Hire a Governess in 24 Hours

Our comprehensive recruitment service includes an initial consultation to understand your exact requirements, access to our exclusive network of pre-vetted Governess candidates, shortlist delivery within 24-48 hours, interview coordination and logistics support, thorough background checks and reference verification, offer negotiation assistance, and ongoing support through the onboarding period. We operate on a success-fee basis—you only pay when your new Governess starts work. Our replacement guarantee provides additional security, offering a free replacement if the placement doesn't work out within the guarantee period.

Our typical Governess placement timeline is 2-4 weeks from initial consultation to accepted offer. We deliver your first shortlist of pre-vetted candidates within 24-48 hours of our consultation. Interview processes usually span 1-2 weeks, depending on your availability and whether international candidates require video interviews. Final vetting and offer negotiations add another week. For urgent requirements, we offer expedited service that can complete placement in as little as 7-10 days. However, we recommend allowing adequate time for thorough vetting and trial sessions with your children to ensure the best possible match.

Professional Governesses should possess a Bachelor's degree from a recognized university, with additional teaching qualifications (like PGCE) highly valued. Essential certifications include enhanced background checks, paediatric first aid, and safeguarding training. Beyond formal qualifications, they need 3+ years of verifiable experience in private households or elite educational settings, fluency in English plus additional languages for international families, and demonstrated ability to teach across multiple subjects and age ranges. Senior positions may require specialized expertise in areas like special educational needs, music education, or preparation for entrance examinations to elite schools.

Our replacement guarantee reflects our confidence in our vetting process and commitment to long-term placement success. If a Governess placement doesn't work out within the guarantee period (typically 3-6 months depending on the position), we'll find a replacement at no additional cost. This includes situations where the candidate resigns, is terminated for performance issues, or mutual agreement determines the match isn't optimal. The guarantee covers one replacement search with the same thorough vetting process. Our 94% retention rate demonstrates that replacements are rarely needed, but this protection provides valuable peace of mind for such an important hire.

Our 7-step vetting process exceeds industry standards for thoroughness. We begin with detailed interviews exploring educational philosophy and household experience. Reference checks involve lengthy conversations with at least three previous employers, verifying performance, reliability, and discretion. Background investigations include international criminal records, credit checks where applicable, and discrete social media audits. We verify every qualification and certification directly with issuing institutions. Skills assessments evaluate teaching ability, language proficiency, and technology competence. Finally, professional personality profiling ensures alignment with your family dynamics. This comprehensive approach typically takes 5-7 days but ensures complete confidence in every candidate presented.

Governess compensation varies significantly based on experience level, responsibilities, location, and specific requirements of the role. During our initial consultation, we provide detailed salary benchmarking tailored to your specific situation and market conditions. This ensures your offer is competitive enough to attract quality candidates while remaining aligned with current market rates. We draw on our extensive placement experience to advise on the full compensation package including benefits, accommodation, and other factors that influence candidate decisions.

Yes, Lighthouse provides comprehensive immigration support for international placements. Our team has extensive experience navigating work permit requirements across major jurisdictions including UK Skilled Worker visas, US employment-based visas, and EU work permits. We identify candidates with existing right-to-work status where possible and guide visa applications when sponsorship is required. Our support includes documentation preparation, liaison with immigration attorneys, timeline management, and cost estimates. We're particularly experienced with the complex visa requirements for Governesses who travel frequently with families, ensuring proper work authorization across all relevant countries.

Our global network enables us to source Governess candidates for positions worldwide. We maintain active candidate databases in major cities including London, New York, Paris, Geneva, Dubai, Monaco, and Hong Kong. For remote or unique locations, we leverage our international partnerships and conduct targeted searches. Many of our Governesses are globally mobile, willing to relocate for the right opportunity. We're experienced in finding candidates who can work across multiple residences—whether that's splitting time between London and the Cotswolds or rotating between properties in different countries. Location-specific requirements like language skills or cultural knowledge are integral to our search criteria.

Lighthouse offers expedited recruitment for urgent Governess needs. Our emergency placement service can deliver vetted candidates within 24 hours and complete full placement within 7-10 days. This accelerated timeline is possible because we maintain a ready pool of immediately available candidates who have already completed basic vetting. We prioritize your search across our entire team, conduct simultaneous rather than sequential vetting processes, and arrange immediate interviews including evenings and weekends. While we recommend allowing more time for optimal matching, our expedited service maintains the same rigorous standards—we simply dedicate more resources to compress timelines.

Starting your Governess search is simple. Contact Lighthouse via phone, email, or our secure online form to schedule a confidential consultation. This initial 15-30 minute conversation with a specialist recruiter explores your family's needs, educational priorities, and practical requirements. There's no cost or commitment for this consultation. Following our discussion, we'll provide a recruitment proposal outlining our search strategy, timeline, and terms. Upon your approval, we immediately begin searching and typically deliver your first candidate shortlist within 24-48 hours. Our team guides you through each step, from reviewing candidates to making your final selection.

Our service extends well beyond placement completion. We provide structured 90-day onboarding support to ensure smooth integration into your household. This includes check-ins at 2 weeks, 1 month, and 3 months to address any adjustment issues early. We offer guidance on performance management, professional development planning, and retention strategies. Many clients engage us for annual compensation reviews to ensure their packages remain competitive. We also facilitate resolution of any concerns that arise during the guarantee period. Our goal is long-term placement success—many Governesses we've placed remain with families for 5+ years, contributing to educational continuity and family stability.

Lighthouse Governess candidates are distinguished by their proven experience in ultra-high-net-worth households. Unlike agencies that primarily place traditional nannies or teachers, we specialize in educators who understand the unique demands of globally mobile families. Our candidates have taught in multiple international curricula, managed education across several residences, and maintained discretion in high-profile environments. They're comfortable creating lessons in a Gstaad chalet or conducting science experiments on a yacht. Many speak 3+ languages and have experience preparing children for elite school admissions. Most importantly, they've been thoroughly vetted through our 7-step process and come with verified references from similar households.