Questions to ask when interviewing for a DH?

I know the basics, like are you married, do you have kids etc but has anyone got any good questions that they can suggest when interviewing for a DH? Just thought that those of you who have helpers already might have thought "oh I wish I had asked xyz when interviewing!" and would be able to share... thanks!

Try to make the questions open ended. Asking "are you good with kids" is leading the interviewee and just begs a "yes ma'am I love kids and I can take good care of them." Not very useful to you.



Instead, try to build little scenarios and see how she reacts:


"My daughter [make it personal] spilled her whole dinner on her dress yesterday. She was having a tantrum."


See if that gets a reaction, then continue with "what would you do?".


That sort of thing gives you much more of an idea of the attitude of the helper and if it is similar to yours.



You can also show pics of the kids. See if she is indifferent of if she gets a little smile.

If she'øs been in HK for a while ask her what number you call for an ambulance/fire engine. If she's lived in HK a while and can't answer this I would be worried. I agree with the scenario suggestion. Make up various emergency (child has drunk dish washing liquid) and non emergency (it's forecast for rain for the next 5 days straight and the kids are going to go stir-crazy, what are some of the fun indoors activities you could do with them). What kinds of meals do you feel comfortable cooking, are you good at food-bill budgeting, tell me about a time when you were under pressure and how you dealt with it. What are your happiest memories from a former job, can you self delegate your work or do you prefer to work with a checklist...the list could go on forever.

Give her a simple recipe that she would not have cooked before. Tell her that you are in the next room and she is to come and ask you any questions. Then monitor her process. We use a recipe that mentions cocoa and a lamington tin - things that no helper seems to know. You will work out if she can organise, read, ask questions, monitor, clean up, put away. She then has to ice the biscuits but I tell her the recipe and she makes it. You will work out if she can listen and remember. This can be very scary for her so remember to be gentle; the biscuits may not work out but you can see her work.


We then give her the biscuits to take away along with $60 travelling money.


Friends always get their teenager to ring and the helper has to take a message including phone number.


We also get her to iron a pair of work trousers and a business shirt. Did she put tram tracks in the trousers?

ask what she'll do if one of the children (if any) suddenly got a fever or gets sick while your at work. if she knows how to take body temp


(i am always asked by my prospective employes this question)