How to Screen Domestic Help

It's important to screen applicants thoroughly when hiring domestic help.

Hiring someone to work for you as a domestic helper should not be undertaken lightly. Whether the individual will be doing housework, yard work, child care or a little bit of everything, they will have access to your most private spaces and personal relationships. Therefore, it's important to do a thorough job of screening candidates before making a decision to hire one. Follow these simple steps to make sure you have all the information you need to make an informed choice when looking for domestic help.

Things You'll Need

• Telephone
• Computer
• Fax machine
• File

Instructions

1. Talk to friends and family members to see if they know anyone who might be a good potential candidate to help you out around the home. Place an ad in a local newspaper or online stating what type of domestic worker you are looking for to help you out. Be specific in terms of the qualifications, abilities and experience you need this worker to have. If the worker will need a driver's license to accomplish the job, say so. Also be specific regarding the days and hours you will need them to work. Ask interested people to email or fax a resume.

2. Screen cover letters and resumes as they arrive to make certain they all meet the basic requirements of the job. If a candidate impresses you as qualified, call the number on the resume and chat briefly with the person about his background. Ask where he has worked as domestic help in the past and discuss what his responsibilities were. Use the telephone interview to get a feel for whether or not you and the person communicate well. If you are satisfied with the phone conversation, schedule the candidate to come meet you for a face-to-face interview.

3. Meet the candidate at a neutral location like a restaurant or coffee shop. Talk in more detail about what your domestic help job entails and get a clearer understanding of what type of work she has done in the past. Take more time with this interview, paying attention to her answers as well as intangibles such as her presentation, presence and energy. If you think she would be a good fit for the job, ask her to provide at least two former employer references for you to call.

4. Call and talk with each reference. Identify who you are and why you are calling. Verify the type of work your potential employee did for this other person or company. Ask questions about her timeliness, dependability, integrity and work ethic. Ask why the candidate no longer works for them and if they would rehire her if they could.

5. If the employer references for your domestic help candidate are good, call her back and ask permission to run a background check. This is usually the final step in the screening process. You will need her name, address, phone number, social security number and date of birth. A number of companies perform background checks that look into an individual's credit and criminal histories as well as a screen for sex offender crimes. If another issue, like citizenship status, is important to you, make certain to ask the company to verify that as well. Background checks are usually complete within three days.

6. Put her resume, any notes taken when you spoke with her and her references and the report from the background check company into a file. Should you extend the candidate an offer, you can use the file to easily keep track of documents and other information that are pertinent to her employment.

Tips & Warnings

• You can pay a domestic help recruiting company to do all these steps for you and guarantee the information.

• Be careful when talking to the references. Make certain the person the candidate gives you to call was actually the candidate's employer or supervisor and not a coworker or peer.

References

• MartaPerrone: Skeptical Checks on Household Employees
• Family Caregiver Alliance: Hiring In-Home Help

Resources

• MSN: Why It Pays to Hire Help at Home