Businesses that have hired household staff sometimes assume corporate hiring works the same way, and households setting up an office assume the reverse. The fee model is similar; almost nothing else is.
The Assessment Is Fundamentally Different
Household hiring leans heavily on trust, references and a practical trial — can this cook actually cook, does this driver know the routes. Corporate hiring adds a technical dimension your own team must assess: a reconciliation exercise for accounts, a mock call for support, a troubleshooting scenario for IT. An agency can source and screen; it cannot judge whether a candidate meets your technical bar.
Employment Structure
For both, your business or household employs and pays the person directly. But corporate roles typically involve written contracts, defined reporting lines, probation terms and notice periods in a way household arrangements often don't. Agreeing these before the offer prevents most first-month disputes.
Access and Controls Matter More
What's the biggest oversight in corporate hiring? Access control. A household employee has physical access to your home; a corporate employee may have access to cash, customer data, supplier relationships and software systems. Decide who can approve payments, who holds which credentials, and what happens at exit — before the first day.
Notice Periods Change the Timeline
Household placements often start within days. Corporate candidates frequently have 30-day notice periods with a current employer, and stronger candidates almost always do. Build that into your planning rather than treating it as a delay.
What Stays the Same
The fee model is identical: one month of the agreed salary, payable when you hire, with a written six-month replacement guarantee subject to its conditions. So is the principle that a specific brief produces a better shortlist than a job title.
For business roles, start at corporate recruitment. For home roles, see household staffing.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does assessment differ between corporate and household hiring? Household hiring leans on trust, references and a practical trial. Corporate hiring adds a technical dimension your own team must assess — a reconciliation exercise for accounts, a mock call for support, a troubleshooting scenario for IT. An agency can source and screen but cannot judge your technical bar.
What is the biggest oversight in corporate hiring? Access control. A corporate employee may have access to cash, customer data, supplier relationships and software systems. Decide who can approve payments, who holds which credentials, and what happens at exit before the first day.
Why do corporate placements take longer? Household placements often start within days. Corporate candidates frequently have 30-day notice periods with a current employer, and stronger candidates almost always do. Build that into planning rather than treating it as a delay.
Is the fee different for corporate roles? No. The model is identical: one month of the agreed salary, payable when you hire, with a written six-month replacement guarantee subject to its conditions.