Difficulty in interviewing helpers through asia expat

Hi, im looking for a full time helper as we are expecting a new born baby in couple of months. I have text messaged about 12 helpers on asia xpat stating where I live, what I need, etc., and about 6 of them replied back to me saying they will come for an interview.


Difficult part is,,, only half them actually show up. Some don't even return your text message when I tried to confirm the date and time.

Of those who actually showed up, none of them says ex-employer contact is available.. something about them breaking the contract due to this and that, so the employer is not happy,,,, some says the employer does not want to be bothered... etc.,


there is simply NO way to get any reference of their past work NOR is there any way to clearly confirm that their stated experience is true.. I can check their passport and contract (which many say they dont have anymore), however, is is there ANY way to get these people to give me the ex-employers contact? if not, should I just forget about direct hire and go with agency... which would be safer as the agency probably does the due diligence.


One reason I dont want to use the agency is because the other day in olympic station maid agency, We heard the agency lady talking to one of the helpers ,, saying.. you have to pay me more since I got you a higher salary contract... and even when I asked the agency about the price,, they stated a way higher price then the minimum pay of HKD3,500 something.


anyway, just wondering if anyone has successfully hired through asia xpat without any reference...

I think an agency can be worth the money for the paperwork alone, including checking references. Some agencies do gouge helpers but many charge them very reasonable amounts.


I also think that a lack of references should not stop you from employing someone whom your gut tells you is the right person. Do dig into why she does not want her references checked and ensure it doesn't sound like a tall tale.


We employed our helper without references from latest employer (she had form letters from previous ones). She didn't want us to contact her previous employer because said employer was not happy with her leaving. But she made a great impression and had good "chemistry" with us. She's now on her third contract with us and we couldn't be happier.


When hiring someone, look at attitude and "chemistry". Those are worth way more than a reference from someone you don't know. A reference from someone you know and trust is worth a lot however.

And agency is not necessarily the solution... maids won't necessarily turn up if the agency sets an appointment...


Most of the helpers listed in our directory have reference letters with their ads.

Helpers already in Hong Kong will not be so thrilled in taking care of a newborn baby. It's a tough job. So if you're thinking that they should be happy they're getting a "job" and you can make all sorts of "demands/requirements", think again! What you'll end up with will be those who can't find a "better employer". And be prepared to be used by some of them, who will sign a contract with you and then withdraw from the agreement once a new "better" employer is found. This the helpers can do if the contract has not been approved yet by immigration. Why do they do this then? To extend their 2-week stay (after the end of the previous contract).


Not all helpers do this of course, but be warned.

I recently hired through Asiaxpat and it's working out well so far.


I'd suggest that the first thing to consider is the way you are going about contacting a potential employee. How compelling or convincing is an impersonal text message going to be coming from a complete stranger? Simply calling on the phone is going to make you sound much more like a real person, and it also gives you the chance to do a quick assessment of the helper.


On references: I also found that most helpers did not have references. Many helpers are coming from local Chinese households who are likely to have explicitly told their helpers not to provide their contact details. If you absolutely need references, this is just a limitation that you are going to have to live with and you use it as an initial screening question during your phone call- it saves both you and the helper a lot of time. If it's not an absolute requirement, then you get around it by better interview technique.

Punter, there are some helpers that love babies, ours included. In the end all that you mention comes down to "attitude". You need to find someone with the right attitude to work for you. A good worker will work hard, intelligently and well. The trick is finding her. Be wary of course but give them the benefit of the doubt. And there are great ones out there.