All About Full-Time Maids

[tigger88]

How to not blind hire? Most of the time we do not get to see the maid face to face to conduct interviews. We choose maids based on bio data, even if we have a chance to interview them over the phone, there is no guarantee what the maid initially agreed to do or said have experience for certain job scope etc will be true. Isn’t this a tikam?

[nms1]

tigger88:

How to not blind hire? Most of the time we do not get to see the maid face to face to conduct interviews. We choose maids based on bio data, even if we have a chance to interview them over the phone, there is no guarantee what the maid initially agreed to do or said have experience for certain job scope etc will be true. Isn't this a tikam?

For that reason I have always gone for transfer maids but it's not possible for everyone to do that!

The system really should be reviewed so that there is a way for them to be interviewed in person. It's a tough one as who will bear the costs if they fail to find an employer? Maybe if it was the agents then they would be more careful about choosing their candidates? I don't know but I really think it's wrong that we are expected to let someone into our home whom we have never met, and in some cases never even spoken to. I wouldn't employ anyone in my office without me or someone from the company (if they are outside Singapore) having met them and they are \"only\" responsible for the company's business not my children!

[tigger88]

nms1:

tigger88:

How to not blind hire? Most of the time we do not get to see the maid face to face to conduct interviews. We choose maids based on bio data, even if we have a chance to interview them over the phone, there is no guarantee what the maid initially agreed to do or said have experience for certain job scope etc will be true. Isn't this a tikam?

For that reason I have always gone for transfer maids but it's not possible for everyone to do that!

The system really should be reviewed so that there is a way for them to be interviewed in person. It's a tough one as who will bear the costs if they fail to find an employer? Maybe if it was the agents then they would be more careful about choosing their candidates? I don't know but I really think it's wrong that we are expected to let someone into our home whom we have never met, and in some cases never even spoken to. I wouldn't employ anyone in my office without me or someone from the company (if they are outside Singapore) having met them and they are \"only\" responsible for the company's business not my children!

My maid of 4yrs+ is also a transfer maid. I got to see her face to face at the agency by chance, interviewed her and took her right away.

[Anna Ng]

my second one also a transfer maid. We interview her face to face, told her clearly her’s roles in front of the agent. After a week she requested for transfer as she don like children. In this case, how can i apply so called "maid management" to her as what CLX stated?

[SMH FOREST]

tigger88:

How to not blind hire? Most of the time we do not get to see the maid face to face to conduct interviews. We choose maids based on bio data, even if we have a chance to interview them over the phone, there is no guarantee what the maid initially agreed to do or said have experience for certain job scope etc will be true. Isn't this a tikam?

Exactly!! When i wrote to MOM for feedback about my ex maid, who wanted to go back agency after a day at my place... MOM said the same thing. Recommend that we interview face to face. I replied, asking them how is that possible for new maids?? Again, no further replies...

I am not very optimistic about our system anymore judging by the response from the people who set our policies!

[SMH FOREST]

Anna Ng:

my second one also a transfer maid. We interview her face to face, told her clearly her's roles in front of the agent. After a week she requested for transfer as she don like children. In this case, how can i apply so called \"maid management\" to her as what CLX stated?

Same for my case... took a transfer fili maid... interviewed her face to face and told her that her main chores are housework, but she'll need to help manage my kid when we get ready for work etc. Came for a week, she had ZERO interaction with my kid... end up i was rushing and late for work that week... when I confronted her why she didn't even try to talk or smile at my kid... she cried, fussed, and wanted to go back to agency... saying she cannot handle my kid. Are such characters of the helper \"detectable\", available in their past history, so that we wouldn't blind hire???

Think most of us who have been thru \"bad\" cases, will know the answer very very well.

[nms1]

SMH FOREST:

Anna Ng:

my second one also a transfer maid. We interview her face to face, told her clearly her's roles in front of the agent. After a week she requested for transfer as she don like children. In this case, how can i apply so called \"maid management\" to her as what CLX stated?

Same for my case... took a transfer fili maid... interviewed her face to face and told her that her main chores are housework, but she'll need to help manage my kid when we get ready for work etc. Came for a week, she had ZERO interaction with my kid... end up i was rushing and late for work that week... when I confronted her why she didn't even try to talk or smile at my kid... she cried, fussed, and wanted to go back to agency... saying she cannot handle my kid. Are such characters of the helper \"detectable\", available in their past history, so that we wouldn't blind hire???

Think most of us who have been thru \"bad\" cases, will know the answer very very well.

Just interested - did you have your children with you when you interviewed them? I've have always done that and although they can put it on if they want, if you see zero interaction with the children then you know to reject them. My daughter is actually very good at picking!

[cool_hi]

Yup! I also brought BOTH my kids, 2yr old son & 5yr old girl to agency together, with hubby & my mum, & after we interviewed the maids, while we clarify certain issues with agent,we will try & my mum will help us observe how the maid handle/mingle with our kids..from basic things like how they carry them/talk to them etc, can roughly gauge whether ok or not..& whether our kids feel at ease with them or not..

but of course, if the maid can really act very well, we can also be fooled la,but I think it's better than nothing lor.. hope what I share is helpful
Good luck!!

[Chu Liu Xiang]

Anna Ng:

my second one also a transfer maid. We interview her face to face, told her clearly her's roles in front of the agent. After a week she requested for transfer as she don like children. In this case, how can i apply so called \"maid management\" to her as what CLX stated?

In this case you've not even properly select your maid. First step was wrong so after that things don't work out

:boogie:

[SMH FOREST]

Thanks nms1 and cool_hi!!


That was the first time i took a transfer maid... and i didnt know better! In the past, recommendations i've got was to get fresh maids and not transfer ones. In any case, after that failed incident with transfer maid, ppl have told me to do just what you had recommended... i hope i dont have to do this again anytime soon, since the current maid is the replacement of that transfer maid... it's been a month+... we're ironing out issues and training her still... :xedfingers: