How to be a Great Employer

"And masters, treat your servants considerately. Be fair with them. Don't forget for a minute that you, too, serve a Master--God in heaven." Colossians 4:1

Our Hong Kong clients come to Arrow looking for high quality, trustworthy helpers. We do our best to select, train and help you find a helper who will serve your family with heart and mind. As your helper starts work, I encourage you to be a "great employer". Arrow has a reputation among helpers as being the company who attracts "good employers". Here are eight things to keep in mind.

Welcome Them: We suggest that you provide them with a small welcome basket of things they might need like: shampoo, hand-towels, etc. They will considerate this small act of kindness to be a VERY BIG thing. We give them HK$200 of pocket money when they arrive, but that does not go very far. Please consider giving them a small advance on their first month's salary.

Be Patient! Your helper will need some time to learn your ways and get accustomed to HK. Please plan on teaching your ways to them gradually. You should expect that you will need to repeat yourself. Repetition is a key to learning and teaching. No one learns anything well or correctly the first time. No matter how fluent your helper's English is, it will take time for her to get used to your accent and for you to get used to her accent. Expect a lot of "pardon?" and "Sir, Mum, can you please repeat that."

Homesickness: Your helper may experience culture shock and some emotional trauma. They usually struggle with loneliness, fear and a general feeling of displacement. Imagine leaving your family to go and work in another country, in a stranger's home, and you'll understand their situation. Signs of homesickness may include: daydreaming, carelessness, forgetting things you've just told them, etc. They are not stupid or inherently careless, but rather they deeply miss their spouses and children. Please be kind and considerate of their situation. Give them time to adjust. Ask to see pictures of their family. Learn the names of their spouse and children. If you are person of faith, pray with them and for them. They will be trying their best to learn your ways and meet your expectations.

Food: The contract stipulates that you are responsible for their upkeep. Proverbs 31 describes the godly woman as one "gets up while it is still night, and provides food for her household and a portion to her female servants." Please be sensitive to their dietary needs. Filipinos love breakfast. Some will eat bread with coffee, others want to fry up some left-over rice with an egg and some seasoning for breakfast. To Filipinos, breakfast is an important meal. Moreover, your helper will be doing hard physical labor, so they need a higher calorie intake than a typical office worker. Don't assume they will help themselves to a portion of the dinner. Please talk to them clearly about food and meals. Stockpiles of crackers in their room is a sure sign that they are not getting enough to eat. If you see this behavior, sit them down and have a talk.   

Communication and Anger: HK people and Filipinos communicate differently. Filipinos usually avoid conflict whenever possible. HK people are often quick to confront. When confronted with anger Filipinos will naturally keep quiet and will not answer angry questions, but often will repeat "Yes, mum. Okay, mum." They are afraid that a longer answer will escalate the conflict.

Clear Expectations: Make your expectations clear. If you have a set work schedule, please put it in writing. Don't allow little things to build up into big issues. Better to correct them early, rather than wait and then lose your temper. Clear expectations in the beginning are helpful. We suggest you ask your helper to repeat in her own words what you have asked her to do. Allow her to give you the job briefing so that you are sure she understands. If you only ask "Do you understand?" she will probably say "Yes, sir" or "yes, mum", even if the real answer is "No". We also encourage the helpers to communicate in full English sentences like "Yes, mum; you want me to wash the dishes, then put the baby to bed. Is that right?", rather than just "Okay mum".

Day Off: If at all possible, allow them to have Sunday as their day off. Arrow helpers gather together on Sunday to learn about Jesus and to support and encourage one another. Being together with other Arrow ladies will give them strength and encouragement. We know you are a loving employer, but believe or not, your helper may have thoughts of quitting within the first few months. This is natural. Meeting with others keeps them going from week to week.

Telephone Usage: Your helper probably has a cell phone. We use text messaging to coach and encourage them. Please make your phone rules clear to your helper, and we'll try not to contact her during those times you have asked her not to use the phone. If you see your helper using her phone for text, it is likely she is asking for help with a recipe or some work related matter.   

It takes two months from when you sign the contract until your helper arrives. You should expect that it will take another two months for your helper to learn your ways and fit into your family. It will happen! Pray for them and care for them. By being patient and taking time to teach your ways to your helper, you will gain a terrific worker and maybe even a lifelong friend. If you are kind and sensitive to them, you will earn their love and respect and your helper will sacrifically serve you.

@copyright    Allan Smith, Arrow Employment Services