A wrong hire in an HNW or UHNW household can be costly, creating operational disruption, reputational damage and unnecessary exposure through everyday routines, as well as wasting payroll.
DIOGENE Recruiting Intelligence mitigates these risks by replacing ‘fast shortlists’ with an evidence-based evaluation process involving controlled disclosure and decision-grade documentation.
A poor hire does not usually become apparent on day one; rather, it becomes evident through minor issues that build up over time, such as missed standards, unclear boundaries, and decision fatigue for Principals and stakeholders.
In private households, the downside is amplified because the role involves close proximity to privacy, schedules, residences, children and high-trust environments.
Cost Isn’t Just Money
Recruitment fees and replacement costs are only the visible layer.
The deeper cost lies in the time taken from Principals, Chiefs of Staff or Family Office representatives when the household stops running smoothly.
This is why seemingly impressive candidates can become expensive if the hiring process is not thorough enough.
Disruption and Reputational Spillover
A mismatch can have a ripple effect: vendors receive mixed signals, existing Domestic Staff lose confidence in standards and peers notice instability through small social cues, such as last-minute changes, inconsistent service and Household Staff turnover.
In High-Net-Worth (HNW) and Ultra-High-Net-Worth (UHNW) contexts, the household forms part of the Principal’s Brand ecosystem, meaning that instability can result in reputational damage even if nobody has done anything wrong.
Security Exposure Through Ordinary Routines
Most exposure does not come from dramatic events, but from daily patterns: what is shared, who has access, how instructions flow and whether ‘need-to-know’ is consistently practised.
Adopting a privacy-first approach strengthens this by applying data minimisation, i.e. collecting and sharing only what is necessary for a defined purpose.
This reduces the unnecessary circulation of sensitive personal information during the hiring and onboarding processes.
Why Fast Shortlists Fail (and What Works Instead)
‘Fast’ often means forwarding CVs with minimal role calibration, inconsistent interviews and limited documentation, so decision-makers end up debating impressions rather than evidence.
DIOGENE reduces the risk of failure (without making excessive claims) by standardising the stages that most commonly lead to regret, such as role calibration, structured behavioural interviews, consent-led verification (‘reputation signals‘), reference triangulation, trial design and 30/60/90-day onboarding check-ins, all of which are supported by decision-grade candidate packs.
How to start (Intake)
To begin, request a confidential intake via:
https://domesticstaff.thexerendipity.com/clients/client-contact-form/
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Francesco De Biase
STAY SAFE | RECRUIT SAFE
Contattami per Parlare delle Tue Necessità
Francesco De Biase – C.E.O.
Uff. (+39) 02 80888425
STAY SAFE | RECRUIT SAFE
Contattami per Parlare delle Tue Necessità
Francesco De Biase – C.E.O.
Email: [email protected]