House manager, who is he and how to find him
House Manager for the management of private properties.
Characteristics, duties, soft skills and roles.
In this article we will talk about the figure of the house manager, his characteristics, profile and how to find him. While the Personal Assistant is a person's support figure, we can say that the House Manager is instead the specific figure centered on real estate properties, the management of houses and their management.
It is not easy to give a perimeter to the tasks that the house manager performs or can perform; this depends on many factors such as:
- the possibility of managing the domestic staff
- the type of facility or facilities managed
- the specific needs of the employer.
Where the property manager is also expected to manage domestic and kitchen staff it is clear that particular skills and experience in employee management will become necessary. If the house manager manages multiple properties (and why not in different countries or in places far from each other) he must be a person willing to travel and able to work under stress.
What are the House Manager's duties?
The duties of the house manager as well as the butler are described in a precise way by the "International Guild of Professional Butlers". It is important to note that the duties of a property manager may coincide with the duties required of a hotel manager.
For this reason, the associations of home management professionals are involved in training personnel for both the hotel and private sectors. For example, the "Professional English Butler" trains person which was then hired in high-ranking hotels such as Sheraton hotel, Regent, Bellagio (Las Vegas) etc. etc.
But let's go back to the title of this chapter and that is what the duties of the house manager are; In general, here is a list of tasks:
- Supervision of domestic staff;
- Administrative management of the property(ies);
- Management of suppliers and associated services;
- Security systems manager.
When the house manager has a domestic staff coordination role he will also be responsible for:
- inventory of valuables, art, antiques, porcelain, etc.;
- personal or laundry services;
- maintenance and cleaning;
- subcontracted activities, maintenance and other works on the property;
- cars in the property;
- infrastructure (swimming pool, golf course, gardens...)
Difference between House manager and Butler
So what is the substantial difference between the house manager and the butler? The crucial point that defines the difference between these two roles is the fact that while the butler is concretely active and involved in common work, the house manager has a role of administrative coordination. In fact, the house manager is also responsible for the administrative management of domestic staff for holidays and leave, payroll and employee sickness.
House Manager: soft skills characteristics
Special soft skills and great emotional intelligence are required of the house manager. Here are some characteristics:
- Proactivity: Anticipates needs and doesn't just carry out the employer's orders
- Must have an elegant friendly character yet are able to maintain relationships with employers, family members and their friends in a professional setting.
- Strong sense of privacy and confidentiality enjoys the full trust of the employer.
Knowledge required of a property manager
The House Manager has skills and knowledge that are not very different from those of a company manager.
Problem solving ability, able to work towards objectives, the house manager is brilliant, ready, enterprising. Leadership skills are also important and an orientation to work independently.
Some technological requirements are the ability to use management software, Excel, work in the cloud to share information, calendars and news with employers.
The qualifications necessary for a House manager, schools, experience, sectors.
As we have previously explained, the role of the house manager embraces a very wide range of possibilities.
He can be a person dedicated to a single property with overall simple and outlined roles or he can be the manager of several properties scattered throughout the world, each of which with domestic staff and complex needs.
For this reason, the background of a house manager can be experiential as well as university. Let's make the right list for clarity:
- Experience in hotel management
- Experience in the same role in previous jobs
- University education and masters
- Training in specific private schools and courses
Part time house manager
Although the house manager usually works full time for the employer and for the employer's properties, it may happen that he needs it for a limited time.
The cases are the most different: a house to be administrated waiting to be sold, a house that is hardly used in a specific period, a house on which work and new projects are being carried out.
We know from experience that when a house manager starts collaborating successfully for an employer, he automatically becomes a key figure and the collaboration rarely is interrupted.
How to find a House Manager
Allure Milano deals with the selection and recruiting of qualified and referenced House managers; we also take care of training the staff to educate them on the specific needs of the customer.
