How can I select the right helper?
Hiring a maid for your family may not be a simple and straightforward task. Often employers get confused, especially when they have a wide range of maid agencies to go to and countless maids to choose from. Hiring the right person is also a gamble since employers have limitations in verifying a maid’s previous experience and are not able to test out the skills of the maid. So how can you make sure you’re selecting the best possible fit for your family?
Apart from the basic information that is provided to you on the biodata, you can use our suggestions below when choosing a maid.
Consider all family members of your household
It is important to consider the different characteristics of all family members and your expectation of the maid prior to selection. A lot of problems arise when the maid does not seem to get along with the others in the family. The family members who are directly interacting with her for a prolonged period of time in a day should be the ones to decide on whether or not a particular helper would be suitable. Sometimes even very experienced maids with an excellent track record may be unsuitable due to compatibility issues. We believe that skills and techniques for household work can be trained overtime but the chemistry between the family and the maid is fundamental to a successful hire.
Reading in between the lines
While the information in the biodata is helpful in introducing the maid’s profile to you, there’s a lot more information than what you see. For example, if the maid has small kids of her own it may reveal she has relevant experience that she can bring to care for your kids. However, it also means that the maid is leaving behind her own small kids, which may spell trouble in the long run. She may miss her kids and decide to leave for home before the end of her contract.
If she’s separated from her husband, investigate the reason for the separation so that you can understand the maid’s current state of mind. The maid’s past unrelated work experience may also need further investigation as to her reason for the job switch, as the switch may be temporary or she may not like her new job and leave.
Verifying experience and skill level of maid
It is difficult to know if the maid has the right set of skills and experience that you are looking for from just her track record or by doing an interview. We suggest that employers ask more detailed questions during the interview to get specific responses from the maid to understand her character and how she works. An example would be to post difficult real-life scenarios to the maid and ask how she would react in those situations or what she has done in the past when in such a situation.
Be detailed about the job scope
This is to set the expectation from the beginning. Try not to leave out small details as maids depend on information from the employer during the interview to decide if they can handle the job scope. Be upfront and specific about the temperaments and characteristics of your family members so the maid will know if she would be able to tolerate and work for the duration of the contract. It also gives a better understanding to the agency and they would be able to advise accordingly if the maid you have selected is the right match for your family.
Finally, it is important to be reasonable with your own expectations. Remember, there is no such thing as a perfect maid or perfect employer. With patience, tolerance and effort to make things work, your relationship with your helper can be a smooth one!
This article is fully written and owned by selectamaid.com.sg
