After you have decided to hire a housekeeper and have picked a few possible candidates, it comes the most difficult part of the process- to choose the right one for you.
This might seems quite intimidating, that’s why you may choose to use the services of an agency to find you the right person, but when you are letting a stranger in your home, the appraisal should be yours and yours alone.Before you meet potential candidates, ask them to send you the following documents:
- A copy of their passport
- A CV
- References from past and current employers
- A copy of gas or electricity bill
- A poof of NIN or Tax Office registration if they are self-employed
It is important that you check this information in advance, before you meet the candidates.
If you are certain that the housekeeper meets your requirements, ask him/her to an interview at your home.
The interview should be relaxed and informal. You can ask how they will react in a certain situation and why they will react in this way, introduce them to your family and pets. Children and pets are very good at judging one’s personality, so consider their opinion.
So, you have found the right person. What comes next?
If you have used the professional help of an agency to find you a housekeeper, they will deal with all the formalities like a contract, insurance, payment and taxes for you.
It might be a good idea to ask for a trial period, maybe 4 weeks, to see if it is going to work.
It is important that you make a list with the obligations and responsibilities of the housekeeper and set the rules that must be kept in your home e.g. the use of the telephone, the Internet etc.
If you are hiring a housekeeper direct, without using the services of an agency, you have to do some checks yourself. If you have the time to do, it is worth it- you can save between £500- £1000.
- Check the references- ask for a minimum of 2 references, preferably more. It is best if you phone the referees and talk to them- ask about the standard of work of the candidate, their ability to cope should a situation arise, their attitude, punctuality, appearance. What was the reason for them leaving this position?
- Copy all the candidate’s documents
- Check that they are allowed to work in the UK. You can check their eligibility here: http://www.gov.uk/legal-right-to-work-in-the-uk
- Check with Inland Revenue whether you have to pay tax if you hire a housekeeper. You can find useful information on the Tax Office website: http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/working/emp-in-home.htm.
- Ask for a CRB check. The Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) and the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA) have merged into the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). CRB checks are now called DBS checks: http://www.crb-checkonline.co.uk.
It may seem that there is a lot of work involved and that it can be quite time consuming choosing and hiring a housekeeper but it is all worth it in the end. If you find the right person who not only does a great job but has a nice personality as well, then you can rest assured that your home is in good hands.
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