Handy Hints to Help In Hiring a Housekeeper

Everyone has gone through days when cleaning the house has been the last thing on their mind. If you're tired after a long day at work, you definitely don't want to come home and clean the house for another couple of hours. Then what do you do? You could hire a housekeeper.

If the idea sounds appealing, first you have to decide on what exactly you want done around the house. Once that's decided, you have to consider whether you want to employ a housekeeper directly or through a cleaning service. If you decide to do it on your own, there are a couple of pointers to bear in mind.

Finding a houskeeper
To start with, you could ask friends and family members for referrals. If they refer someone whose work they like, you will probably be satisfied too. If you have access to a computer, you could search your area for a local housekeeper by going to www.SmartGuy.com.

References
Once you find a few candidates, be sure to ask them for referrals, even if they come through people you know. Talk to the interviewees about themselves. Don't be shy about asking them questions you think are important. Ask them what kind of cleaning work they don't do. An important question would be to ask them why they've chosen this particular profession. If they say that it's just something to do between jobs, then it would be better not to hire the person. The person would probably not be too committed to the job and would most likely leave at the first opportunity.

Trial Period
If, after the interview, you like someone, you could set up a trial period. It should ideally be between two-four weeks. This gives you enough time to decide if you are happy with the service provided. You also have to settle on the payment. Whether you want to pay a flat fee or hourly wages?

Employment laws
One of the most important things you have to be well informed about is the employment laws. You have to make sure the person you're hiring is legally allowed to work in the USA. Asking for the social security number and a copy of the driver's license is important. You will also have to pay certain taxes for the person.

At the end of the day, hiring a housekeeper is not as easy as it seems. You are inviting a stranger into your house. Even after you have got all the details of the person you are considering, it is important going along with your intuition. If your gut instinct tells you the person is not right, despite all the correct papers, look around till you find the right person.