Inviting a domestic helper into the home is a significant decision for everyone.
From providing in-home care services to caring for loved ones, domestic helpers have a critical role in ensuring a household’s daily well-being and smooth functioning.
This is why it’s important to screen every candidate carefully. At Farepro, no one understands this better than we do. In this guide, we’ll show you what questions to ask, what red flags to watch out for, and how to establish a trusting and beneficial relationship.
1. Key Questions to Ask
Work History & Experience
Understanding a domestic helper’s work history and experience is crucial for gauging their expertise in household tasks, adaptability to different family dynamics, and commitment shown in previous roles. As with any other profession, past behavior in domestic work can often indicate how they might perform in the future.
To better illustrate the relationship between specific interview questions and the insights they offer about a potential domestic helper, let’s delve into the following table, which categorizes and summarizes the key considerations.
| Questions | Insight |
|---|---|
| “Can you describe your past domestic work experiences?” | This allows candidates to detail their experience and showcases their adaptability to different household setups. |
| “What tasks are you most comfortable with? Which ones do you find challenging?” | Unpacking strengths and weaknesses can identify areas of potential training or support. |
| “How long did you stay with your previous employers, and why did you leave?” | Understanding the duration and reasons for leaving can give insights into the candidate’s reliability and any potential red flags. |
| “How do you typically handle disagreements or misunderstandings with employers?” | Conflict resolution skills are essential, especially in close working environments like households. |
Situational Questions
For domestic helpers, situations in a household can vary widely day by day. From caring for children to dealing with emergencies, their role demands adaptability and quick decision-making.
Situational questions provide a clearer picture of a candidate’s aptitude for handling household challenges. These questions aim to gauge their ability to navigate and address real-life situations they might encounter in a domestic environment based on past experiences or theoretical scenarios.
| Questions | Insight |
|---|---|
| “How would you handle a situation where the child you’re caring for refuses to eat?” | This question seeks to understand the helper’s ability to blend patience with creativity. Moreover, it also gives a glimpse into their understanding of child psychology and nutrition. A seasoned helper might employ a variety of techniques, from making food visually appealing to creating a routine or a game out of mealtime. |
| “What would you do if you encountered an emergency situation while the employers are out?” | Household emergencies require calmness and swift action. This question gauges a candidate’s capacity to think clearly under pressure and make critical decisions, such as contacting the necessary services or the employers promptly. |
| “How would you manage if you broke something valuable in the house?” | Domestic helpers work closely with family members, and clear communication is essential for harmonious relationships. This question assesses a candidate’s communication skills and their strategies for addressing and resolving interpersonal conflicts in a professional manner. |
| “What steps would you take if you felt someone in the household was treating you unfairly?” | Domestic helpers work closely with family members, and clear communication is essential for harmonious relationships. Asking this question assesses a candidate’s communication skills and their strategies for addressing and resolving interpersonal conflicts in a professional manner. |
| “If a child in your care wanted to do something you believed was unsafe, how would you handle it?” | Safety is paramount. This question measures a domestic helper’s ability to set and enforce boundaries, ensuring the child’s safety while fostering a positive relationship and trust. |
Personal Background & Motivation
Understanding a domestic helper’s background and motivations is more than just getting to know them personally. It sheds light on the intrinsic values and drivers that guide their work ethic and dedication.
Finally, these questions also provide insight into their overall job satisfaction and aspirations, which can influence the longevity and quality of their tenure in a household.
| Questions | Insight |
|---|---|
| “How do you handle homesickness or being away from your family?” | Especially relevant for live-in, domestic helpers, this assesses emotional resilience and coping mechanisms, which can impact their overall well-being and performance. |
| “In your previous roles as a domestic helper, what did you find most fulfilling, and what was most challenging?” | This allows employers to understand the candidate’s preferences and pain points in their job, helping to create a more harmonious working environment. |
| “Are you okay working with young children/elderly?” | Caring for the young or elderly can be quite taxing for anyone. To ensure that a helper is the right fit for an employer, it’s important to see whether a maid has the patience and temperament for such demanding roles, ensuring they can provide consistent and compassionate care. |
2. Red Flags
Inconsistent Stories
Given the intimate nature of their roles, which often involve taking care of vulnerable family members, having access to personal spaces, and providing in-home care services, it’s essential that the employer feels they can rely on the honesty and integrity of their domestic helper.
This is why mismatches between info presented on their CV and verbal answers are a major red flag. Such inconsistencies could indicate dishonesty or, at the very least, carelessness.
Furthermore, if a candidate changes their answers to the same questions upon repetition, it further amplifies their authenticity concerns. This response fluctuation might suggest the candidate fabricates or exaggerates their experiences.
The employer needs to probe these inconsistencies further, asking for clarification or details, as this could provide a clearer picture of whether the candidate is being forgetful, nervous, or even deceitful.
A consistent narrative ensures the reliability of the helper’s claimed experiences and establishes a foundation of trust, which is crucial for a harmonious working relationship.
Vague Responses
Domestic helper candidates who offer generalized answers lacking in detail are a cause for concern. Such vague responses might signal a lack of genuine experience or perhaps an attempt to sidestep certain topics.
An employer needs to gauge the depth of a helper’s expertise, and without detailed responses, making an informed hiring decision becomes challenging. Pressing for clearer explanations or asking them to elaborate on their experiences can give employers a better sense of the candidate’s suitability and transparency.
Negative Attitude
Attitude plays a pivotal role in a domestic helper’s daily interactions and responsibilities. Employers must be wary of candidates who consistently speak ill of past employers or display a marked lack of enthusiasm.
Continual negative remarks indicate an inability to manage conflicts maturely or hint at potential issues that may arise in their new employment. While it’s understandable for individuals to have faced challenges in past roles, an overarching negative outlook could impact the harmony and positivity of a household and should be a cause for concern.
Record of incomplete contract with previous employers
A domestic helper’s commitment to seeing a contract through to its completion speaks volumes about their sense of responsibility. If a candidate has a history of not fulfilling contracts, it suggests potential issues with commitment or even understanding the gravity of their contractual obligations.
In domestic work, an incomplete contract can lead to considerable disruptions and adjustments for the hiring family. Moreover, if a foreign domestic worker isn’t aware of their rights or the nuances of their contract, it poses risks for both them and the employer.
Ensuring both parties are informed and aligned is fundamental for a successful and lasting working relationship.
Closing Thoughts
At Farepro, we pride ourselves on more than just providing services; we build relationships. We have a hard-earned reputation for successfully matching domestic helpers with the right households, and this success is rooted in our comprehensive understanding of both employer needs and helper profiles.
Our team continually liaises with our overseas partners, keeping our finger on the pulse of global trends and demands in the domestic helper industry. With Farepro by your side, you’re not just hiring a helper; you’re ensuring a harmonious household.
