RECRUITMENT SERVICES
FOR DOMESTIC STAFF
We are committed to a high standard of ethics and integrity in our recruiting procedures. We do not rely on foreign agencies or extensive chains and we always correspond with our candidates directly to ensure that they are not being exploited by a third party.
Whether it is a maid, a housekeeper, a houseman, a cook or a butler, our recruitment services will find the right person to assist you and relieve you of the pressures of running a home.
Our recruitment process runs as follows:
We will want to know about your needs, your family, the type of home you have, your lifestyle and your core values. The better we know you the better our prospects of finding the right person for your household.
Once engaged to find you a member of staff, we contact any suitable candidates who are registered with Minerva and review the position and the family profile with them. We will, of course, never share your details with a candidate unless we have your permission to do so and at the early stages discuss in generic terms.
Prior to presenting a candidate to you, we will have interviewed them several times either in-person, over the phone, or via video call. We will not waste your valuable time until we feel we have found a good match for your home, your family and your lifestyle.
Any candidate whose CV we present to you will also have been subject to a background check. These checks involve a minimum of 2 professional references, up-to-date police clearance and proof of status (for on-island candidates). We also carry out skills testing in our training facilities to establish whether the candidate has any specific skills required for the position. Should there be any gaps in skills or anything missing from the other background checks, we will advise you when presenting the candidate to you.
If a candidate who is off island is approved, should you approve the candidate, we will assist with the preparation of the candidate’s work permit and, where necessary (if the candidate is not on island), coordinate the obtaining of all application materials, such as:
- English test, medical tests, police clearance
- Translations of supporting documents
- Work permit application forms and submission to WORC
- Queries related to the applications submitted
- Amendments as required to satisfy WORC
Where your domestic worker is arriving from abroad, we can assist in other areas, including:
- Organising travel and visa requirements
- Help with finding temporary accommodation
- Welcoming the worker at the airport and transfer
- Providing orientation during week 1 to assist with transitioning to Cayman life and to help with personal matters (e.g. bank accounts, driving licence, doctor registration, etc.)
We can also prepare your new domestic worker and provide them with the skills needed for employment in your home, either in group classes at the Minerva Academy or in one-to-one bespoke training at your home.
We generally recommend that a new domestic worker spend an induction week prior to starting work or training at a client’s home. This induction covers essential training pre-requisites, such as:
- Knowledge of equipment, materials and cleaning products
- Safety rules
- Service protocol
Lastly, we often provide supervision of the domestic worker at your home during the first week(s) of service in order to ensure that good practices are instilled from the outset and that everything is set up for long-term success.
As we are invested in finding the right person for you, we want to be sure that it is working out properly so that if it isn’t, we have the opportunity to help turn things around.
To this end, we will check in with both you and your new domestic worker after their first day, first week and the first month of work. We can also conduct an end-of-probation appraisal on your behalf (or sit with you for that) and help to set appropriate objectives.
We can also perform all quarterly checks and annual appraisals on your behalf if you wish us to take care of this important process, which encourages feedback between you and your employee and is the key to a successful relationship over the longer term.
Our Minerva Academy can offer remedial training, refresher courses or new training to help your domestic worker develop and flourish.
Sometimes your employee’s sickness or holiday, your being away from home or the arrival of visitors can bring unexpected challenges. As we already know you and your household and have worked with your domestic staff, one of our team can step in and offer support or an extra pair of hands.
The Minerva Difference
Our starting point – that a domestic worker is not for a house but a home – is what makes our services different from anyone else’s. Our recruitment activities do not extend to offices or businesses and our staff understands private homes and why domestic recruitment needs are so very different.
The other reason why our clients choose Minerva is because of the advantages provided by our complimentary business lines. Our PA team can handle all the coordination and follow-up with candidates and help to negotiate them through the processes swiftly and efficiently. In a domestic worker, there is one thing that cannot be taught – the right attitude. Most other skills required for a domestic worker can be taught in sessions at the Minerva Academy; any skills that your preferred candidate might be missing can be the subject of Minerva training, either in one of our regular courses or on a bespoke basis.
Fundamentally, we see ourselves as your partner and we want the relationship with you to continue long after your worker’s first day in your household. We will always make ourselves available to speak or meet with you if you are encountering difficulties or have additional needs and we are always here to review how the needs of your family might be evolving and to provide counsel and support to the best of our ability.
