealing with correspondence.

 

• Household management is an integral part of your daily life that takes a lot of your precious time you can spend with your family or on yourself. A personal assistant can help you with recruiting the right staff for your property as they definitely know your character, preferences and needs; they can deal with different kinds of payments; they can even contact contractors and suppliers and liaise with them afterwards so you will not need to bother if everything is done.

 

• Event planning and gift shopping. You may feel free to ask your personal assistant to organize a corporate party or, if he/she is close to your family, the PA can arrange a birthday party, as normally a qualified and professional personal assistant may have such experience in their background. â€‹They will know how to book a table in the best restaurant in the city at a short notice or will have the list of bespoke catering companies for your event. They can keep a list of gifts you gave to your friends and relatives for birthday or Christmas last year and can recommend presents in the future or you can choose the present on your own and just ask your PA to order that. A good PA will always try to get a better price for their employer.

If you are still trying to find the right Personal Assistant or after reading this article you have decided to hire one for yourself, please feel free to contact Morgan & Mallet International.

Our consultants will provide the best specialists and the right personality for you.
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In case you have all the skills listed above, please feel free to apply through our agency so Morgan & Mallet International can help you meet your future employer. 
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Before starting the recruitment process, our consultants always have a fruitful conversation with the client, as it is important to understand the needs and expectations (and sometimes negotiate some points of the position) or give a piece of advice to the client.
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One of the most essential factors for initiating the search is to determine the salary for the right candidate.

Conducting around a hundred interviews per month with candidates from all over the world, our consultants can recommend the best range of salaries taking into consideration candidates’ expectations, marked rate, certainly client’s budget and much more.

Here are some factors that should be considered while determining the salary :

• Market range is the basis for setting salary for a candidate. It is advisable to keep in mind that apart from “market” there are other factors that can affect the income of the candidate and we are going to speak about them further.

• Duties. It goes without saying that each position depending on a household has its own specifics in terms of duties. It is a common practice that for example hiring a Butler, clients usually expect them to perform some House manager jobs, or hiring a Housekeeper cooking or babysitting is required. In that case, the market salary for average Butler jobs or Housekeeper jobs may not be enough. Our candidates are always flexible in terms of duties and willing to utilise all their skills fully but a good and multitasking employee should be rewarded and valued properly.

• Schedule. We would also recommend taking into consideration the working schedule, as for example a candidate who used to work 9 hours per day will expect a higher salary while working 12 hours per day or 6 days per week. 

• Experience. It is an obvious fact is that the salary of a candidate with 10 years of work experience in private families will be different than the salary of a candidate with 3 years’ experience. If a client is willing to hire a person with many years of experience working for different clients and in different households, our consultants would recommend adding some extra amount to the initial market salary.

• Skills. Here we are not talking about such skills as problem solving, communication or any other general skills that cannot be checked without long-term cooperation with the candidate. We are rather talking about such skills as knowledge of other languages, cooking, staff management, facility management and even driving. We also have to take into consideration trainings that the candidate has completed, as the investment into professional development and additional knowledge should be rewarded. 

• Location. Finally, an insignificant detail such as location plays its role in determining the salary too. For instance, not all candidates are used to living in isolated areas or ready to leave their country that is why if a client wants a good and professional candidate to stay in a position for a long time or relocate to distant countries they will have to offer a competitive salary.

Why should you work with Morgan & Mallet International ?

First of all, our main goal is to find the right and loyal candidate for each client.
Having around 50 000 candidates registered with us, our consultants always have suitable candidates in mind after a conversation with our clients.

And the last but not the least, Morgan & Mallet International always respects our clients’ needs and wishes. 

If you are still looking for the right recruitment agency then please do not hesitate to contact any of our offices worldwide.  

We are what you are looking for.
 

Having conducted numerous interviews with Housekeepers, we have noticed that most of our candidates do not fully understand their role in a private household and underestimate their experience and skills.

Especially, while discussing duties and responsibilities, most of the Housekeepers take their position for granted.
​Therefore, at the time when it is necessary to reveal as much as possible about the role and to show that they are real professionals in their industry, they become laconic and diffident.

​It is necessary to have a clear picture of your importance in a private household and to be able to convince first of all a recruiter and then your future employer that your services are an integral part of a busy household.

