Helper directly from the Phils?

Hello all,


I'm in the middle of interviewing helpers for a full-time job to help with housework and looking after small baby from time to time. (also as we'll have a 2nd baby next yr) Many of my local and expat friends tell me helpers directly from the country are easier to work with than the ones in HK as the latter tend to be choosier with employers and more difficult to deal with, in general.


I'm considering making an offer to a lady in her mid-twenties but am somewhat concerned about the following -


1) she spent 2 yrs in another asian country as a singer (in various hotels) before returning to the Phils as she got sacked (cos she put on weight, she said). This 'glamourous' past bothers me a little - am i being silly?


2) Is it really worth all the waiting and getting someone with no experience as a helper, versus hiring one with experience in HK already?


I'd really appreciate any (helpful, not nasty ones please...) comments from those who have experience with helpers...

Thank you so much everyone.

1) Depends on the person. You can't really equate "former singer" with "unreliable". Personally I think there's no direct correlation.

2) Opinions differ. Some want to "train from scratch". Some want someone with experience. Here, again, I think the individual personality is more important. You can have someone with tons of experience who is lazy, or has a lot of initiative and really leverages that experience. You can have someone new who is lazy, or who tries to learn everything and works very hard.


I realize that this is perhaps not so useful since I haven't really answered the questions. ;) Bottom line: You have to evaluate the individual, not draw broad conclusions from their background.

If you hire from Phils, through a Hong KOng agent, they will usually arrange for the prospective helper to be trained in household tasks, and have a medical in Phils, while they do the necessary papers to get them here. If you did decide to take this helper on, make sure she also has a medical in Hong Kong with pregnancy test as she is only 25yrs old., before completing the contract,

The lady you have in mind, ex singer, does not mean she has had a 'glamourous past" necessarily, it just means she had a reasonable/good voice, and probably did not earn fantastic wages working in Asian Hotels, and probably had to work long late hours to make ends meet! like a lot of performers do.

Also a lot of helpers had other occupations before they were helpers, ie Teachers,secretaries, EtC etc, but become helpers because the wage here is a lot better than in Phils. So previous employment does not matter so much.

The advantages you'll have with one who has never worked as a helper before is, that they will not be set in their ways, and you would be able to train her to meet your demands.Plus she will not be influenced by other helpers who have less desirable traits already in HK.

As far as any honesty from the helper is concerned, you don.t really know their past or be able to get referrences from previous employers here in HK, so that is a dis advantage.

"If you hire from Phils, through a Hong KOng agent, they will usually arrange for the prospective helper to be trained in household tasks"


Quite. However this training may or may not be of any use. Results are apparently quite varied.

Hello Kimmy,


as for question 1, I would also have some concerns as the life of a DH has nothing to do with the life of a singer (much less fun !), especially that she is in her 20's and may not understand it.

I agree with Susie1 for the pregnancy test before signing the contract, you don't want to get that kind of surprise I'm sure.


as for question 2, I think it's a good thing that the helper has some experience so she already knows what she is expected to do overall. We chose someone who had completed a 2 year contract : she had some experience and was still quite new to HK.

She had been working for local people before us and she earned some cooking experience too, it is very appreciable.


Also, personnaly I would never hire someone I can't meet face to face. This person is going to live in your flat, so you really want to have a good feeling with her around.


Good luck.