What Private Household Staff Are Really Looking For in 2026
When a position doesn’t work in practice, a good salary rarely keeps someone in it. Here’s what we’ve been hearing from candidates, and what it means for your next hire.
Over the past six months, our conversations with Nannies, House Managers, Domestic Couples and PAs have kept returning to the same point: the practical shape of a role matters as much as the headline figure. Salary is still important, but candidates are weighing it against hours, time off, accommodation and travel, and making decisions based on the whole picture.
For private households around the world, that’s worth knowing. It means a well structured position can attract strong candidates even when the salary isn’t the highest on the market, and a vague one can struggle even when it is.
Sustainable hours come first
The clearest message from candidates is that they want an arrangement they can keep up. That means genuine days off, a rota that works as described, overtime that’s paid, and clarity about hours before they commit.
We’ve seen experienced staff leave positions because a promised rota didn’t materialise or extra hours went unpaid. Others have told us a schedule without regular days off simply wasn’t sustainable, however good the role looked on paper. Some candidates now ask for a cap on weekly hours, or want salary and hours confirmed before they’ll attend an interview.
This isn’t a sign of reduced commitment; our best candidates are thinking long term and they want a private household job they can stay in.
Accommodation isn’t one-size-fits-all
Live-in accommodation can make a position far more attractive, but only if it suits the person. Details that seem minor to a Principal or employer often decide whether a candidate can say yes. A private kitchen, space for a partner or pets, and genuine privacy all come up again and again.
It also works the other way, in that plenty of excellent candidates prefer to live out, often because of family commitments. And for weekday live-in roles, candidates need to know where they’ll stay on weekends. If they have to arrange and pay for separate accommodation, that cost will often need to be reflected in their salary expectations.
“The roles that fill quickly, and stay filled, are the ones where the family has been really clear from the start about hours, days off and what the accommodation looks like. Candidates aren’t being difficult when they ask these questions; they’re working out whether they can genuinely commit. When the brief is honest and detailed, we can find someone who’s right for the long term, rather than someone who’ll be looking again in six months.”
Kerri, Recruitment Consultant, Cora Partners.
Flexibility works best when it’s defined
Many candidates are happy to be flexible, whether that’s variable hours, occasional overnight stays or live-in periods during busy weeks; but what really helps is for the flexibility to be spelled out. A Nanny who’s glad to stay over during certain weeks may not be able to commit to weeks long stretches. Agreeing the boundaries at the outset avoids misunderstandings later and makes it much easier to find someone whose circumstances genuinely fit.
The package has to work in real terms
Candidates are increasingly looking at what an offer is worth once travel and housing are accounted for. A long commute might only be viable with a higher salary, covered travel or some flexibility on working location. Others weigh up pension contributions or accommodation costs alongside base pay. Time can be as valuable as money. We’ve spoken with Domestic Couples who would accept a lower combined salary in exchange for more time off together and a better balance.
What to include in your job brief
The more detail shared at the very start of the recruitment process, the better we can match you with the right person.
When briefing on a new job position, it helps to cover:
- Salary, and how overtime is handled
- Actual working hours, including evenings or weekends
- Protected days off and the rota pattern
- Accommodation, if offered, and what it includes (as much detail as possible!)
- Travel expectations, both commuting and with the family
- Where there’s flexibility, and where there isn’t
A line like “competitive benefits” tells a candidate very little.
A clear picture of how the role works day to day tells them whether they can build their life around it, and that’s what leads to placements that last.
If you’re planning a new hire or reviewing an existing role, we’d love to have a chat – our team is always happy to talk anything through.