If you lead a busy life, then having a chauffeur can really make a big difference. Not only to your life but to your family’s too. If you ever stress about getting the children to school in time before your morning commute. If you want to use your travel time more efficiently. And want to make sure you always have a reliable professional there to safely transport you and your family – then a full time chauffeur might just be the answer.
So here is the complete guide on how to hire a full time chauffeur.
Why You Should Hire a Chauffeur
Having a chauffeur can make such a difference to your everyday life, and that of your family!
Knowing you have someone who can pick you up, drop you off, and schedule your journeys, makes a big difference in your day and journey time.
No longer will you have to worry about different members of the family coming or going safely. Knowing your chauffeur will take care of them. You don’t have to worry about doing the school run before work when your chauffeur can cover this. And you will be able to get so much work done in the car. On your way to appointments, and work too. A great chauffeur is such a good driver, that you will be able to have breakfast and a coffee at the back seat without anything spilling!
How to Hire a full time chauffeur
Firstly, establish how many hours of driving and chauffeuring duties you need. There are many different types of chauffeurs you can find. From full time employed to ad hoc and retainer contracts. Make sure you are clear on what driving and chauffeuring duties you need, when, and how consistent. Do you need someone consistently every week, every month? Or will there be busier times, and quiet times?
How to recruit
Secondly have a look at all the different ways you can find and hire a full time chauffeur. There are multiple ways to do this. From self-recruitment (gumtree, online job sites) through to a professional agency taking all the hard work away from you.
Tasks
Thirdly, think of all the tasks your chauffeur should be doing. This might be straight forward. But still, every chauffeur role can be extremely varied. Will your chauffeur just be driving you? Set routes, or anywhere you may need to go? Will they be driving children, pet? Are they doing the school run? Whatever it is you feel they should do, make sure you write it down. An agency could help you clarify whether those tasks you want them to do, are indeed suited and realistic, too.
Reference Checking
Fourthly, – and this is a crucial step – make sure you check the references of the applicants. Whether you are self-recruiting or working with a professional agency. Make sure you do your own background checks for complete peace of mind. Your chauffeur will play a big part in your life and will potentially withness a lot of private conversations. Especially if they also will be driving your children. So when it comes to references, they should be watertight.
Trial
Fifth and finally, after you have conducted interviews and have done reference checks. Make sure you trial the candidate. It can happen that someone is great on paper, from their CV. And perhaps even the job interview went really well. But when it comes to actually execute the skills, they might not be up for the job. To avoid this, and to know exactly who you are bringing into your home, and potentially your family. Make sure you give your new full time chauffeur a probationary trial period to ensure that you’ve found the right match.
Pay The Right Salary
Getting the salary right for your new full time chauffeur is crucial. Underpaying might sound financially interesting for a while. But it will cost you more in the long run. A chauffeur who is paid the right salary will be happier and more content. They would be much more willing to go the extra mile. As well as the fact that they would enjoy their work more! When a salary is not right, people might start looking for other jobs very quickly. Other roles, even temporary ones, could become more appealing. There is a risk that your chauffeur will not stay as loyal and will not be wanted to deliver their best work. So the right salary is key!
Salaries for chauffeurs can differ a lot. There are many different ways a chauffeur salary can be structured too. You can pay a full time salary, or perhaps have a retainer agreement. What can be an acceptable salary in one country might not even be minimum wage in another country. Also, depending on the skills your chauffeur has, the salary might be depending on that. If your chauffeur has any qualified specific skills or has lots of experience, expect to pay more.
The below is an indication of a salary for full time chauffeurs in the UK.
Entry level/Less experienced Chauffeur with 2-4 years experience.
- Expect a salary of £538 – £711 gross per week.
- Yearly salary range from £28,000 gross to £37,000 gross.
- For a day rate expect to pay between £110-140 gross per day (varies depending on if you require the Chauffeur to provide a vehicle or not)
Mid level/More experienced Chauffeur with 4-8 years experience.
- Expect a salary of £730 – £1057 gross per week.
- Yearly salary from £38,000 gross to £55,000 gross per year.
- For a day rate expect to pay between £146 – £211 gross per day (varies depending on if you require the Chauffeur to provide a vehicle or not)
High level/Very experienced chauffeur with 8+ years experience.
- Expect a salary of £1076 gross per week.
- Yearly salary from £56,000 gross upwards.
- For a day rate expect to pay between £215+ gross per day (varies depending on if you require the Chauffeur to provide a vehicle or not)
Of course, there are so many factors involved when it comes to determining salaries and rates. Things can differ a lot per person, and per household too. So keep in mind the above are guidelines and not set in stone.
Why Choose Polo & Tweed?
Are you more clear on how to hire a full time chauffeur now? A chauffeur can be an excellent addition to any busy household. But how to hire and find the exact right person for your household, can sometimes be a challenge. So why not outsource this process to the professionals! It will save you lots of stress, as well as time. Polo & Tweed can help you find the best, most suited chauffeur for your household. We extensively vet and check all our candidates before they come on our books. Making sure that only the best in the industry will be presented to you. Our highly experienced consultants are experts in the field and will guide you through the recruitment process seamlessly and effectively. Why not drop us a line and we can chat about your needs, and how best to help find and hire a full time chauffeur and take all the stress out of the process!