Tips On Choosing A Maid Agency In Singapore

The number of migrant domestic workers (MDW), or foreign domestic workers (FDW), or maids in short, has been increasing year on year since 2013 with the only exceptions during Covid-19 affected years between 2020 and 2021 (refer to fig.1). Today, there are over 280,000 maids working in Singapore. That brings us to the fact that a ratio of 1 out of every 5 households in Singapore currently hires a maid to work for them. 

Fig.1 – source: https://www.statista.com/statistics/953137/singapore-foreign-domestic-workers-employed/

With over 2,000 maid agencies in Singapore, it is crucial for you to know how to shortlist and select the right agency for you which will help you save time instead of arranging appointments after appointments with each agency. To help you with this, we will be sharing some tips in this article to help make your journey smooth and enjoyable.

1. Accreditation

At times when we are given too many choices, probably the wisest move will be to eliminate some of them, and the best way to do this in our case is to check for the Ministry of Manpower’s (MOM) accredited status on the agency. On the MOM website, they provide a full list of licensed maid agencies in Singapore, and also keep track of a suspension list where these agencies might have one or multiple counts of penalties in their business operations.

2. R&R (Reputation & Reviews)

In this computerized age, businesses can no longer provide a bad service and get away with it. To start off, the agencies you have moved forward with should have a website and a Google business listing online. You can probably find real customers’ feedback and reviews about the services they provided, which should give you a good idea if the agency is worth a visit or not.

3. Word Of Mouth

Another way to fast track the agency selection process is surely by word of mouth. We’ve shared in the beginning of the article that 1 in every 5 households have a maid in their family today. You would not be surprised to already know 5 to 10 friends and relatives who have had a maid or hired a maid previously. You’ll be getting first-hand feedback and recommendations from a trusted source when you reach out to them.

4. Services Provided By The Agency

Now back to the way of elimination, this time by the services provided. Imagine you are hiring a helper to take care of your old grandparent, would you contact an agency who specializes in infant care? Or the one who provides well-trained elderly caretakers? The answer should be obvious, but do you know that MOM has a scheme that allows approved employment agencies to house elderly care helpers in Singapore before they are employed? This means that you as an employer are able to physically visit the agency and interview the helper before deciding to move forward or not. You can find out more about the MOM approved agencies with Advanced Placement Scheme (APS) here.

5. Agency Fees

If you and your family have decided to hire a live-in maid, you must already know that some costs are involved. Agencies typically charge for the same services they provide, for example employment pass application, medical checkup, maid insurance, lodging and flight fees and so on, though the amount may differ slightly. One cost which you may find a wider range will be the agency fee. This fee normally includes the end-to-end service provided by the agency representative, and also all the training and assessments the helper undergoes in their home country as well as in Singapore before they are deployed. Although costs are always a priority topic in any purchase, the difference is usually not by much for our industry.

6. Interview Process

The final stage before deciding on a FDW is the actual interview session. Interviews are usually conducted via a video call with a representative from the agency, and the shortlisted helper, while at times when the helper is already in Singapore for example a APS elderly care maid, or in the case of a transfer maid, you may be able to interview the candidate in person. The agency representatives should assist you in formulating questions, and providing constructive feedback when more than one FDW has been interviewed. Not to mention a good agency representative should also keep sourcing new helpers’ biodata for you during the selection process.

Conclusion

Most of us today are spoilt for choice when looking for a foreign domestic worker (FDW) in Singapore, but fret not because we are here for you. Whether you are new to this and have not engaged a maid agency before, or you have a maid currently who you have thoughts of replacing, reach out to us for a non-obligation call or appointment at your convenience.