To direct hire a transfer maid or a new inbound one in Singapore depends on a few factors. Besides the cost there are qualitative matters such the tasks you would like them to do and the expectations you have with regards to proficiency, language skills and experience. It helps if you clearly define your objectives of hiring a maid and prioritise the most important tasks you want your maids to do. Be realistic and understand that the higher your requirements, the higher the investment.
Transfer maids in Singapore are those who have worked/are working in Singapore and have experience while new maids are brought in totally new in Singapore without any working experience.
Prospective employers of Singapore transfer maids can obtain a lot and clear information regarding their employment history, character and working pattern through the maid agencies in Singapore. New maids do not have employment history for prospective employers to examine, so the risks of a mismatch are higher.
Transfer Maids
Transfer maids will have work experience in Singapore. Conducting an interview in person is therefore possible and to get the employment history is very easy, hence you can evaluate suitability and match transfer maids to your requirements quite well.
You can hire transfer maids directly from the current employer (subject to their agreement). The reasons for transfer maids seeking a new employer can vary from the employer no longer requiring the maid to the maid looking for a new challenge and new working environment.
Employing transfer maids in Singapore is popular for a few reasons.
Employers can personally interview maids and check the efficiency, skill, work ethic and experience of the maid.
The lifestyle and language of Singaporeans is not a shock for the transfer maids because she is residing in Singapore for quite some time.
The recruitment costs for these maids are not so high.
On the down side, the experience of these maids commands a higher salary and better fringe benefits e.g. with regards to home leave, accommodation, days-off etc. These maids are more seasoned, which is great but comes at a price.
New Maids
The process of hiring a new maid is usually more expensive. Cheapest is to hire directly. This involves some work, but is quite easy to do these days with most things being done online. The costs of a direct hire depends most on the nationality of the maid and can range from SGD 500 – SGD 2000 depending on nationality and circumstances. Maid agencies can help you, but in Singapore will normally charge a fee of about S$4,000, which covers all the requirements needed for a new maids to come to Singapore.
Whereas transfer maids have the benefit of being are more seasoned in Singapore and will demand more from their employers, new maids may demand less but need to be trained, which is more work. Those that are picky about how work gets done may favour these category though since new maids offer the opportunity to train them in the way the employers wants.
If you hire directly, the prospective employer must obtain all the legal documents before employing the transfer maids.
How To Hire Directly (both transfer and new maids)
Helpermatch is a new platform that supports both maids and employers to connect without the use of an agency. It enables good matching between the needs of the parties and helps in the discovery and negotiation of the contract. It even provides a chat environment, agreement templates and a vault to safe keep important documents. Helpermatch is an eco system that aims to support a properly structured process, clear agreement and good care. All for free.
More information on hiring a directly maid can be found here
