History & Philosophy

About the BUTLER BUREAU recruitment agency

Customers take advantage of our exclusive services

because their time is valuable to them and they use it for other tasks in life
because they appreciate handing over tasks to experts
because they want to surround themselves with luxury and high quality.

Story

Claudia Schlegel founded the company in Vienna in 2010, initially under the name "Missperfect". From this the "Butler Bureau" developed. Claudia Schlegel knows from her own experience that quality in housework requires good training. That is why she initiated what is now the only training opportunity for exclusive household management in the entire German-speaking area.

Due to the large number of customer inquiries, the range of services expanded in 2014. Today the Butler Bureau provides top international personnel and created an attractive, modern professional profile with the unique butler training.

Customers from Switzerland, Germany, Monaco, Liechtenstein, France, Great Britain, South Africa and the USA trust our excellent service and rapid support. We currently have access to a pool of around 700 qualified candidates. Even if things have to go quickly and a housekeeper couple is needed on Ibiza, a nanny, who has to start work the next day in Frankfurt or a butler is needed for a trip by yacht, we are there for our customers: in the traditional sense Austrian service: for more quality in housework, more satisfaction with employers and more enthusiasm on the part of employees.

philosophy

With our exclusive services, we will find the best candidate on the market for you - as quickly as possible. But not only that. Our goal is to find suitable support that will stay with you in the long term. Because that's what our candidates want too. They want a position in life where they feel comfortable, are respected and valued. Then they are ready to do everything to the full satisfaction of the employer.

We select suitable candidates for the respective position from all the applicants and candidates on the basis of the documents, telephone calls and personal meetings. Using a proven and standardized questioning technique, we check the candidates for essential criteria and experience, discuss the position in detail and check references if requested.

As the client, you will receive a pre-selection of people who best suit your requirements. But don't be surprised, in many cases it's just one candidate who meets all the requirements.

However, we can only orient ourselves to the market and not create a perfect ideal person. It is your job as an employer to get the best out of your employees. We are happy to support you with training and work planning. If it doesn't work at all with a candidate, we will start a search within two months of being hired.

How long has BUTLER BUREAU been around, how did the idea come about?

The school was founded in 2010 out of a need that I recognized through personal experience. There was no training in private household management in Austria. Only BUTLER BUREAU offers the opportunity to acquire well-founded knowledge for exclusive household management in German-speaking countries. This is now also possible via our online distance academy for all those who cannot attend the course in Vienna.

Due to the ongoing demand from employers for qualified domestic staff, the recruitment agency was founded and expanded to include training as a house manager or butler . The advantage for employers is that a professional level of knowledge in the professions relating to housekeeping is guaranteed. This means that new staff can quickly adapt to the individual needs of a household.

How big is the job market for exclusive domestic staff - how many graduates can find a job and where?

In Austria there are around 3,000 full-time employees in private households. This includes the housekeeper , private chef , private driver , nanny and butler . The number of butlers is increasing, as the butler is becoming more of a house manager in the 21st century and is increasingly keeping the employer's back free, organizing invitations, coordinating the domestic servants, making travel arrangements, but also - depending on the number of staff - preparing breakfast or food, tidied up, served and also chauffeured. The more diverse the participants, the greater the prospect of an interesting position at home or abroad. Ascending trend.

Internationally, there is an even greater need. Butlers and top housekeepers are a sought-after occupation, especially if they are well trained. As the only butler school in Austria we TRAIN and MEDIATE housekeepers and provide the appropriate skills.

What does a candidate have to bring with them, what does the training teach and what ultimately distinguishes good domestic staff?

You can learn almost anything, but butlers and housekeepers should have very special qualities for the job. This includes a well-groomed and polite demeanor, a sense of responsibility, discretion and care. A butler has to master social situations perfectly and be able to fully adapt to his employer. A high level of social competence is important, as is a sense of order and resilience. Reluctance and the joy of wanting to look after the employer's welfare are extremely important. Those who can cook, have a driver's license and have good German and English skills also have an advantage. After all, domestic staff must also be as free as possible in terms of time.