Finding the right household or gardening helper

Initial contact
In general, initial contact is made over the phone. Trust your gut instinct, gain a first impression and decide whether or not the individual in question spontaneously comes across as likeable to you. If the individual will work at your home in your absence, consider how you would feel in this scenario.

Interview
We recommend that you always arrange to talk to the potential employer in order to clear up the key issues. As a guide, we have made available the following list of questions for the initial discussion:

List of questions for initial discussion with household helper

Invite those individuals who you liked for an interview. This can be held at a neutral location or at your home. The interview provides the individual with the opportunity to gain an impression of their potential place of work.

You should address the following issues during the interview:

Tasks
Explain at the beginning of the interview the precise nature of the tasks and what expectations you have. For example, will it simply be a matter of cleaning, or will the tasks also include ironing, cooking or shopping?

Experience
What experience does your future household helper need to offer? Does he or she have experience in carrying out the required tasks and which of the activities has he or she already performed? Does this individual meet your expectations?

References
Can the individual in question provide evidence of a completed training course (e.g. for gardening) or references from other employers?

Payment
Ask the prospective employee what he or she expects in terms of payment and clarify the employment conditions including travel expenses, meal arrangements, holiday entitlement, etc.

Availability
The household helper must be available during your desired times. You should also, however, discuss the possibility of working on a spontaneous basis and enquire about his or her flexibility as regards place and time.

Trial session
Once you have opted for one or more individuals, arrange for them to complete a trial session. This will allow you to see whether the way in which they work and complete the respective tasks meets your expectations and whether, for example, you could imagine leaving the individual alone in your home in your absence.

Once you have found the appropriate individual, please ensure that you note our hiring recommendations (contract, insurance, etc.).