The ideal candidate does not exist...

But the best candidate for your needs do! During the recruitment and selection process, rank your expectations from most important to least.

The great helper of your friends may not be as great with your family...

Your families are different and so are your expectations and methods. When you interview maids of people you know, remain objective and apply the same selection criteria as with any other candidate.

Don’t take letters of recommendation for granted...

In Singapore, when an employer wants to terminate the contract of a helper, he or she has no other choice than to ask her to transfer to another employer or to repatriate her, but he or she must pay the cost of transportation; therefore, an employer reluctant to spend money might write a recommendation full of praise.   

Lack of a letter of recommendation doesn’t mean a less valuable employee...

Many local employers rely on maid agencies to transfer helpers and therefore don’t write recommendations even when they are happy with them.  In addition, some employers do not want to be contacted because of their privacy, so they won’t be inclined to write a letter of recommendation.

Experience with an expatriate family may not be an asset for a helper...

Some helpers are said to be spoiled after working for an expatriate family. They can become too confident, excessively articulate, or harder to manage. They should get a long-term training period as well.

Zero experience with an expatriate family is not a handicap...

On the contrary! Employees who have worked only for local families are usually more flexible and more attentive to instructions and have a highly developed sense of ‘Asian service’. You might miss an excellent candidate if you focus only on the ones experienced with expatriates.