Saturday, November 1, 2008

7 Effective Ways To Retain Your Domestic Helpers

By Alice Sy

There are more than a few things to remember if you plan on being the ideal employer to your highly dependable domestic helper. By being one, you will surely be able to keep your household help more loyal and devoted to her assigned duties at home. Of course you can always hire helpers as often as you can, but the truly reliable ones are few and far between.

Being a good employer means that your domestic helper will be more inclined to stay with you, instead of choosing to work with someone else. As much as possible, you have to make your helper feel that she is an important part of the family, even at the outset. This is also the ideal time to let her know your standards and guidelines in keeping the house clean and well taken care of.

Since your helper also has her set of needs and personal goals, you have to be able to provide a decent monthly or weekly pay and clearly defined periodic bonuses and cash advances, if any. This will help your helper to form realistic expectations from the start, and to avoid any misconceptions about the paying process and other assumed benefits.

Your domestic helper moreover, should be provided with a clean and relaxed sleeping quarters or her own space where she feels most comfortable in. After an entire day of looking after the house or taking care of the children, she deserves to relax in a suitable area within the home.

Good communication is also important for an enduring relationship with your home help to last. You have to keep your helper updated on the changes in the household and be open to his or concerns, suggestions, and reports as well. Your home help should not have any problems when it comes to communicating with you and the rest of the household members.

Giving holiday bonuses to your household help will allow her to feel more appreciated and more accepted. This will also serve as a motivational tool for your helper to accomplish the family duties more faithfully and steadfastly.

You should also set aside a day-off from work each week, and give your faithful helper a few surprises and perks every now and then. Giving her free movie tickets, gift certificates to the salon or an entire weekend off occasionally will certainly help cement her loyalty and genuine concern for the entire family.

Looking out for the motivation and satisfaction of your house helper is essential if you don?t want to go around looking for new maids every few months or so. Little things can already go a long way if you want your domestic helper to stay for longer. - 15478

About the Author: