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Heat, Glamour, and Service: Mastering the St Tropez Hiring Season
In this episode, Ben W sits down with Laurine Mallet, co-founder of Morgan & Mallet International, to explore the high-stakes world of St. Tropez seasonal staffing.
Laurine shares insights from over a decade of placing household staff in France’s most glamorous summer destination, covering everything from salary expectations to the unique challenges of this luxury market.
- Learn why chef positions command 6,000-8,000 euros monthly during St. Tropez peak season.
- Discover the essential character traits that separate successful seasonal staff from those who burn out.
- Understand how M&M achieved their 96% placement success rate through hard-learned lessons in seasonal recruiting.
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Laurine explains how the St. Tropez season runs from late April through September, with demand split between French clients with second homes and international visitors renting luxury villas.
She discusses why chefs are the most sought-after role, often needing to manage teams and cook for 20-70 guests at entertaining events.
The conversation covers the importance of flexibility, shared accommodation arrangements, and working under intense pressure during 12-hour days.
Key Takeaways
- Peak season in St. Tropez runs April through September, with chef positions commanding the highest demand and salaries of 6,000-8,000 euros monthly.
- Successful seasonal staff must handle long hours, work under pressure, multitask across roles, and adapt to shared accommodation arrangements.
- International clients typically rent properties while French clients use second homes, but both require bilingual French-English speaking staff.
- Morgan & Mallet improved their placement success rate by acting on recruiter hesitation and asking deeper questions to uncover hidden client requirements.
- Common client mistakes include unrealistic working hours and asking staff to perform tasks outside their skill set without proper training.
Full Transcript:
Transcript
Introduction
Ben W
Welcome to the Morgan & Mallet Podcast. Today we are with co-founder Laurine Mallet, and we are covering St Tropez, the seasonality, the wages, and the most sought-after skills. Laurine, how are you?
Laurine
Very good, thank you, and you?
How Morgan & Mallet Began
Ben W
Before the questions, can you introduce yourself, tell us how you started the agency, and what you do day to day?
Laurine
After my studies I moved to London for three or four years, and for part of that time I worked as a nanny. Morgan Richez was there too, working as a private chauffeur. We were both found by staffing agencies, and we saw those agencies did not really look after clients or candidates. We are close to French service, etiquette, and know-how, so we created our own agency with that French label 12 years ago. Day to day I manage the company, more than 30 people plus suppliers, and I focus on growth, development, and investment.
Ben W
You and Morgan have been friends for a long time, over 20 years?
Laurine
Yes, more than 20 years. I went to London, he came too, and I discovered this industry. Working as a chauffeur gave Morgan a real network, and I met different families and worked with one for three years. It was a great experience.
The St Tropez Season
Ben W
How seasonal is the domestic market in St Tropez?
Laurine
There is a household staff market in St Tropez, and also yacht crew requests from clients based there. For household staff it runs from the end of April to the end of September.
French and International Clients
Ben W
Are the clients usually French or international?
Laurine
Both. French clients often have a second property in St Tropez, while international clients usually rent a large villa for the summer. There are many international clients, because almost every summer request is for a bilingual French and English profile.
The Roles in Demand
Ben W
What is the profile of these requests, and which role is most popular?
Laurine
Clients ask for nannies, cook chefs, butlers, valets, and housekeepers, including nanny-housekeeper roles. The most popular is the cook chef.
Ben W
Is that because they want to experience French cuisine?
Laurine
Sometimes. They do not usually ask for a French cook, but for someone who can cook to a professional standard. Clients often eat out, and they host friends and family at the villa. They would rather hand the cooking to a professional who can cater for a lot of people, and enjoy a relaxed holiday.
A Client Hosting 70 Guests
Ben W
Do you remember a unique cook chef request for St Tropez?
Laurine
One international client lived in Paris with a property in St Tropez, and in summer he hosted between 20 and 70 people at the villa. We worked with him all year, and his chef travelled down for the season. We also found a commis to assist in the kitchen, because with that many guests, and barbecues and buffets, the chef needed help.
Ben W
So the chef from Paris still needed a commis and a full team for these big events.
Laurine
Exactly, to cut vegetables and prepare salads or a quiche. A chef can plan the menu, but he needs a real team. You cannot cook for up to 70 people alone.
Butlers, Waiters and Mobile Staff
Ben W
Did the client also request waiting staff for these events?
Laurine
Yes, he asked for two butlers, so we found those two people. He also had staff in his own country who travelled to St Tropez to work as waiters. Having mobile staff like that is common.
Ben W
And they travelled in from within Europe, so no visa issues?
Laurine
Yes, within Europe.
