How the search works, from the first conversation to the first day.
Before the search
Tell us about the household and the role
We will help determine the right role, responsibilities, schedule, compensation, and experience required.
Hiring household staff for the first time? We explain the process, what to prepare before interviews, how screening works, and what to expect when the new hire starts.
The first step is a conversation.
Shape the role
We shape the role with you
You know your household. We know the market. Together, we shape the role: responsibilities, reporting line, schedule, compensation, travel, start date, and any live-in or live-out arrangement. Once approved, the brief becomes the basis of the search.
Before interviews, candidates receive the approved brief, without the household’s identity, and know what is still being decided.
Engagement terms
Fees and commitments
Fees
From $12,00020% of projected first-year gross compensation
A $500 engagement fee is due when the engagement agreement is signed and before the search begins. It is non-refundable and credited in full toward the placement fee.
The placement fee is earned when the professional accepts the offer and is payable before their first day. If the professional withdraws before starting, Ellery will resume the search without an additional fee. Any placement fee already paid will be applied to the eventual hire. Retained, multi-residence, and unusually complex searches are quoted separately.
Replacement Commitment
90Days · one replacement search
If employment ends within the first 90 days, Ellery will conduct one replacement search without an additional placement fee. This applies when the role and its terms remain substantially unchanged and the household has met its obligations.
The full terms are confirmed in the engagement agreement before the search begins.
Fees are paid by the household. Professionals never pay Ellery to apply, interview, be represented, or be placed.
The search
From search to start
01
Search
We search through referrals, existing relationships, professional networks, and direct outreach.
02
Verify
We confirm identity and check employment history and professional references at the source. Additional screening depends on the role and jurisdiction. How Ellery verifies →
03
Meet candidates
Amanda Safra approves every introduction. The candidates you meet have been interviewed and have completed the agreed verification. Interviews are arranged around the household’s schedule and privacy. Any working trial is paid by the household and agreed in advance.
04
Hire & support
We help confirm the start date. Active clients can reach Ellery Care 24/7, by phone or message, throughout the search and the early weeks of a placement.
Confidentiality
How your household is described during the search
Ellery does not publish client names and does not use a search to promote the firm. During the search, the household is described by what the role requires: the location, the shape of the home, the schedule, and the responsibilities. Not by who lives there.
Candidates learn which household it is only when an introduction is agreed, and only what they need to prepare for the interview. Reference and screening information is handled in confidence and shared only with the people involved in the decision.
Where a household requires a confidentiality agreement before introductions, it is arranged as part of the brief.
A household that hires directly becomes an employer, with payroll, tax, and insurance obligations that vary by state.
If helpful, Ellery can introduce the household to independent providers and help coordinate the handoff.
These services are provided separately by third parties. The household remains the employer and is responsible for selecting its providers and meeting its legal, tax, payroll, and insurance obligations.
Payroll & withholding
Introductions to providers that support wage payments, records, and tax withholding.
Workers’ compensation
Help identifying independent providers for coverage appropriate to household employment.
Household employment insurance
Introductions to providers of household employment coverage, matched to the role and jurisdiction.
Our Commitment
The Ellery Standard
We say what we know, what we have verified, and what remains open. We do not make an introduction simply to fill a shortlist.
Start a household search
Tell us about the role. We will explain the next step.
