PORTICO INC.

The Task:

During the spring of 2018, Portico Inc. was contacted by a San Francisco Bay Area family who sought a Household Manager to manage a 15,000 square foot home, a staff consisting of a Nanny, 2 full-time and 1 part-time Housekeepers, a Private Chef and a Driver. This was a new position necessitated by the increasing complexity of the family’s life and the technology in the home. There was also a desire by the Mrs. to step back from the day-to-day management of the home so that she could focus on philanthropy. 

 

As a new position, it was essential to develop a workable job profile that took into account the family’s standards and expectations, staff management, and leveraging the home’s complex technology and using it to maximize staff performance efficiency as well as meeting the service demands of a family whose life was becoming increasingly busy and complex.

 

The Response:

After developing a workable job profile with the family, Portico Inc. triggered its significant network for search and recruitment purposes. This included:

 

• Researching a database of 7,000 Private Service Professionals

• Identifying and reaching out to suitable Candidates

• Extending Portico’s own network by leveraging extended networks of trusted Private Service Professionals

• Promoting the position through the firm’s search engine optimized website as well as appropriate social media forums (making sure to protect the family’s confidentiality at all times)

• Thinking outside the box and exploring (with the family’s approval) individuals with experience outside of Household Management but in possession of skills that were highly transferrable to the job profile

• Staying in regular contact with the Principal with weekly update reports

• Targeting in excess of 90 potential applicants

• Conducting in excess of 25 video or in-person interviews (including professionals within the Bay Area and those outside who were willing to relocate). Interviews employed a methodology that was both conversational and highly structured. The methodology’s objective is to “tease out” the authentic person during the course of the thorough interview.

• Identifying a shortlist of strong Candidates and conducting follow up interviews

• Presenting the Client with four highly detailed profile packages for review

• Coordinating both in person and video interviews with the shortlist

• Follow up questions from the family were asked of the preferred Candidates 

• With the Family Office, coordinated travel details for in-person interviews of two Candidates

• The family requested coaching on interview techniques, which was provided by Portico Inc. An offer was also extended to be present during the interview process. The offer was declined as “overkill” by a family that wanted to present the position as challenging but the work environment as family friendly.

 

A post interview consultation identified a Candidate to whom the family wished to extend an offer of employment. Portico, along with the Family Office, assisted in preparing the offer. The offer was presented by the Family Office while Portico Inc. focused on a thorough reference check. The Family Office conducted the background check on the Candidate.

 

The Candidate accepted. The next challenge was to successful onboard the Candidate into their new role. The family expected resistance from certain established members of its domestic team. The family also decided to avoid overkill and manage the on-boarding process with regular consultation with Portico Inc.

 

Conclusion:

Portico Inc. rapidly responded to a Client request. Its significant network was triggered with outreach to qualified individuals who were actively or passively looking for work. The outreach also leveraged the networks of trusted Private Service Professionals to maximize discreetly broadcasting the position towards qualified parties. 

 

On-boarding of the Candidate proved to be highly successful. The original family domestic team was retained and quickly came to realize that the new Household Manager would make their jobs easier and less complicated. Portico Inc.’s follow-up indicated that the family’s objectives to achieve standards, augment opportunity to pursue other interests, and bring about a harmonious home environment were accomplished. Were there bumps in the road? There always are. Was Portico Inc. able to rapidly respond to those glitches? It always is.

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© Portico Inc., 2018