Questions to Ask When Interviewing a Maid in Singapore (2026): The Complete Kit

A maid interview in Singapore is usually a 20 to 40 minute phone or video call that your agency arranges with a shortlisted helper. You use it to assess her real experience, check that her salary and rest-day expectations match yours, gauge how clearly she communicates, and judge whether she fits your household. Plan for 20 to 30 questions, and leave room for her to ask you questions too.

This guide is a copy-and-use bank of questions grouped by category, with what a strong answer sounds like versus a concerning one, plus the red flags that should make you pause. At Upwill we pre-screen every helper and sit in on the call, but the questions below let you lead it with confidence.

Before the interview: what to prepare

Five minutes of prep makes the call far more useful. Before you dial in, write down:

• Your job scope. List the real tasks: cooking, cleaning, laundry, childcare for specific ages, eldercare, pets, marketing. Be honest about the size of the home and the number of people.
• Your salary range. As of 2026, typical monthly ranges are Indonesian helpers S$550 to S$780, Filipino helpers S$620 to S$850, and Myanmar helpers S$550 to S$750. Our maid salary guide shows how scope and experience move the number.
• Your rest-day policy. Decide whether you offer a weekly day off or compensation in lieu, and at what rate. Read our rest days guide first so you can speak to it clearly.
• Your household profile. Family size, ages of children or elderly, languages spoken at home, pets, and any non-negotiables (for example no pork handling, or no phone during work hours).
• Languages. Note which languages matter. If an elderly parent speaks only Mandarin or a dialect, say so up front.

Have the helper's biodata and employment history open while you talk, so you can ask about specific past jobs rather than generic ones.

40+ interview questions, grouped by category

Pick the categories that match your household. You will not need all of them. Aim for 20 to 30 questions total.

(a) Experience and skills

• How many years have you worked as a domestic helper, and in which countries?
• Tell me about your most recent employer. What were your main duties?
• Why did you leave (or why are you planning to leave) your last job?
• How many people were in your last household, and what was the home like (HDB, condo, landed)?
• Which parts of the work do you enjoy most, and which do you find hardest?
• Have you handled a household on your own, or did you share duties with another helper?
• What new skill would you like to learn in your next job?

(b) Childcare

• What ages of children have you cared for, and for how long?
• Walk me through a typical morning getting a young child ready.
• How do you handle a toddler who is crying and will not settle?
• Are you comfortable bathing, feeding, and sleep-training an infant?
• How would you handle a child who refuses to eat or do homework?
• What would you do if a child had a fever while I was at work?
• Are you willing to follow our rules on screen time and snacks, even if the child pushes back?

(c) Eldercare and dementia

• Have you cared for an elderly person? What conditions did they have?
• Are you comfortable with mobility help: transferring from bed to wheelchair, supporting walking, assisting in the toilet and shower?
• Have you managed medication schedules? How did you keep track?
• Have you cared for someone with dementia? How did you handle confusion or agitation?
• How would you respond if an elderly person became angry or refused care?
• Are you comfortable with adult diapers, feeding tubes, or other personal care if needed?
• Can you cook soft or diabetic-friendly meals?

(d) Cooking and housework

• What cuisines can you cook? Can you cook Chinese, Malay, Indian, or Western dishes?
• Are you willing to learn new recipes from me or from videos?
• Are you comfortable handling pork and beef?
• How do you organise a full day of cleaning for a three-bedroom home?
• How do you handle ironing, hand-washing delicates, and folding?
• Have you used a washing machine, dryer, robot vacuum, or dishwasher?
• Are you comfortable caring for a pet (feeding, walking, cleaning up)?

(e) Expectations: salary, rest days, off-day, phone use

• What monthly salary are you hoping for?
• Are you comfortable with a weekly rest day, or would you prefer compensation in lieu on some weeks?
• If you take your day off, what do you usually do, and what time would you return?
• How do you feel about phone use during working hours? We allow it during breaks and after work.
• Are you willing to do occasional overtime or help with events, with fair compensation?
• Do you have any medical conditions or dietary needs we should plan for?
• Are you saving for anything specific back home? (This helps you understand her motivation.)

Under the MOM rules, a helper is entitled to one rest day a week, and any rest day she agrees to give up must be paid at no less than one day's salary. You also cannot pass insurance or levy costs to your helper. Be ready to confirm this, because a helper who knows her rights is a helper you can trust.

(f) Communication and English

• How would you rate your English, and what other languages do you speak?
• If you did not understand an instruction, what would you do?
• How do you prefer to receive instructions: spoken, written, or shown once?
• Can you read a simple shopping list or medication label in English?
• Tell me about a time you and an employer misunderstood each other. How did you fix it?

Listen to how she answers more than to her accent. A helper who asks a clarifying question when she does not understand is showing exactly the skill you want.

(g) Situational and scenario questions

• You are cooking dinner, the baby starts crying, and the doorbell rings. What do you do first?
• You break something expensive by accident. How do you handle it?
• I ask you to do a task differently from how you were trained. How do you respond?
• An elderly person falls while I am out. Walk me through your steps.
• You feel unwell but there is a lot of work that day. What do you do?
• You disagree with something I asked. How would you raise it with me?

