Abu Dhabi: An online maid recruitment service in the UAE is offering residents the chance to select the right candidate by viewing hundreds of professional CVs and video interviews of prospective househelp.
The website maidcv.com features a database of professionally prepared resumes and also YouTube videos in which prospective house help talk about their expertise and expectations.
French expat Eugenie Chenut, co-founder of maidcv.com told XPRESS the website was launched in 2012 to help residents make informed choices when recruiting a domestic help. “A video can speak volumes about a candidate,” said Chenut, who moved to the UAE two years ago with her husband.
With maidcv.com, residents can access a large database of housemaids by paying a monthly fee of Dh450. Paid members can use multi-search criteria based on salary, age, nationality, work experience and more, and contact the candidate directly.
For instance, Jeanette Bautista, a Filipino school helper, in a pre-recorded video interview on maidcv.com says she is willing to work only in Dubai and her expected salary is between Dh1,800 and Dh2,000.
The candidate then goes on to answer a series of questions posed by the interviewer such as her responsibilities and why she wants to leave her current job.
Housemaids can be contacted by phone or emails given on their CVs. Paid members can also have face to face interviews with the shortlisted candidates.
Chenut said the idea of launching an online portal of housemaids stemmed from her own experience in looking for one. “It was a nightmare to find a house help and most of the time you have to depend on word of mouth.”
The resumes prepared by the portal have details of the maid’s previous employment, language proficiency and visa status. The website also offers tips for recruiting maids, sponsoring maids and employee and employer codes of conduct.
According to Chenut, nine new CVS are posted on the website daily and the service is free for housemaids. Every candidate on the website is given professional training in housekeeping and basic communication skills.
