Things can sometimes get quite overwhelming if youre juggling so many balls work, family, social life, parenting at some point you just have to stop and ask for help and assistance with some of your responsibilities.
Housekeepers are a big help for busy people. It relieves them of some of the burden of, well, keeping the house neat, clean and organized. Some housekeepers even help in taking care of the kids, which is a big plus, believe me.
But you just dont hire a housekeeper. Just like in any other job, you have to be methodical and thorough in hiring one even more so in fact, since the housekeeper will be working inside your house and will be closely involved with your family.
Here are some of the things you need to do and should look for when hiring a housekeeper:
Ask for credentials
This is a very important step to take. Her credentials will tell you a lot of things. First, you will see her level of experience. If she has worked as a housekeeper before then youll determine how well she knows her job. It is also a security check. You cant be too sure these days so her credentials will be a sure indicator that she is who she is. Remember, he or she will be working inside your home. It wont hurt to actually call past employers and ask them questions about their experience with the housekeeper.
The interview
It goes without saying that you will be interviewing the applicants. Ask them about their work experience and ask specific questions about the roles and responsibilities they assumed while working for past employers. Do ask if they can also help with children, if you have any. Dont just assume theyll do certain things. It should be clear from the start. Both of you wouldnt want any misunderstandings afterwards. Fire away with the questions, dont hesitate and be as thorough as you would like to be. Some of the more important topics you should touch on are:
- Work experience
- Work background
- Past employers
- Reasons she left her other employment
- Is she a legal resident (specifically for foreigners)
- Compensation
- Housekeeper jobs they need to do at your home
Background checks
Asking for credentials is not enough. You need a thorough background check on your potential housekeeper, again, for security reasons. This can be a tedious process but a necessity. You should check for any criminal background by looking at state or county records where she once worked. This may mean having to ask the potential housekeeper to sign a consent form allowing you to do so. This is a good way to weed any undesirables outright. If they refuse to sign a consent then you can cross them out of your list immediately. You should also do a health check and also drug tests.