That’s right – our podcast is back for season two!
We’ve adapted the name slightly to better reflect what the show’s about, but don’t worry – it’s the same great podcast you know and love.
We’re also excited to be sharing a lot more blogs and other content to support each show, which is why we’re moving from weekly to bi-weekly episodes.
Listen to the first episode now on Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts.
What to expect from season 2 of Life in Private Staffing
As we’ve found our feet in the podcast world, we’ve learned that the Life in Private Staffing podcast needs to bring you real value to be of benefit.
That’s why we’re putting a keener focus this season on talking to guests that can genuinely help you in your career – whether you’re looking for work or seeking candidates.
We’ll talk to:
- Recruiters who’ll talk openly about what they look for in candidates
- Some of our own clients about their experiences working with us
- People out there working in houses, yachts, and villas about life in private staffing
We always put our listeners first, so feel free to get in touch with us with any thoughts or feedback. Just email: [email protected].
What’s happening at Silver Swan?
In the first episode, I spoke to my senior team here at Silver Swan to discuss their experience of the private staffing recruitment market in 2020.
Talking to four team members across our different specialisms, we hope it gives you an insight into how different markets are performing as we head into 2021.
Laura, our private households expert
Laura’s had many years working in private household staff recruitment, so I was keen to hear how she found 2020 compared with other years in the market.
‘It was a shame because we started 2020 so, so well,” she told me. “We were busy, we were getting new clients, we were getting new roles – things were going exactly how you’d want the department to go.”
Then, of course, Covid struck. “In March, everything just stopped,” Laura said. “Things did start picking up again around Summer, but then the second lockdown hit. It was just a strange, bizarre year.”
But how are things looking in the private household recruitment market in 2021? Laura told me how she thought everything would slow to a crawl again when lockdown three was announced. But that wasn’t the case.
“Clients and candidates have learned to work around the constraints of lockdown. Interviews can be held over Zoom, online tests can profile candidates, and so much more. People have started recruiting again, which has left me feeling very positive about the year ahead.”
Matt, our European specialist
Matt’s my multi-talented, longest-serving employee. He handles all clients and candidates based in Europe, whether they need cabin crew for their jets or butlers for their households. But how is 2021 shaping up in light of Brexit and Covid-19 travel restrictions?
“I’m really hopeful,” Matt said. “We’ve already been in talks with various candidates who are keen to go and work in Europe this Summer. The process for applying for an EU work permit is still up in the air right now, but it won’t be long before you can just fill in a form online and be away.”
There are many more permanent positions opening across the continent too, so there are plenty of opportunities for temporary staff to transfer. For anyone who’s missed working the ski season in 2020, Matt says, “Stay positive. I’m hopeful things will be better by next Winter – and enjoy the UK in the meantime!”
Steph, our Dubai and UAE expert
Steph handles our UAE desk, partnering candidates with clients looking for staff across Dubai and further afield.
Like everywhere else, when the pandemic struck, business slowed in the region. However, Steph was impressed with how the government handled things. “We we’re strictly locked down,” she said. “You even needed a letter to be allowed to go to the supermarket! But it paid off in the end because we seem to have controlled the virus a lot better than other countries.”
Does this mean the UAE is fertile ground for new private staffing opportunities in 2021?
“Certainly there are opportunities. However, new starters are still required to quarantine for two weeks before starting, and many of my clients are requesting that candidates are already based in the UAE for safety reasons. But stay hopeful! Things look like they’ll start improving from late Spring onwards.”
Michael, our Middle East specialist
Michael has an interesting role with us here at Silver Swan. Rather than dealing with many clients, he runs a small team handling a few very large accounts in the Middle East.
For Michael, it was travel restrictions that affected his market most last year. “We suddenly found ourselves with candidates hired but stuck waiting to travel. A number of these then dropped out, leading to a high attrition rate. It was a lot of hard work to counteract that.”
But it paid off. Michael and his team ended up placing roughly the same number of candidates in 2020 as the year before – a huge achievement considering the circumstances.
And there’s good news for candidates. “Although our clients are currently happy with the staff we’ve provided, our focus in 2021 is building up a strong portfolio of candidates for when new staff are needed.”
Watch the new episode now
That was just a brief summary of our discussion. Don’t miss the full show for all the details.
We’re really excited for how season 2 of the Life in Private Staffing podcast is shaping up and we look forward to having you along for the ride!
Check out episode 1 of season 2 today – and don’t forget to subscribe!
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