Our Best Advice

JOB DESCRIPTION – Top Jobs

Wednesday, June 8th, 2011 | Our Best Advice | Comments Off

June 8, 2011. Job Descriptions always have a gray area since there is no way to fully know what’s entailed until you’re on the job. For instance, we place Butlers who work full time in that job description, who suddenly find themselves doubling up as occasional Cooks, but it wasn’t in the initial Job Order. Or a PA or Estate Manager who provides an occasional meal, or prepares them when the Chef is off. Job Descriptions are diverse, they’re tailored to each client as they wish. TIP: be truly flexible and open, don’t just say you are.

We’re famous for anticipating ahead our clients needs. We recommend an Applicant interview the job to see if there is chemistry and fit between the Employer and Employee, regardless of whether all the details are known. Work that a candidate doesn’t normally do, but has the skills to preform, can be fun. You won’t know until it’s undertaken, and your approach or powers of negotiation of how things will be accomplished is key. An attitude of enthusiasm that begins every day, and needing to be tuff but also open and play-full. I’m amusingly reminded of Corning Gorilla tuff glass campaign (wallpaper of this adorable primate here). See our SITEMAP for great TIPS, and share Our Best Advice. Below are some great summer TIPS.

We placed an Estate Manager Top Job. The Employee had beyond expert skills and experience. However, the client felt uncomfortable during the trial period (which we provide for free). It turned out the employee’s overzealous enthusiasm to straighten everything out “wrong”, was undertaken on fast track. By attempting to immediately take over the scope of the work all at once, it also resulted in taking away the clients control over their own preferences. The person was let go. The Client simply didn’t wish to wait for the employee to figure them out. Employers want employees to anticipate their needs. The employee lost a job despite their top skills, expertise, top references, and having one of the best resumes in the country.

In this instance it wasn’t so bad because the candidate will find another job, their skills are unquestionably prime for Luxury Estate Jobs, and they learned their lesson.  Of course, it could also be said the client failed to communicate their needs to the employee to slow things down, and things were lost in translation. Communication requires conscious approach by at least one party, not just the ‘right words’ or intentions. Don’t expect the boss to have it, or their representatives, or the person who supervises your work. TIP – No matter how good you are at your work, practice deepening your communication skills as part of continuing learning education. Don’t take it for granted.

Combinations of multiple skills can overlap with staff to take over some of their tasks on days off. This is important when a client has several homes and travels between them. Like a PA who’s able to double up as a Nanny when nannies rest. TIP – Nobody can work straight through a trip, regardless of how committed they are to the job. We encourage clients to have enough people on hand for rotating rest periods. Mistakes happen when people are jet lagged, that could be dangerous for childcare safety. Things need to flow easily and expertly, not geered to scramble in chaos, as many homes are adducted to today. A graceful life is part of having our serenity, your home should run beautifully.

There are Houseman-Butler positions that may require animal care, such as dog walking and grooming as a specialty added skill of the job. We’ve often suggested to clients to be willing to pay for an employee to learn specialty skills, rather then replace a member of their staff they’re happy with. Recently we placed a housekeeper with a new client who had to take care of an extensive group of animals the clients adore. The housekeeper absolutely loves (loves!) animals. It turned out great for both parties, and ended a revolving door. You might be a Chef who doubles up as a Butler to serve the meals, but you don’t like to serve.  Have a kitchen assistant to help with duties of preparing and cleaning up.  The Chef leaves immediately after dinner, and the kitchen maid continues her work to finish up. She comes in later the following day.

The art of staffing is an Art of expertise, not just about filling job descriptions. We’re proud to say that ISA staffing is famous for our expertise to make our clients home run not just smoothly, but optimally. JOBS are as unique as our clients. If you have top expert skills and experience with top references contact our domestic help agency to find your dream Job. Our clients pay Top Salaries for the best domestic help workers. We’re famous as the best household help agency in the field. If you’re an Employer whose home is not run like a five star hotel, we’re famous as the best help agency to see you get that. We have the longest history as experts in luxury estate staffing.

Speaking of History, although we’ve had luxury food as part of our gastronomic scene for centuries, it’s well known by Chefs that not everyone has the same idea of what is luxury food. Tastes and times change. Ancient Egyptians are credited with introducing the world to foie gras, but today few homes serve it, as meals have become oriented towards health and fitness. Yet many clients in the past loved it and insisted it be on the menu, believed that having fat in our diets was quite healthy. Romans cultivated oysters as early as 100BC, today they’re not promoted as a healthy food. Although caviar first appeared around 1590 in England, sturgeon has been part of the culinary scene in the Middle East and Eastern European diet since pre-historic times. Tastes change but some remain classics. Try some of the classics out and see. I recently viewed videos of someone who’s considered to be one of the top nutrition experts in the world. He works with doctors and clients internationally. It was puzzling to see how dried out his skin was and how wrinkled the face with premature aging. How people can be so disconnected by what they promote, from the results on themselves, is beyond me.

