About us

Bespoke Recruitment for Luxury Propertiesworldwide

As a Domestic Staffing Agency, we’re the architects of creating exceptional experiences for both clients and candidates. We pride ourselves on sourcing the very best candidates to ensure that the world’s most successful properties and yachts are staffed to 7* standards.
Domestic Staffing is a unique and exciting industry and Silver Swan is here to provide connections and support that are essential to advance your home or career.

Our Story

Silver Swan Recruitment was launched in 2013 by Philippa Smith.

Whilst working in HR for a prestigious luxury ski tour operator, Philippa noticed the formidable challenge of attracting and retaining top-tier hospitality professionals to work within opulent chalets throughout the ski seasons. Surprisingly, there seemed to be a huge absence of any specialised staffing agency which catered to this niche at the time, and so, in 2013, Philippa took the plunge and decided to fill the gap herself by establishing Silver Swan Recruitment.

It didn’t take long before requests for personnel began to encompass permanent residences, yachts, and jets across the globe, turning Silver Swan into the agency it is today. With a growing team, and an even faster-growing client base, it was clear that our London HQ was slightly too limiting for the global outreach that was developing so we expanded our footprint and established branches in both Dubai, UAE, and Miami, Florida.

Ever since its establishment over ten years ago, Silver Swan has been dedicated to simplifying the process of hiring domestic professionals for discerning clients, presenting passionate individuals with unique backgrounds that reach beyond the conventional.

Our tell-tale stamp on the industry is the personal relationships we’ve fostered with our clients and candidates as we manage the entire candidate selection process from sourcing to offer acceptance.

OUR VALUES

Community

We’re constantly on the lookout for ways to give back to the industry, and thrive on building an accessible community that spans across the Silver Swan team, our clients, and our candidates

DYNAMIC

We’re ever-evolving, open to new ideas, and strive to embrace everyone who’s interested in learning more about private staffing.

TAILORED

We’re not a one-size-fits-all agency, and we understand that every case is different. We take the time to get to know our clients and candidates individually, ensuring a bespoke and efficient service every time.

relaxed

We’re a fun and friendly team that works in a relaxed and enjoyable environment, allowing us to take on the stresses of hiring private staff so you don’t have to.

committed

We’re committed to providing an honest, tailored and dedicated service to our clients.

Meet the team

Allow us to introduce ourselves…

CAREERS AT SILVER SWAN

JOIN OUR team

At Silver Swan, we like to do things differently.

We believe that injecting some fun and relaxation into our work environment ensures that everyone is motivated to work to the best of their ability, whilst creating strong and lasting supportive relationships.

Do you enjoy helping others whilst obliterating ‘that Sunday feeling’? Silver Swan might be the perfect company for you.

Silver Swan communities

We’ve created vibrant communities for estate managers, house managers, and personal assistants around the globe. Our communities are currently thriving in London, Europe, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Florida, Los Angeles and San Francisco, with many more in the pipeline.
Our communities are completely free of charge. Hosted on WhatsApp, they provide a friendly and welcoming environment to offer support and advice to each other, while having access to a hugely valuable hub of information for your ‘black book’.

Life in Private Staffing podcast

Do you know what it takes to be successful working on yachts, private jets, palaces, private households and chalets? Join Philippa and guests discussing all things private staffing, a regular and long-standing podcast aimed to educate and inspire.

From cheffing for celebrities to working for royalty or becoming a private swimming tutor – this podcast dives into the compelling world of private staffing, with entrancing experiences and fascinating career opportunities.

Latest update from our team

The Perils of DIY Hiring: Why Should You Use a Recruitment Agency?

Let's chat about one of the biggest conundrums in the hiring world: the age-old debate between DIY hiring and recruiting through a professional agency. While we often...

A Guide to Obtaining the Right to Work in the UK

So, you've been eyeing that dream job in the UK, but the nagging question remains: do you have the right to work there? Navigating the intricacies of UK immigration law...

The Ultimate Power Couple: The World of Domestic Couple Jobs

Are you and your significant other the dynamic duo that everyone envies? Do you often find yourselves seamlessly working together to tackle household chores and...

Hiring Household Staff: 5 Reasons Why You Should be Using a Private Staffing Agency

Ah, the joy of hiring household staff! A home that runs like a well-oiled machine is a dream, isn’t it? But let’s be honest, finding the right individuals to manage...

The Art of Saying ‘No’: Why Top Recruiters Do It

In the fast-paced world of private staff recruitment, there's an unspoken art to saying 'no'. Yes, you read that right! While most people associate recruiters with the...

The Cover Letter: Friend or Foe?

So, you've found the private staffing job of your dreams, and it's ready and waiting for someone with your expertise and experience. But how do you hack your way...

Across the Pond: US Communities Tour Round Up.

We’re back with an exciting update from the other side of the Atlantic. Our dynamic trio, Philippa, Chris, and Jess, recently embarked on an incredible journey...
Notebook with title 'The Dream Team' written on it; Maintaining Staff Satisfaction

Maintaining the Dream Team: Tips for Long-Term Success with your Staff.

Ah, the joys of a perfectly staffed private household. Your Housekeeper creates a space worthy of the front-cover of ‘Architectural Digest’, your Chef whips up culinary...
Flowers on a table to represent Housekeeping roles at Silver Swan Recruitment

How do we reference-check our candidates?

Earlier this year we partnered with Referoo, the industry-leading reference-checking platform to reference candidates that undeniably improves our process. We...

UK Private Households Salary Insights 2023

Hiring domestic staff is an excellent way to help manage your property but it’s important that you are compensating your staff fairly.