Featuring Alison Ganko, Owner of My Household Managed
Alison’s journey from nanny to household manager and recruiter is rooted in her passion for advocating for the rights and well-being of domestic staff.
Through her experiences working closely with high-profile families and private service professionals, she quickly identified a gap in education and awareness around employee rights, management, and contract negotiation. This realization led her to create My Household Managed, a boutique agency that connects distinguished professionals with families in need of exceptional household support.
With a deep commitment to fostering trust and professionalism, Alison’s agency has become a trusted resource in Chicago, Palm Beach, and Miami for seamless staffing solutions that go above and beyond client expectations.
What was your first job?
During my high school years, I held the position of ‘Guest Service Associate’ at a local water park. This title, which sounds rather formal, essentially meant I was responsible for letting guests into the facility and guiding visitors on when it was safe to slide down the water slides.
What inspired you to start your business?
My background in HR and recruitment, combined with my passion for working as a private service professional, and a desire to one day start my own business, led me to a revelation that took several years to discover. Working closely with families, I recognized a significant need for qualified house managers and housekeepers in Chicago, a need not met by traditional nanny agencies. This gap, coupled with the industry’s lack of both regulation and educational resources for household staff, sparked my vision. Chicago was in need of it’s own domestic staffing agency that could educate, inform, and take a personalized and consultative approach to provide both families and domestic staff with the quality of service they deserve during the placement process.
The discovery of Enginehire’s platform was pivotal; its sleek, efficient system inspired the foundation of my agency. Today, it’s at the heart of our operation, ensuring we deliver top-tier matching services for families and domestic professionals.
My Household Managed’s mission is to not only place the highest quality employees, but to close the information gap for families and household staff during the job placement process and beyond. We believe that employee happiness and job satisfaction will ensure career longevity in order to best benefit
What are the core values that guides you?
Our core values as a business are:
- Authenticity, Integrity – We are committed to transparency in our process and our communications and we will never make a promise that goes undelivered.
- Attention To Detail – We gather as much information as possible and when we make a decision we are confident it is the right choice.
- Respect, Gratitude – We treat all of our candidates, clients, and vendors with the same graciousness we would expect to receive in return.
- Never Stop Improving – We welcome new challenges. We understand that the opportunities to learn are endless and we value all new information and experiences that allow us to grow.
What makes your company a standout and why do people want to work with you?
We help busy families and high net worth individuals hire exceptional domestic staff for long-term positions in private homes.
Having worked as private service professionals ourselves, we are very familiar with what it is like to be a candidate in a domestic job search and the level of professionalism high profile families require.
My Household Managed believes in a personalized and consultative approach to domestic staffing in order to help our clients experience their desired lifestyle and to connect our candidates to high quality job opportunities that are aligned with their skillset. At MHM we provide our clients with privacy and peace of mind in knowing that they will be connected with the right domestic staff that will allow them to achieve ease and simplicity at home. We get to know our candidates as individuals and match them with opportunities according to their unique personality and skill set.
Finally, we ensure each position we post is a high quality job opportunity. In order to work with our agency families are required to offer legal and competitive pay, industry standard benefits, guaranteed hours, and overtime pay.
What makes a client or candidate to work with?
Our ideal clients recognize domestic work as a professional career deserving of fair compensation, respect, and adherence to labor laws. We value open and respectful communication.
As for candidates, we look for professionalism displayed through detailed resumes that trace their experience in household employment, supported by stellar references. We appreciate those who bring flexibility, a proactive approach, and the ambition to advance in their careers, balanced with a willingness to grow and improve.
What is your specialty?
Our niche is catering to Chicago’s domestic staffing needs, especially when it comes to filling house manager roles. We excel at securing the perfect match for even the most challenging positions, ensuring that every placement is a unique fit.
What do you wish people knew about the domestic staffing industry?
Clients – In our quest to find the ideal match for each family, we diligently seek out both active and passive candidates. Our goal is to streamline and enhance this matchmaking process for our clients. It’s crucial for families to remain adaptable, especially if the perfect candidate isn’t immediately apparent. Sometimes, attracting the right talent requires revising the job description or adjusting expectations, potentially through offering a higher salary or additional benefits. This is particularly true for roles that are specialized, part-time, or involve weekends and late nights.
Candidates – We recognize your aspirations for a competitive salary and benefits. As an agency, we strive to match candidates with high-quality, market-aligned job opportunities. It’s important, however, to maintain realistic salary expectations. Understand that roles often offer growth potential through raises, bonuses, or promotions. Overestimating salary expectations can limit your opportunities, placing you in competition with more qualified candidates. Aim for a balance that reflects your qualifications and the market standards, ensuring you are a competitive, yet realistic applicant.x
What is the single greatest achievement you’ve made in your career?
We were a recent recipient of the 2023 “Most Innovative Agency” nationwide award by GTM Payroll. This is such an honor, as we work so hard to strive for excellence and improvement each day in every aspect of our business.
If you asked me this question years ago, I would have said “the creation of a successful domestic staffing agency”. Later, I would have said, “the opportunity to work with some of the top celebrities, high profile families, and billionaires in Chicago”.
It is hard to imagine a single greatest achievement, as I believe that it is the little wins you make each day that bring you closer to greatness. I believe that there will never be one single greatest achievement to look back on, only evolution and change. As soon as we achieve one milestone, we set our sights even higher.
How do you envision the future of your business?
As we observe growing interest from various cities, our vision includes expanding our services beyond Chicago. We’re also committed to enriching our offerings by providing comprehensive resources and tools for both clients and candidates. This encompasses not just streamlining the hiring process, but also educating on industry best practices and effective communication strategies for successful employment relationships. Our future is shaped by this dual approach of expansion and enhancement, ensuring we stay at the forefront of the domestic staffing industry.
Are you working on any exciting projects?
In collaboration with our marketing expert, we’re enhancing our Employer Success Guide, infusing it with additional insights to support our clients as they transition into their roles as employers. This revamped guide aims to ensure post-placement success, offering valuable resources for effective management and a seamless employment experience.
What is the best advice that you would share with a budding entrepreneur?
The best time to start is now, and make sure you go all in. I see too many people fearing failure and it severely limits their growth.