I love vegan raw food (but I’m not a vegan), which is being promoted as an ‘ancient diet’. This is a myth.  Man has always consumed animal protein. The Native American Indian’s invented Beef Jerky to take on long horse trips and plains Indians used it to survive weather conditions while moving from one location to another. Not a good idea to cultivate a diet so extreme it’s no longer flexible and adaptable to conditions at hand, mother nature likes freedom and variability. I own up to trying different diets to experiment, and love the flexibility to try all of them as my body changes. Recently, a young lady in her twenties I mentor decided to go on a high protein diet and give up her vegan way. Natalie Portman gave up being vegan once she was pregnant, though she’s passionate about it. Be flexible. Similarly, a TOP JOB must cater to work for the needs at hand. Take a TIP from ancient times as to what luxuries are preferred. Don’t become  too attached to trends and fashion, the old ways can still work.

Our Best Advice has been brought to you by www.ISAstaffing.com a specialty agency in the domestic help field. Visit often for other great ideas, and browse Domestic Staffing Services to see Job Descriptions.

Serving Los Angeles, West Hollywood, Hollywood, Hollywood Hills. Beverly Hills, Brentwood, Bel Air, Benedict Canyon, Hancock Park, Laurel Canyon, Los Feliz, Marina Del Rey, Malibu, Pacific Palisades, Melrose. Santa Monica, Sherman Oaks, Studio City, Encino, Woodland Hills, Topanga Canyon, Torrance, Westwood, West Los Angeles, Santa Monica Hollywood Hills, Pasadena, San Mareno, Santa Barbara, Orange County, Ventura County, California, New York, &  the greater United States…

Tags: Bel Air, BEVERLY HILLS, Bodyguards, Brentwood, Butlers, CHEFS, Cook-Houseman-Butler, Cooks, Domestic Help, domestic help agency, Estate Manager, estate staffing, gourmet food, Help, Hollywood Hills, household help, Household Staffing, Household Work, Housekeeper-Laundress, housekeeper-nannies, housekeepers, Houseman-Cooks, Housemen, job order, Jobs, Kitchen Maid, Luxury Estates, Luxury Foods, Maids, Malibu, Nannies, nanny, PA, Pacific Palisades, Personal Assistant Jobs, Personal Assistants, Santa Monica, Security, TIPS, top jobs, Top References, Top Salaries

SPECIALTY CUISINE AND FOOD SAFETY

Wednesday, September 15th, 2010 | Our Best Advice | Comments Off

Our clients who hire Chefs and other staff from us are food connoisseurs, vegetarians and vegans, or have other restricted dietary needs. We love helping them with our renowned staffing referrals. Many households today require that only organically grown food be purchased. It’s also important to know that Salmonella poisoning affects the elderly, pregnant women, and children the hardest (as being life threatening).

Some Chefs take no chances, they strictly follow government regulations buying only pasteurized eggs, yet there are differing opinions on whether that’s actually safest or healthy to eat. According to American Egg Board comments, there have been warnings of a small chance against consuming raw or lightly cooked eggs that may be contaminated with Salmonella. Note the words small chance (the ratio is 1 in 8000 eggs). So our first TIP today: Buy Local Eggs from your outdoor farmers markets, their production averages 100 eggs or less a day (per vender), and kids love an outing if you’re a Employee who does the household shopping too. Apply for domestic help work here.

Take another TIP from Chefs purchasing from outdoor markets/small family farms/coops, you can set up relationships with venders and call your order in ahead. Big Agra Farms promote pasteurization and irradiation as being “safer” in lieu of providing humane and clean growing conditions. That’s untrue, it actually devitalizes our food according to clinical studies, so boycott big agra products to get our message consumers won’t tolerate it. Consumer choice is under attack with both conservatives and liberals fighting the Obama administration’s new agricultural and food policies. Regardless of what your political leanings, this is an issue all parties can agree is unconstitutional that strikes at the very heart of our freedom.

At ISA we’re for good old fashioned common sense as our first go to tech. The national egg recall of more than half a billion eggs from two giant Big Agra growers brought attention to 1,500 cases of salmonella poisoning (Salmonellosis). TIP: The older the eggs the thinner the shells, which may provide the perfect environment for salmonella contamination to set in — so only buy the freshest eggs, as our grandmothers knew. My grandmother lived to be 96 years young. She passed away naturally and beautifully, without taking any medication. Some of my best food TIPS come from her and my father. Rarely did they go to doctors preferring to treat themselves with all but forgotten knowledge known as sophisticated folk medicine. It’s my opinion we each have to challenge doctrine sold to us as “true”. Ask yourself if it really is or is someone invested in you believing that, you’re the best most unique authority in your life.

