45 Interview Questions to Find the Right Domestic Helper (Plus Video Tips)
A practical list of 45 interview questions to help you find the right domestic helper for your family — grouped by topic (children, elderly, housekeeping, attitude, expectations) and paired with tips on how to listen, what to look out for, and how to use video calls effectively.
At a glance
Many employers only ask a few basic questions about experience and salary, then discover later that expectations do not match. A good interview should help you understand your helper’s:
- Past experience with children, elderly and housekeeping
- Attitude, patience and emotional maturity
- Communication style and how she responds to feedback
- Expectations about salary, rest days, phone use and privacy
This guide provides a structured question list you can use during in-person or video interviews.
Key areas to cover in an interview
Instead of jumping straight into “Can you cook?” or “Do you like children?”, it helps to structure your interview around a few key areas:
- Background & motivation – Why she wants to work, her family situation, and stability.
- Experience with children / infants – Very important if you have young kids.
- Experience with elderly – For families with seniors or medical needs.
- Housekeeping & cooking – How she cleans, organises and manages time.
- Attitude & communication – How she handles mistakes, stress and feedback.
- Expectations & boundaries – Rest days, phone use, sleeping arrangements, visitors.
The 45 questions later in this guide are grouped according to these areas so you can pick and choose based on your family needs.
How to run an effective interview (including video)
Whether you are interviewing in person or through Zoom / WhatsApp video, a simple structure makes the conversation smoother.
Start with a warm introduction
Briefly introduce your family first:
- Who lives in the home
- Who needs the most care (children, elderly, pets)
- Any special needs or health conditions (without sharing overly personal medical details)
This helps your helper understand your situation and feel more comfortable opening up.
Ask open-ended questions, not “yes/no” questions
Instead of asking “Do you know how to cook Chinese food?”, ask:
- “What dishes have you cooked for your previous employer?”
- “Tell me how you normally plan and prepare meals in a week.”
Open questions encourage her to share more detail and give you a clearer picture of her real experience.
Observe body language and tone, not only answers
During a video interview, notice:
- Does she look at the camera and listen carefully?
- Does she become defensive when asked about mistakes?
- Does she appear calm and respectful, or easily irritated?
Sometimes how she answers is more important than the exact words.
Clarify expectations clearly at the end
Before finishing, go through:
- Approximate daily schedule and working hours
- Rest days, handphone use and visitors
- Sleeping arrangements and privacy
Ask her if she is comfortable and if she has any questions. Misunderstandings usually happen when expectations are not discussed clearly.
45 interview questions you can use
Below are 45 interview questions grouped into six categories. You do not need to ask all 45 in one sitting — pick the ones most relevant to your family.
A. Background & motivation (7 questions)
- Can you tell me about your family and who you support back home?
- Why did you decide to work as a domestic helper?
- What do you hope to achieve by working in Singapore (for yourself and your family)?
- How long do you plan to work overseas?
- What did you like most about your previous employer?
- What was the most difficult part of your last job, and how did you handle it?
- Why are you leaving (or why did you leave) your previous employer?
B. Experience with children and infants (9 questions)
- Have you taken care of babies or young children before? What were their ages?
- Can you describe a typical day when you were caring for a baby or toddler?
- How do you handle a child who is crying non-stop?
- What would you do if a child refuses to eat during mealtime?
- How do you bathe an infant safely?
- Are you comfortable waking up at night to attend to a baby if needed?
- How do you discipline a child if they misbehave?
- What activities do you like to do with children indoors?
- Are you comfortable bringing children to the playground or downstairs on your own?
C. Experience with elderly care (8 questions)
- Have you taken care of elderly persons before? What were their ages and conditions?
- Are you comfortable helping with bathing, toileting or changing diapers for an elderly person?
- What would you do if the elderly person refuses to take medicine?
- Have you handled wheelchair transfers or assisting someone with limited mobility?
- How do you talk to an elderly person who is forgetful or repeats the same things?
- Are you able to accompany elderly to medical appointments and remember instructions?
- How would you react if the elderly person becomes upset, confused or shouts at you?
- Are you comfortable waking up at night to assist an elderly person if needed?
D. Housekeeping and cooking (9 questions)
- In your previous job, what household chores did you do every day?
- How do you usually plan your day to finish cleaning, laundry and cooking on time?
- What is your usual routine for cleaning toilets and bathrooms?
- How often do you normally change bed sheets and clean windows?
- What dishes are you most confident cooking?
- Have you cooked Chinese / Indonesian / simple Western food before? Please give examples.
- Are you willing to learn new recipes from videos or from my instructions?
- How do you make sure food is stored safely in the fridge and kitchen?
- How do you clean cooking oil and keep the kitchen grease-free?
E. Attitude, communication and personality (7 questions)
- When you make a mistake at work, what do you usually do?
- How do you prefer your employer to give you feedback or correction?
- Can you share a time when you had a misunderstanding with your employer and how it was resolved?
- What makes you feel stressed, and how do you manage your stress?
- Do you feel comfortable asking questions when you are unsure what to do?
- What kind of employer do you work best with?
- What are three words that describe your working style?
F. Expectations, rest days and boundaries (5 questions)
- What are your expectations for rest days and how do you prefer to spend them?
- Are you comfortable with our house rules about handphone use during working hours?
- Are you willing to share a room, and with whom have you shared rooms previously?
- How do you feel about CCTV being installed in common areas of the house?
- Is there anything you are not comfortable doing at work (for example, handling pets or eating certain foods)?
Video interview tips for employers
Many employers now interview helpers via video call before deciding. Here are a few simple tips to make video interviews more effective:
- Test your camera and microphone before the call.
- Sit in a quiet place so both of you can hear clearly.
- Keep your camera at eye level so communication feels more natural.
- Have your question list printed or on another device so you don’t keep looking away.
During the call, you can also:
- Ask her to walk you through her daily routine in detail.
- Role-play simple scenarios (e.g. child not listening, elderly refusing medicine).
- Observe facial expressions and body language when you ask tougher questions.
