Interview Tips

Although we do take all measures to select the right maid or nanny and post her in our website, the maid may turn out to be a bad fit for your family. In the interview, you will be able to assess the nanny’s working skills, communication skills, and motivation. The following are tips that we strongly recommend that you read carefully.

1. Candidates Selection

Shortlist several candidates; screen and interview a minimum of 3-5 candidates so you have a basis for comparison and do not make rushed decisions. Moreover, good candidates get hired fast so make sure you select several candidates to avoid disappointment.

2. Interview Scheduling Tips

Contact maids and wait for replies; use both phone and Whatsapp when reaching out, and allow time for maids to reply to your inquiries.


Pick a location and time that suits the candidateto avoid cancellation; consider the maid’s time constraints, especially that they might still be working and finishing their contract. Hence, most may only be available to meet for an interview on weekends. Also, consider the distance of the meeting location, how close is it to a metro and any transportation costs she would incur. We recommend that you cover this cost if possible, as many agree to the meeting to satisfy potential employer but might cancel last minute if time and location are challenging.


Interview personally shortlisted candidates; interviews can happen face-to-face or via a video call. This process is difficult to outsource as it all depends on your click with the candidate and intuition.


Choose a quiet location; a place where you feel comfortable so you can fully concentrate on the interview. If you decide to meet a candidate in public, do it in a quiet place where you will not be disturbed. If you interview via phone or video call, make sure you have a good connection and will not be disturbed by your boss or crying children.


Introduce your child and other family members to the candidate; examine how well they interact.


Allow ample time for each interview; it may be tempting to meet as many candidates as possible in one day, but make sure you allow sufficient time for each one so you get to know the candidate as well as possible. Being rushed could mean overlooking some important personality traits.

3. Interviewing Tips

Prepare a summary of what you expect from the role; in terms of duties, working hours, days off, and the package you are offering. You can also use this summary to introduce your ethical and personal expectations to the candidates. Give all these aspects thought in advance and prepare a concise summary to share with the candidates in the interview.

Prepare a concise list of questions; it may be tempting to ask as many questions as possible, but the answers may overwhelm you, which will make it difficult to remember all the details. Make your own checklist, with a couple of important pointers with targeted clear questions.

Tailor your questions to what is most relevant to you; for example, whether they have experience with babies if your child is very young, or whether they are comfortable with pets if you have a dog.

Print out the question checklist in advance; this will help you recall the important details of your interview.

Show your best side; remember Interviews are mutual the candidate has to also decide whether she would like to work for you. Do not forget to smile but also act professionally.

4. Selections And Trial

Make a prompt decision; as employers may snatch up the best helpers quickly.

Carry out the working trial; once you find someone you like, you can opt to try her out for a day or two on a paid trial where you can start to show them the ropes, and see how you get along.

Trust your intuition; if none of the candidates feels right, don’t settle. It may be frustrating to contact more helpers, but after all, it is your family life that is at stake.

How To Make Your Offer Appealing

  1. Relationship with the employer (respect and living conditions and freedoms)
  2. Salary (many maids have a network of family members back home who rely on her for financial support)
  3. Allowances (provisions for food, toiletries, mobile, etc.)
  4. Type of work and responsibilities (workload and demands) Weekly time off, and daily work hours

For guidance on the interview questions visit our Sample Questions

For further information, we invite you to visit the FAQ section

What Is The Difference Between Nanny And Maid?

When deciding who you are looking to employ, think about the tasks they will be undertaking – or not, such as:

  1. It is a perfect answer to the challenge of how to allow your child to maintain the routine within the home environment rather than opting-in for day care centre.
  2. Laundry for the family or only the children
  3. Cooking meals for the children – or all the family
  4. Managing household administration

Whilst there will be some crossover between some of the tasks, there are some areas which are purely associated with being a nanny and some with a maid and knowing the scope of each role will help you decide who you realy like.

Being A Maid

A maid is a central part of the home. They manage many areas such as cleaning, laundry, cooking, shopping and can often be asked to undertake administrative responsibilities such as financial record-keeping.

A maid is a central part of the home. They manage many areas such as cleaning, laundry, cooking, shopping and can often be asked to undertake administrative responsibilities such as financial record-keeping.

Cleaning will be a pivotal responsibility for any maid but they will also have the task of ensuring that there is food available for meals on and that errands are carried out. In a large household, the maid may have cleaning staff they manage who will carry out the deeper cleaning jobs or have certain areas of the home they clean each day.

A maid will certainly have interaction with any children in the household but they won’t be expected to care for them; this is the job of the nanny.

Maids will either have professional qualifications or a raft of experience. Some will have specialist skills such as being a professional cook.

Luckily in UAE in General and Dubai, most maids have nanny experience, theirfore they can be a maid and nanny in the same time. However in such case you need to balance the tasks, for example do not expect the maid and nanny to take care of more than 2 children and do the complete household chores perfectly. Some moms are a stay home mom who can take care of the children if the maid is busy finishing her housechores.

Choose Who Is Right For You

Choosing the right person to be responsible for the care of your children or having the responsibility for the running of your home is one which takes careful consideration.

With the knowledge of the differences in the nanny and maid roles, talk to the professionals about your needs and they can set the ball rolling to find you someone who is experienced, hard-working and qualified. Maid Finder has been placing nannies and maids with families for 10 years and can answer all the questions you may have and then find you the right homecare to step in to support you in your busy life.

© Miadfinder All Rights Reserved

All website text is protected by international copyright law. Reproduction, public display, or distribution of this text without written permission from the creator is prohibited..