In order not to be unfounded, we would like to provide some examples that the work of a Housekeeper can be described with more than just the phrase "general property cleaning". During an interview you can specify what kind of cleaning you can perform, for instance deep cleaning, steam cleaning, carpet cleaning, heavy cleaning, like cleaning windows and furniture, as well as sanitizing of bathroom, kitchen and toilet, cleaning up the bedrooms and the living room, taking out the rubbish, dusting, vacuuming and mopping, cleaning of various surfaces (wooden, marble, glass, etc.).

Talking about kitchen cleaning during an interview, it will also be beneficial to mention what exactly you do for example stove top, oven or grill cleaning, cupboard interior and exterior cleaning, weekly fridge cleaning, etc. Housekeepers really specialise in looking after their client so when they come home after work everything is done (like all the cleaning, washing, ironing, folding, making beds, etc).

In case your role as a Housekeeper includes cooking, during the interview you can provide examples what dishes you can cook or which cuisine you specialise in. If you know how to take care of a luxury wardrobe, be sure to provide examples what fabrics need hand washing or dry cleaning. Moreover, it will be a great plus if you can name products that you use to remove different stains or which of them help you keep bed linen white and towels soft. 

Whatever the scope of the role, every Housekeeper should be flexible, competent and self-motivated, and the most important thing is to use your chance and time to convince a recruiter and a client that you have all those qualities. 

If you are looking for a job as a Housekeeper, or if you are a property owner and looking for a high standard Housekeeper, please feel free to contact Morgan & Mallet International offices worldwide, we will be delighted to assist.

Today’s busy life has defined time as the ultimate luxury and it might seem impossible to keep that huge number of different activities of the household under control. 

Which is why, in order to keep perfect organisation of everyday life it is essential to hire a professional help.
If you are looking for somebody who is discreet, organized, elegant and who can take responsibility for every situation in the house – butler is a perfect choice for you.    


​Butler has always been an integral part of the household. They are the ones who are trusted with the most intimate issues of the house life and are in the closest relations with their principals. 

They know all the little details of their principals’ tastes and preferences. However, with years, this profession has evolved and Modern butler appeared.   

Modern professional butler is much more than just a member of staff who greets guests and serves food and drinks as it used to be in the last century. 

As the main responsibility and primary role of butlers is to meet the needs of their employers, today’s butlers might be expected to perform not only the role of a traditional butler but also roles of a PA, a House Manager, a Chauffeur, Security Manager or even a Cook. 

Therefore, employers can choose and tailor the roles and duties they would like the butler to perform in order to meet all the needs of a specific household, which becomes the main benefit of hiring modern butler. 

By hiring a butler, you can be always sure that everything in your household is running smoothly. Butlers are proud of their “invisible” service and professionalism. 

They take pride in being of service for their principals as long as their work is respected and appreciated. 

You do not have to give instructions or tasks to a butler every time – good butler knows ahead what needs to be done. If you are looking for someone who will conduct in a highly respectable and personable manner, who is hardworking and loyal in any matter – butler is the right decision.
Moreover, the figure of butler in the household will give it a very traditional and elegant look. 

It is indeed very high-class when a butler greets the guest and serves the drinks. 
If you would like to hire a perfect butler who will adapt his or her skills and practices to compliment your lifestyle and the needs of your particular household, Morgan & Mallet International is always very happy to assist you. 

Butlers registered with our personal butlers agency are the most experienced professionals. Being partners with the most prestigious in the UK butler school, we are extremely proud of the high-standard service our butlers can provide.

Do not hesitate to contact any of our agencies around the globe and our consultants will be pleased to help you with any butler jobs!

• Benefits of hiring Personal Assistant

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Once you have hired yourself a personal assistant, who is dedicated, assertive and skilled, you would be surprised how much time you could save. As a PA can perform a wide range of tasks and duties personally for you or for your family, hiring one will help you keep an ideal balance and harmony between your work and your household life.

​You can focus more on your family, your business or yourself as someone has already paid your bills, taken your clothes to the dry cleaners, made a reservation to your favourite restaurant and done grocery shopping, and this is just the top of the list.
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Personal assistant can be responsible for a lot more, starting from dealing with personal correspondence and answering your phone calls, taking responsibility for household budget to taking your children to school and supervising the household staff. ​