History and Philosophy

About the BUTLER BUREAU Recruitment Agency

Clients make use of our exclusive services

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because their time is valuable to them and they use it for other pursuits in life

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because they appreciate delegating tasks to experts

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because they wish to surround themselves with luxury and high quality.

History

Mag. Claudia Schlegel founded the company in Vienna back in 2010, initially under the name “Missperfect”. This evolved into “Butler Bureau”. From her own experience, Claudia Schlegel knows that quality in domestic work requires proper training. For this reason, she initiated what has become the only training opportunity for exclusive household management in the entire German-speaking area.

Due to high client demand, the range of services was expanded from 2014 onwards. Today, Butler Bureau sources top staff internationally and has created an attractive, modern professional profile with its unique butler training program.

Clients from Switzerland, Germany, Monaco, Liechtenstein, France, the United Kingdom, South Africa, and the USA now rely on our excellent service and prompt assistance. Currently, a pool of around 3,000 qualified candidates can be accessed. Even when urgent solutions are needed – whether a domestic couple is required in Ibiza, a nanny is to start duties in Frankfurt the very next day, or a butler is needed for a yacht voyage – we are there for our clients: entirely in keeping with the tradition of Austrian service excellence: for higher quality in domestic work, greater satisfaction among employers, and increased enthusiasm among employees.

Philosophy

With our exclusive services, we find the best candidate on the market for you – as quickly as possible. But that is not all. Our goal is to find suitable support that remains with you over the long term. Because that is also what our candidates desire. They are seeking a position for life where they feel comfortable, respected, and appreciated. Then, they are prepared to do everything to the employer's utmost satisfaction.

From all applicants and candidates, we select suitable individuals for the respective position based on submitted documents, telephone interviews, and personal meetings. Using a proven and standardized questioning technique, we evaluate candidates on key criteria and experience, discuss the position in detail, and check references upon request.

As a client, you receive a pre-selection of individuals who best match your requirements profile. However, do not be surprised if, in many cases, there is only one candidate who meets all the requirements.

However, we can only adapt to the market and cannot create a perfect, ideal individual. It is your responsibility as an employer to bring out the best in your employee. We are happy to support you with training and work planning. Should things not work out with a candidate at all, we will initiate a replacement search within two months of hiring.

How long has BUTLER BUREAU existed, and how did the idea come about?

The school was founded in 2010 out of a need that I identified through personal experience. There was no training for private household management in Austria. Only BUTLER BUREAU offers the opportunity in the German-speaking area to acquire in-depth knowledge of exclusive household management. This is now also available through our Online Academy for anyone unable to attend the course in Vienna.

Due to the ongoing demand from employers for qualified domestic staff, the personnel consultancy was founded and expanded to include training for house managers and butlers. The advantage for employers lies in ensuring a professional standard of knowledge across professions related to household management. Consequently, new staff can adapt quickly to the individual needs of a household.

How large is the job market for exclusive domestic staff – how many graduates find a job, and where?

In Austria, there are around 3,000 full-time employees in private households. This includes housekeepers, private chefs, private chauffeurs, nannies, and butlers. The number of butlers is increasing, as the butler in the 21st century is becoming more of a house manager, increasingly relieving employers of organizational burdens, arranging invitations, coordinating domestic staff, making travel preparations, but also – depending on the number of staff – preparing breakfast or meals, tidying up, serving, and chauffeuring. The more versatile the participants are, the greater the prospect of an interesting position domestically or abroad. The trend is rising.

Internationally, there is an even greater demand. Butlers and top housekeepers are a sought-after professional group, especially when they are well trained. As the only butler school in Austria, we TRAIN and ADVISE in the search for housekeepers and butlers and provide the appropriate skills.

What must a candidate bring to the table, what does the training teach, and what ultimately distinguishes good household staff?

Almost everything can be learned, yet butlers and domestic staff should bring very special qualities to the job. These include a well-groomed and polite demeanor, a sense of responsibility, discretion, and diligence. A butler must master social situations perfectly and be able to adapt completely to their employer. High social competence is important, as are a sense of order and resilience. Restraint and the joy of caring for the well-being of the employers are enormously important. Anyone who can cook, holds a driver's license, and has good German and English skills also has an advantage. Ultimately, household staff must also be as flexible as possible in terms of time.

Contact Us

Are you looking for qualified domestic staff or interested in our training programs? We will gladly advise you personally.