Are You Afraid of Your Employees?

Often I am asked to lecture before a mom's group on
the subject of Hiring and Training Household Help!
This is always very informative not only to the
attendees but also to me. Invariably, I walk away
learning so much about how people conduct themselves
as employers, and I am never surprised to discover how
so many are actually walking on eggshells around their
domestics. The usual comment is, "but I don't want to
upset her because if I do, she may never come back to
work for me." Interestingly, with the deluge of
people who work in this capacity, one would think that
the supply is plentiful enough to cause less concern
over one terminating. However, in spite of this well-known
fact, most employers don't want to make waves,
especially once the children get attached.

So how do we actually prevent this kind of situation
where the employer is not in charge and calling the
shots? The first thing that one should keep in mind
when hiring any candidate is their level of
flexibility, attitude and ability to accept
constructive criticism. All of us who have ever
worked for anyone know that when a boss makes it clear
that a mistake has occurred, the natural response is
to rectify this and do our best to never have it
happen again. This would be the logical way of
preserving our job. It should be no different when we
are the employers of a domestic. Correcting your
employee can be done in a constructive manner so that
the domestic knows that you are simply trying to help
get the job done right. There is really no need to be
over-sensitive when you are being corrected. Learning
is a gift - and if the teacher does a good job at it,
then you walk away with better skills and training.

It isn't always just what you say that makes a person
uncomfortable, it is 'how' you say it. Sit down with
your employee and take your list of all the things
that are not working out so well in your home and go
over the list carefully. There is no need to blurt
out some nasty comments about your inability to
understand why these things aren't being completed.
Just stay calm and have the presence of mind to speak
clearly and quietly about the problems while offering
suggestions on how they can get solved. This type of
review session can happen every three months or as
needed. You will want to have a few of these sessions
closer together during the first year of employment
just to be sure that your new employee is adjusting
properly to what is expected on the job.

The only result that can occur when you do not address
the employee is a very frustrating situation for, you,
the employer. Eventually, you will simply reach a
point of no return and terminate the employee over
something very insignificant because of all the
disappointment over the problems that you have kept
pent-up inside you. Address each situation as it
occurs and nip it in the bud so that the employee
learns along the way. If an attitude ensues, then sit
down again and explain that there is no need to feel
uncomfortable about doing things differently. It is a
learning process, and it takes time to adjust to a new
home and a new employer. The ultimate goal should be
that the employee/employer relationship is maintained
with equal respect, non-confrontational and in a
professional manner.