Booking Ahead and Salaries
Ben W
How far in advance should clients contact you for the summer?
Laurine
The end of March to early April is best, though people often call at the last minute, even for a yacht. They forget summer is coming, and that there is a real recruitment process. Even with our own database, we still call candidates to check availability and arrange interviews.
Ben W
How do salaries move between peak and off season?
Laurine
Take a chef. There are many chef requests in St Tropez and across the South of France, so chefs have multiple offers and raise their expectations. In high season it can be between 6,000 and 8,000 euros a month, depending on how many people and how many days.
Who Succeeds in St Tropez
Ben W
These salaries are high, partly because of the big teams and the workload. What character traits define staff who succeed in St Tropez?
Laurine
Being able to work under pressure, at speed, and to multitask. With so many guests, a client may hand you a task without stopping to explain, so you need to be flexible. A cook chef might help a busy butler for an hour. You have to be open.
Ben W
Are the days long, like 12 hours in peak season?
Laurine
Yes, it is a long phase, which is why the salary compensates. We also recruit people with real experience, because they understand the client’s needs and the trade-off. Others simply would not want those hours.
Ben W
And that is three to five years minimum to apply at Morgan & Mallet?
Laurine
Yes, exactly.
Accommodation and the Right Match
Ben W
How do families handle accommodation when travelling to the summer homes?
Laurine
St Tropez is not easy to reach, so clients often provide accommodation, especially for long hours. It might be on the property, or a shared flat where everyone has their own room but shares the apartment, or a small studio in or near St Tropez.
Ben W
So a recruiter has to be sure the candidate is comfortable in shared accommodation, with proven experience of those conditions.
Laurine
Yes. Recruitment is never just picking someone with three years of experience, there are many criteria, and for summer you multiply them, live-in, live-out, working hours. Above all you need someone who will stay to the end of the season, who will not start and leave after two or three weeks saying it is too much, or that the salary does not match the market. So it is a real search.
When a Placement Does Not Last
Ben W
In the rare case a candidate says it is too much after a few weeks, what happens?
Laurine
We find someone else. We keep in touch with both the client and the candidate through the season, which matters even more here because it is short-term and the pressure is higher. If it happens, we replace quickly.
Ben W
So you avoid it with regular check-ins, solving problems before they escalate.
Laurine
Definitely. We have improved a lot since 2015. In the early days we did more replacements, and we learned from those mistakes. Now, if we feel any hesitation, we hold and find someone we are sure about, so the candidate understands the client’s needs and is not surprised later.
Learning from Experience
Ben W
Can you give an example that taught you to ask a new question?
Laurine
About eight or ten years ago I found a nanny near St Tropez who did not stay, because the hours were up and down. She worked a few hours each morning, was off while the children were out, then came back for a couple of hours later. She found the broken schedule hard, because she could not truly rest. Now I add a criteria, that the person is comfortable with that kind of flexible, on-and-off day. I did not ask that at the beginning, but experience taught me to.
Ben W
What else have you learned that feeds the high success rate?
Laurine
To be much clearer with clients about the profile. A client may picture one person, but our questions reveal they actually need someone more flexible, or more formal with service, or with stronger English. They might say basic English is fine, but if the children’s friends are all English, it needs to be much more than basic. We ask, but we ask deeply.
Ben W
Can you share a case where a hidden detail mattered?
Laurine
Last year I found a companion for an elderly man in the South of France, because his children could not come for the summer and wanted someone to keep his home and cook. It went well, but I did not know the children would visit in stretches. Over the two months they came for five days, left for three weeks, came back for five days, and during their stays they asked the companion to go home. I had to explain that to her and manage the extra driving and costs. Now I ask about that upfront, and note it for the next recruiter, so we always check whether the family will visit.
Common Client Mistakes
Ben W
What are the most common mistakes clients make when hiring for St Tropez?
Laurine
One is asking a role to multitask beyond its skills, like expecting a housekeeper to cook when she does not have the skills. The most common, though, is about hours. Clients think someone can work 10 or 12 hours and take days off later. But to deliver at 100 percent you need rest. Your mind needs to recover, so you stay focused under pressure. Miss sleep and stress builds.
Why Rest Matters
Ben W
Did you often have to explain that to clients?
Laurine
Yes, and not only for summer. I worked as a nanny doing long hours and was sometimes completely exhausted. I never made a mistake, but tired enough, you could fall on the stairs with a little one. Morgan can say the same from his own experience. Rest is not wasting the client’s time. It buys much better quality when the candidate is working. It is healthy, for body and mind.
Closing
Ben W
Laurine
Thank you, have a good day.