Day 3- Big day with consultant Roseanne. We got our
Singpasses... which is basically registering ourselves with the Singapore
government so we can access certain websites. In the US, this would be a
painful endeavor... anything that is a government process is painful (trust me,
Rob just looked into absentee ballots for the election... it's basically
impossible to vote, and of course the DMV is another example) but in Singapore,
it's the opposite. Whether it's getting a Singpass or going to the
equivalent of Immigration, Singapore has their act together! Everything
is efficient, orderly, high tech... but also shepherded by polite,
well-skilled technicians. Fairly amazing for Americans used to utter chaos,
delays and rude people everywhere you turn when you have to work with any
government process. Now that we have our Singpasses, we can register for
our Foreign Domestic Worker online orientation class (3.5 hours of online
training so we can learn how to employ a helper/nanny/maid from outside
Singapore). Much more to come on that topic.
From there, we took a big step- we visited a "maid
agency". Many folks reading this will already know that this is
element of our Singapore adventure that has given me the most angst- but for
those who have no idea what I’m talking about, let me share some of the basics.
With two working parents and pre-school for Avery only 3 mornings a week,
a helper/maid/nanny is the only way to go in Singapore. In the States, a live-in nanny and maid is a
huge luxury, but here in Singapore, it’s the norm for even families who don’t
make very high salaries. In fact, the
affordable domestic worker industry has enabled a very high % of women to enter
the workforce (much higher than other parts of Asia). These women usually come from the Philippines,
Indonesia or China and make about ~$400-$450 US dollars PER MONTH with one day
per week off (usually, but not always). As an employer, you also agree
cover insurance, housing and food for the helper. Almost every newer condo in Singapore is required
to have a bomb shelter (usually off of the the outdoor area where the washer
and dryer are), and these rooms double as “maid quarters” for most
families. There is also a small bathroom
near the bomb shelters. The Singapore government
makes a huge profit on the Foreign Domestic Helper business- you have to pay
$265 Singapore dollars per month to the government.
When we came for our Look See, we visited a maid agency as well,
and honestly, we both got a pretty sick feeling from it. The room had
been piled up with suitcases of women who were clearly between families,
probably desperate to be hired before being deported, and the women in charge
talked about the "girls" as nothing more than a commodity (and I
think we were still at one of the better agencies). This time, Roseanne
took us to a different place where we met with Miss Connie. Miss Connie
listened to all of our needs and then let us look through the hand written bios
of a few women that she thought might work. Unlike the first agency we
had visited, Miss Connie doesn't post her maids' biodata on the internet.
If you are ever curious, google Singapore Maid and you can view hundreds
of women who are eager to come work in Singapore- it will blow your mind. In our situation, Miss Connie said that we
could actually come interview the following day... whoa... that is fast!
So while we toured Singapore for the next few hours learning where
to buy electronics, furniture, toys, etc., Roseanne kept up a nonstop
commentary on what she knows about hiring a maid. We totally lucked out
with Roseanne! She had hired many, many helpers/maids in the past for
fancy clients "high commissioner” this and that and she had a lot of great
pointers on what to ask, what to look for, you name it.
You would be amazed at what types of questions you are not only
permitted to ask, but should ask to make sure you end up with a helper who will
be the right fit for your family.
That night, I did some additional research on the internet of questions to ask, compiled that with what Roseanne had said, and then added in my own touch… all the great stuff J&J has taught me about behavioral interviewing, establishing rapport in the interview, etc. Rob made fun of me, rightfully so!
We actually only interviewed three people, and Jennifer was the
middle person. She is 30 years old,
non-married/no kids, from the Phillippines, likely under 4’10, and working in
Singapore to support her siblings in school.
She has a degree in computer science from the Phillippines and takes
classes in graphic design sometimes on her day off. Without getting into the answers to every
question… she simply fit everything we were looking for and she had a great
rapport with Avery and a really nice energy.
But what really sealed it is the reference from her current employer. I spoke to the reference right after the
interview and she said that she and her family were “devastated” to be losing
Jennifer and that they had not had a single problem or issue with her in the 4
years she had been working with them… .that’s pretty amazing as I’m fairly
certain none of my bosses can say that about me! So we hired her immediately with a $100 raise
vs. her previous employer before the Scottish lady in the interview room next
to us could snatch her up… fingers crossed that she is as wonderful as we hope!
So in order of priorities… we are making some amazing progress in
making the most important decisions in our life in Singapore! Lots more to come on this topic in future posts.
No comments:
Post a Comment