(h) Red-flag probes

• How did you and your previous employers usually resolve disagreements?
• Have you ever transferred or ended a contract early? What happened?
• Is there anything in our job scope you are not willing to do?
• What would make you want to leave a job?
• Do you have any debts or agent fees you are still repaying? (Helps you spot pressure that could affect her.)

How to read the answers: green flags vs concerning answers

The texture of an answer matters more than its content: specific, calm, and honest beats polished and vague.

• Green flag: concrete detail. On childcare: "My last charge was 18 months. Porridge at 7am, nap at 9, books before the afternoon nap." Concerning: "I love children, I can do everything," with no specifics.
• Green flag: a plain account of a past departure, such as the children growing up. Concerning: blaming every past employer, or going silent and changing the subject.
• Green flag: she asks about the family, the elderly parent's condition, or the rest-day arrangement. Curiosity signals genuine engagement. Concerning: she asks only about salary and days off.
• Green flag: in a scenario she prioritises safety: "If the elderly person falls, I check for injury, do not move them if it looks serious, and call you and 995." Concerning: a confident answer that ignores safety, or "I don't know."
• Green flag: honesty about limits: "I have not cared for someone with dementia, but I am willing to learn." Concerning: claiming to have done everything perfectly.

For a fuller scoring framework, see our guide on the criteria to hire a maid in Singapore.

6 red flags that should make you pause

1. Evasive about past employers. Vagueness or blame across every previous job is the single most reliable warning sign. Cross-check with the employment-history checks.
2. Refuses to discuss the rest day. A helper who will not talk about her day off, or who insists on no rest day at all, raises both a welfare and a compliance concern.
3. Salary expectation far above the range. A request well above the 2026 norms for her nationality and experience, with no special skill to justify it, signals a mismatch or unrealistic expectations.
4. Coached, identical answers. If replies sound rehearsed and word-perfect, ask a follow-up scenario question. Genuine experience survives a follow-up; a script does not.
5. Unwilling to name any limits. Everyone has tasks they are weaker at. "I can do everything" usually means she has not thought it through, or is afraid to be honest.
6. Pressure or distress on the call. Signs that someone is feeding her answers, heavy agent-fee debt, or reluctance to speak freely all warrant a careful second conversation through your agency.

A fair word on nationality

Upwill places Indonesian, Filipino, and Myanmar helpers, and the individual matters far more than the nationality. Broad tendencies are starting points, not rules.

• Filipino helpers often have strong conversational English, which suits families who want easy communication or help with school-age children.
• Indonesian helpers are frequently praised for patient eldercare, and many speak Malay.
• Myanmar helpers tend to be newer to the role and are often described as gentle and eager to learn, a good fit where you can invest in training.

Plenty of Indonesian helpers speak excellent English, plenty of Filipino helpers are superb with the elderly, and plenty of first-time Myanmar helpers outperform veterans. Judge the person in front of you, not the passport.

Frequently asked questions

How long should a maid interview last?

Most calls run 20 to 40 minutes. That is enough to cover experience, expectations, communication, and a few scenarios without tiring either of you. If you are deciding between two helpers, a short second call often settles it.

How many questions should I prepare?

Plan for 20 to 30, drawn from the categories that match your household. Quality beats quantity: a handful of specific follow-up questions reveals more than a long generic checklist.

Should I interview by phone or video?

Video is better when you can manage it. Seeing facial expressions and body language helps you gauge warmth, confidence, and how she handles a tricky question. Phone is fine when a helper has limited connectivity overseas.

Can I ask about salary and rest days directly?

Yes, and you should. Setting clear expectations on salary and the weekly rest day during the interview prevents disputes later. Remember that under MOM rules a helper is entitled to one rest day a week, and a given-up rest day must be paid at one day's salary or more.

What if there is a language barrier?

Speak slowly, use simple sentences, and ask her to repeat instructions back to you. A helper who asks for clarification when unsure is showing good judgement. If communication still feels hard and language is critical for your home, that is useful information.

Can I trust what a helper tells me in the interview?

Mostly, but verify the important parts. Cross-check her stated experience against her biodata and references, and watch for consistency across the call. A reputable agency screens helpers before you ever speak to them.

What questions should I avoid?

Avoid questions that pressure a helper to waive her rights, such as asking her to agree to no rest day or to absorb levy or insurance costs, since employers cannot pass those costs on. Also skip overly personal questions unrelated to the job. Keep the focus on duties, experience, and fit.

Does Upwill help with the interview?

Yes. We pre-screen every helper, shortlist candidates who match your job scope, and arrange and sit in on the interview so nothing important is missed. Talk to our team and we will set up calls with helpers who actually fit your home.

Ready to interview the right shortlist?

The best interview starts with a good shortlist. Upwill pre-screens every helper, checks her history, and arranges the calls so you spend your time on candidates who genuinely fit. Explore our maid placement service or get in touch to start interviewing this week. As an MOM-licensed agency (EA Licence 24C2628), we offer a free replacement within 6 months if a placement does not work out, with no cash refund.