TOP 3 Considerations when choosing your maids nationality
So you have you come to the conclusion that managing work and your household chores are getting too much for you to take. It's taking up too much time and it leaves you with little to enjoy precious moments with your family. Now you have decided to engage the help of a domestic helper. Amidst the options given to you by your maid agency, which nationality of maids should you engage? An Indonesian Maid? A maid from Myanmar? or perhaps a Mizoram Maid? Does it really matter?
In fact it does. Well, the truth is there are many things to consider. Culture, salary expectations, cost of hiring, adaptability, just to name a few. Depending on your hiring requirements, we lay down some factors you can take into consideration when making your hiring decision.
1) COST OF HIRING & SALARY
We ranked the cost of hiring based on the average maid agency fee charged by Singapore Maid Agencies:
2) CULTURE AND LANGUAGE
Understanding the culture and language ability plays an important role to a successful employment relationship. When you understand the different limitations, you will be able to set aside ample time in teaching and giving time for the respective maid to pick up the language and the Singaporean's standards on the way of life.
Indonesia - Malay, Basic English
Myanmar - Basic English
Mizoram - English (some speaks well as it is the administrative language used)
Philippines - English
However, as long as the domestic helper has worked in Singapore before, she would be able to speak basic English in the aspect of domestic affairs. That being said, new maids are also taught the language at their training centres before deploying here. However, truth be told, how much can they learn and absorb within the short span of time? Even for us, learning a whole new language can be a daunting task. It is advisable to exercise patience and understanding to encourage the new maids to pick up the communication skills quickly.
3) RELIGION
You might want to take in considerations of the maids’ beliefs and lifestyle because it is someone who is going to live with you at home. Being Christians, some Filipino domestic helpers may ask to go to church every Sunday. Hence, off days is a must for them.
On the contrary, Indonesian, Mizo and Myanmar domestic helpers usually are ok with not doing praying rituals at home unless their employers otherwise practice the same as well. It is important to speak to your helper on this before selecting them.
Indonesia - Mostly Muslims with a minority of Christians
Myanmar - Mostly Buddhist with a minority of Christians
Mizoram - Mostly Christians
Philippines - Mostly Christians
