The right person may become part of the rhythm of family life—someone trusted around children, welcomed into private spaces and relied upon when routines change or life becomes particularly busy. Experience and qualifications matter, but families also need to feel confident in the person behind the CV.
That confidence begins with careful vetting. Done properly, it is not a cold or suspicious process. It is a thoughtful way of protecting the family, respecting the candidate and giving a new working relationship the strongest possible foundation.
Starting with the essential details
Every candidate has a story behind their CV. Our role is to understand that story properly and make sure the important details are clear.
This begins with confirming identity, Right to Work and employment history. Qualifications and any credentials relevant to the position should also be checked carefully rather than simply accepted at face value.
Employment gaps do not necessarily indicate a concern. People take time away from work for many perfectly understandable reasons, including family responsibilities, travel, study or changes in personal circumstances. What matters is that these periods are discussed openly and that the information provided is consistent.
We believe good vetting should feel thorough but respectful. Candidates should understand why questions are being asked and be given a fair opportunity to explain their experience in their own words.
References are more than a formality
A meaningful reference can tell us far more than dates of employment and a previous job title.
Whenever possible, it is helpful to speak directly with someone who has genuinely worked with or employed the candidate. A thoughtful conversation can provide a clearer picture of the person’s responsibilities, reliability, communication style and professional conduct.
It can also help us understand the environment in which they previously worked. Every household is different. Some are busy, informal and constantly changing; others are highly structured and traditional. A candidate who flourished in one setting may not necessarily feel comfortable in another.
This does not make them a good or bad candidate. It simply helps us consider where they are most likely to feel settled, valued and able to do their best work.
Choosing the right checks for the role
The checks required will depend on the position and the responsibilities involved.
For a nanny appointment, this may include childcare qualifications, paediatric first-aid certification and an appropriate DBS check. A chauffeur’s driving licence and driving history may need to be confirmed. A private chef may hold relevant culinary or food-safety qualifications, while yacht-based positions can require particular maritime certificates.
Not every check is relevant—or legally available—for every role. The aim should not be to collect paperwork unnecessarily, but to identify which checks genuinely matter for that particular appointment.
Careful vetting is most valuable when it is personal to the role, the household and the level of trust that will be placed in the successful candidate.
Looking beyond the paperwork
Formal checks can establish important facts, but they cannot tell us everything we need to know about a person.
Private household professionals often work in close proximity to a family and must understand when to step forward and when to remain in the background. They may need to adapt to changing plans, different residences, visiting guests or periods when additional privacy and sensitivity are required.
These situations call for judgement, emotional awareness and strong professional boundaries—qualities that cannot always be captured on a CV.
A good interview should feel like a genuine conversation rather than a list of standard questions. It should explore what the candidate has learned from previous positions, how they approach unfamiliar situations and the type of household in which they are most likely to thrive.
Discretion is particularly important. It is not something a candidate demonstrates merely by describing themselves as discreet. It can often be seen in the way they speak about former employers, how they handle sensitive questions and what they understand should remain private.
Finding the right fit
Two candidates may have very similar experience on paper while being completely different in personality, communication style and approach.
In the same way, two families seeking a nanny, housekeeper or estate manager may require very different people. The pace of the household, the presence of children or animals, travel requirements, established routines and the personalities of existing team members can all influence whether an appointment will work.
This is why we never see household recruitment as simply matching a CV to a job description.
It begins with listening carefully to the family and understanding not only what needs to be done, but how the home works and what will help everyone feel comfortable. It also means listening properly to the candidate so that they understand the realities of the position and can decide whether it feels right for them.
Between us, we bring two different but complementary perspectives to that process. Debbie has more than 20 years of recruitment and talent-acquisition experience, while Elisha brings first-hand experience of working as a professional nanny with private families, alongside her yacht-crew training.
This allows us to consider both sides of an appointment: what the experience and references tell us, and how the position is likely to feel in everyday life.
Creating a strong beginning
No recruitment process can remove every element of uncertainty. People and households are individual, and successful working relationships develop over time.
Careful checks, honest conversations and experienced judgement can, however, reduce avoidable risk and give both the family and the candidate greater confidence from the beginning.
For families, this brings reassurance that important questions have been asked. For candidates, it provides clarity about the role, its expectations and the household they may be joining.
Most importantly, it creates the possibility of an appointment built not only on experience, but on mutual understanding, respect and trust.
When someone is being welcomed into the private world of a family, we believe that level of care matters.