How to train your helper in 2023

There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question, as the best way to train your helper will vary depending on her previous experience, level of skill, and your specific needs and preferences. However, some tips on how to train your helper effectively include:



1. Be clear and concise in your instructions

When giving your helper instructions, make sure to be clear and concise. Ask her to repeat the instruction so there's no misunderstanding. Check her facial expression and body language. If she still looks confused, you could use Google Translate to repeat the same instruction in her language.

2. Communicate your expectations

Make sure your helper knows what is expected of her in terms of duties, schedule, and performance. It's not enough to just say "Clean the toilet today." Tell her specifically what areas need to be wiped or sprayed with water. Let her know you expect it to be done at a certain time, otherwise she may work on other chores and leave it until the end of the day to do so.

3. Give positive reinforcement

Whenever your helper does something well, be sure to give her positive reinforcement. This could include verbal praise, a small bonus, or even just a simple smile.

4. Provide hands-on training

Show her how to perform specific tasks, such as cleaning, laundry, and ironing. The last chore, for example, requires specific care when it comes to different fabrics. She would not know how to handle delicate silk and could burn the material through wrong ironing techniques.

5. Be patient

Remember that everyone learns at a different pace, so be patient and understanding as your helper learns and adapts to the job. Do not expect her to learn everything overnight. Give her at least 3-6 months to familiarise with the chores.

6. Be consistent

It is important to be consistent in your expectations and in the way you train your helper. If you are inconsistent, she will become confused and will likely not perform to your expectations.

7. Be respectful

Always treat your domestic maid with respect and dignity, valuing their contributions and hard work.

8. Use training materials

Whether it's learning English or cooking, it's extremely useful to have training materials such as books or videos to refer to. Step Up online training has many training topics covered and our videos are short and narrated in the helper's native language for easy understanding.


It's also important to remember that helpers are human too and should be treated with respect and fairness. Encourage open and honest communication between you and your helper to ensure they feel comfortable bringing up any issues or concerns.

Popular posts from this blog

4 tips to train your domestic worker

Image
Just hired a new or transfer domestic worker from a maid agency ? If you are lucky, your worker will be equipped with training as promised by her maid agency. If you are not, you will need to impart skills as she enters your household, starting with the very basic chores. The first barrier to effective training is language. Many times, employers have to use simple English and animated gestures to communicate with their limited or non-English-speaking workers. First, decide which is the language of instruction. Some employers need their domestic worker to get down to work immediately so it is a priority of short-term goals, and in this case, chores. But the long-term objective is to learn how to communicate more effectively with your worker. The key is not to overwhelm your domestic worker with learning a new language and the rules of your household all at once! Here are 4 tips to help your domestic worker get up to speed in a short time! 1. Provide a schedule  Create a weekly tim
Read more

The No. 1 most important thing to know before hiring a helper

Image
When you are shortlisting and reviewing potential helpers, you will need to look at their employment history. You can find this information on the  MOM website . Do note that this only shows her employment history in Singapore and not in other countries. HOW TO CHECK A FDW'S EMPLOYMENT HISTORY To access this information, you will need your Singpass details. To look up a particular helper, you need her full name or FIN number, date of birth, and nationality. Once you are on the page, you can see "Employment period", "Household size", "Housing Type" such as Landed, HDB, Private flat/apartment, "Cancellation Reasons" and "Expected Job Scope". WHAT TO LOOK FOR Source: MOM website First, look at the employment period column. In Singapore, a helper’s employment contract duration is 2 years. Look at how many contracts she has completed. If the helper has completed more than 1 employment contract, it means she has a good track record. Howev
Read more

How one of Singapore's largest Maid Agencies Transformed Their Migrant Domestic Worker (MDW) Training with Step Up

Image
Mr Tay Khoon Beng, Director of Best Home Employment Agency Photo: Best Home Best Home is a leading employment agency in Singapore with 26 years of experience in maid-employer matching, training, documentation and mediation. Their maid training program is conducted in-house with trainers providing training to domestic workers at local centres in their home countries. Although this method was effective in producing well-trained helpers, it was also time-consuming and sometimes inconsistent due to varying trainers' methods. In 2022, as the domestic help industry raced to resume operations post-pandemic, Mr Tay Khoon Beng, Director of Best Home started to look at solutions to improve maid training. “I wanted a standard online curriculum that could be used to train MDWs of all nationalities. E-learning was the way to go since all MDWs have mobile phones and can easily access the training materials even back at their home countries.” A comprehensive training curriculum The solution he fo
Read more