April 19th, 2020

New Job in a Private Household: Tips for Success

All the interviews are over and you have been offered the desired job in a private household. Naturally, you are excited about the new opportunity and eager to demonstrate your skills but also a bit nervous and unsure of what to expect from your first days at work.  
Morgan & Mallet International would like to share some tips that would help you settle into a new household easier:

1.            Listen, take notes and ask questions. 

No matter what your position within a private household is, it is always important to listen carefully to the expectations, requirements and preferences of your employers. Some of you may be lucky to have a handover period with a departing employee, in such case make sure that you use this time for better understanding of the role, the environment and the processes in the household. However, do not spend time on gossiping or listening to the leaving employee’s grievances. If you receive training from a house manager or any other employee, make sure that you ask enough questions until everything is clear to you, and take notes to remember the information better. 

2.            Teamwork 

Settling into a new team within a private household may be rather challenging, particularly if the other team members have been working for the family for an extended period of time. Trying to find mutual understanding with your colleagues from day one is essential because cohesive teamwork is the key to success within a private household. If you feel that your colleagues are somewhat unfriendly or even hostile towards you, try to talk to them openly and explain that you are not in competition with them and you are there to help them reach a common goal which is to make your employers happy. You should feel free to speak to your direct manager if encounter any difficulties with settling into the team as this may affect your performance. 

3.            Can-do attitude

When starting a new job, some things may be unfamiliar to you or even intimidating. Do not let this fact make you panic or answer that the task given to you is too difficult! If the family require something, the last thing they want to hear for an answer is a “No”. Even if the family’s request is very challenging, try to calm down and explain that you will do whatever you can to deliver the result, and make sure you do so. 

These are just a few tips that helped a lot of our candidates to do better on their first days at work. Starting a new job may be stressful but do not let this stress influence your performance and attitude.

All in all, your employers expect to receive excellent service from every single member of their household staff, whether new or existing, and everyone has to work towards the common goal of ensuring the family’s comfort and carefree time. 

If you would like to find your dream job within a private household, please feel free to contact Morgan & Mallet International, and our experts will be happy to advise you on available roles in the US, UK and abroad.

More info on www.householdstaff.agency