You can also find hormone free eggs at our oldest Los Angeles Farmers Market, a favorite of both locals and tourists (see video). See more on Locavores buying in our previous TIPS. And learn about an interesting specialty food Araucuna Eggs Online and the rare chickens who lay green eggs. Located in Santa Monica and a Chefs favorite, The Wednesday Market runs out of green eggs quickly, so make sure to get there early or order ahead as Chef’s who favor them do. Another local outlet carrying family farms specialty foods is Coopertunity, also a members only Santa Monica coop. Needless to say, our golden California weather provides us with amazing open air market selections in every neighborhood, so check your local listings.

OK, so where does that leave us in the debate? Well, aside from my preference for flavorful green eggs (that have been around since the 16th century, and I must have loved them at least since then), I’m also reminded of Two Eggs Florida, where “We have no city government, no city taxes, no city services and no city attitudes”, as they tell it, and where they have a forlorn ghost around Bellamy Bridge, if you ever road trip through there… But I digress (because there is so much interesting stuff to know!)

Seriously, the egg food scare made everyone nervous, but we need to deal with this together and not give in to  unlawful government legislation and fear mongering.  I love raw egg products and have been eating them for years (consumed in Europe without any debate) preferring my meals gourmet prepared for style and health combined. It’s been extensively shown that eating raw food as Mother Nature creates will cure most maladies. Chefs are incorporating raw meals for Employers at their request as a popular food trend. There is absolutely no law that could deny anyone a Right To Choose food.

The Amish grow/trade/sell organically grown foods among themselves since the formation of our country founded upon rights constitutional law guarantees. Because of their strict adherence to their dietary and medical beliefs, they have some of the lowest childhood illness rates, and almost no autism cases in their community (you can confirm this research online). Thomas Jefferson warned that when government controls your food rights, the end of freedom is near.

Our client Ariana Huffington has a new book entitled Third World America (currently doing her book tour), a title we could all weep over. We don’t discuss our clients and their public activities because of confidentiality we voluntarily maintain on their behalf, but this is public knowledge and we’re currently facing a situation many are confused over. It’s not an issue of right or left, rather, this is one of the most ignorant regressions in History.

A great example of how to peacefully deal with it was creatively demonstrated by a freedom advocate from Pasadena, known as the Peace Pilgrim. She was a courageous heart-full peace warrior born in Egg Harbor City (no, I’m not making it up). As Peace Pilgrim put it so beautifully:

Peace Pilgrim walking for peace in Hawaii in the 1980's

“In order for the world to become peaceful, people must become more peaceful. Among mature people war would not be a problem – it would be impossible. In their immaturity people want, at the same time, peace and the things which make war. However, people can mature just as children grow up. Yes, our institutions and our leaders reflect our immaturity, but as we mature we will elect better leaders and set up better institutions. It always comes back to the thing so many of us wish to avoid: working to improve ourselves.” — Mildred Lisette Norman – aka: Peace Pilgrim

So whether you’re Vegetarian, Vegan, or All Food Foodie, support our local family farmers and outdoor markets passionately! Don’t be frightened, get informed, involved, and proactive. Maintain food safety and preserve our right to retain our constitutional freedom of Right To Choose. Send Our Best Advice for others to learn our TIPS. Thanks!

Our Best Advice has been brought to you by www.ISAstaffing.com.Visit often for other great ideas, use our Tell A Friend featured link to this blog, and our Domestic Staffing website to pass our TIPS and renowned services. THANKS!

Serving Los Angeles, West Hollywood, Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Brentwood, Bel Air, Benedict Canyon, Torrance, Hancock Park, Laurel Canyon, Los Feliz, Marina Del Rey, Malibu, Pacific Palisades, Melrose. Santa Monica, Sherman Oaks, Studio City, Encino, Woodland Hills, Topanga Canyon, Westwood, Hollywood Hills, Pasadena, San Mareno, Santa Barbara, Orange County, Ventura County, California, New York, & the greater United States…

Tags: Araucuna Chickens, Araucuna Eggs, Arianna Huffington, Brentwood, CHEFS, Chefs Favorites, Coopertunity, Domestic Help Work, Farm Fresh Eggs, Farmers Market, Food Safety, Food Trends, gourmet food, green eggs, healthy food, Household Chefs, local organic food, LOCAVORE, Los Angeles Farmers Market, Malibu, Nanny-Housekeepers, Outdoor Farmers Markets, raw food, Right To Choose, Santa Monica California, Santa Monica coops, Specialty Cuisine, The Wednesday Market, Third World America, West Los Angeles