How to Effectively Interview Domestic Helpers?

Conducting a domestic helper interview is certainly not a walk in the park, and it is crucial to develop a preliminary list of questions to ask prospective candidates. These queries guarantee you will hire the best candidate for the job without any future regrets. We have compiled a list of questions you could ask to make the most informed decisions.

Start your Interview with an Introductory Section

In this section, you begin by warming up to your prospective candidates to make them feel more open. This will encourage them to talk freely and share the information they need.

As you interview a domestic helper, begin by asking them what their name is, their reason for wanting the job as a domestic helper, how long they intend to work, whether they have kids, and if so, how many. Additionally, inquire about their current employer, including their responsibilities and work schedule. You will, without a doubt, feel more at ease with a helper who has a valid reason for wanting the job, has at least two kids, and is comfortable working long-term.

What is Her Working Experience with Previous Employer?

Domestic helpers with more work experience are generally more competent. When interviewing a domestic helper, ask how many past employers they have had and the duration of each employment. Inquire about their experience as helpers, ideally with references, and why they left their past jobs. It’s also important to know the countries they’ve worked in, their strengths, former salaries, and expected salary. For example, a helper with 5 years of experience should clearly express why they enjoy the job and be honest about any dislikes. If a helper is not forthcoming about their dislikes, it could be a red flag indicating they might be hiding other important details.

Typical Working Day of a Domestic Helper

A candidate’s typical working day strongly determines their suitability for the job. For instance, a helper whose daily routine began at 7 a.m. and ended at 7 p.m. is more appropriate for a full-time job. It is also crucial to hire a housekeeper who gets at least seven hours of sleep to wake up the following day fresh and be in a cheerful mood, especially if the job involves taking care of children. Additionally, it is important to assess the candidate's proficiency in various household chores such as cooking, cleaning, washing, elderly care, and childcare. In addition to that, a worker who is flexible with duties such as cooking, cleaning, ironing, organizing, and changing bed sheets, to mention a few, is one you should gravitate more toward.

A well-organized domestic helper divides their duties into certain days, for example, allocating Monday to doing laundry. On the other hand, a disorganized worker would attempt to juggle everything in one day and hence, end up not doing certain required tasks. How fantastic and significantly convenient would it be to have a worker who cooks a variety of exquisite Chinese, Italian, Indian, Japanese dishes, is well-organised and can reliably do grocery shopping among other things?

Experience with Babies

If you are a parent of a newborn baby, it is highly crucial for you to hire a worker with at least two years of experience handling newborn babies, more so, one who has kids. Such a helper is an expert in changing nappies, bottle feeding, and calming an irritated baby. As you interview a domestic helper, you should ask the housekeeper to change your child’s nappy, prepare the baby’s food, and feed the baby (including bottle feeding) in your presence. Doing this will give you a clear outlook on her childcare experience because, as we all know, people will say anything to get hired for a job they desperately want or need.

Ask the candidate about their current contract and the reason for leaving it.

Additionally, you should ask the potential candidate about the fun activities she has done with babies. They should also inform you whether they have more experience with boys or girls as well as their ages, dropping and picking them up at school, if she has proper first aid training and if so, where they took the course. Only through such inquiries will you be able to ascertain her level of experience with kids.

Children’s Activities

As you settle on a domestic helper, it is important to choose one with a good level of education. Ask about the candidate's work schedule and flexibility in adapting to different schedules. She can assist your children with their homework in various subjects through her educational background. On top of that, to gauge her level of reasoning, you may ask her how she would handle an emergency at the house, such as an instant fire or break-in. You should hire someone who can think and act promptly under unfortunate circumstances to ensure your children’s safety even when you are away.

Discipline Methods

It is perfectly reasonable for children to misbehave; thus, they should receive appropriate reprimanding when they do. With that in mind, you should ask the candidates about the effective disciplinary tactics in their prior work experience and then choose the one you feel would be a good disciplinarian.

Experience with the Elderly

If you are looking for someone to take care of your parents, you need to assess whether they would be a perfect fit. Doing that involves enquiring how well they have handled elderly or disabled people, whether men or women, in the past, including administering important medication.

Personal Enquiries to Get the Right Feeling

Asking potential candidates personal questions about their lives gives you a clear perspective regarding their character. Did they have their own room in their past jobs? It is crucial to inquire how they use their free time when not working. Ask about their marital status, family relationships, and health status, to mention a few. A candidate who is married, reads a book during her free time, has a clean bill of health, and has a close family relationship is one you should hire.

Flexibility to Work a Day Off and Salary Expectations

Instead of assuming that a potential housekeeper is flexible enough to work on her day off, it is better to ask if she can work during public holidays at an agreed payment rate. Don't forget to ask more about salary expectations or other allowances (food, accommodation, annual leaves, etc...).

Any Pets at home?

Usually, children like pets such as dogs, cats, and even horses. As such, when hiring a domestic worker, it is important to consider one who enjoys being around animals. As you interview a domestic helper, you should enquire about her prior experience with animals, if she is allergic to any particular animals, and how well she takes care of them.

References and Records

As an employer, the last thing you want is to hire a fugitive running from the law, as it could harm your family. Before hiring a candidate, you should not only enquire if they had some run-ins with the law (whether in the Philippines, Indonesia, Hong Kong or Singapore), but also conduct a thorough background check. Check all the reference letters seriously and request at least her previous employer's contact number. It is important to ask the potential candidates if they have incurred any unpaid debts, whether in Hong Kong, Singapore, or their native countries and validate whether they are truthful.

Finally, hiring the perfect housekeeper in Hong Kong or Singapore is not all rainbows and butterflies. Still, it certainly can be successful if you ask the right questions and determine what you need to know about who you’re hiring beforehand. A simple guide such as this is the ultimate tool to help you know the most important things to look for when interviewing a domestic helper. Conducting thorough background checks is crucial to finding the right domestic helper who fits well with your family's needs and lifestyle.