STAFF LISTS
BWA maintains a staff lists folder. If you would like to forward a copy reference for an employee when you are moving from Jakarta please email [email protected] or ask your staff to visit the house with a copy.
Members and non-members are welcome to visit BWA House to view the staff lists folder in person if you are seeking a new member of staff for your household. Please note: BWA is not accountable for the reliability of references nor for the conduct of any staff interviewed or hired from the staff lists. BWA offers this service for free to all.
NOTE:
Most expatriates transfer in/out of Indonesia during June/July and December/January. Some staff might wait until new families arrive to obtain employment. If references and entry to the staff list are dated some time in the past, it is not necessarily a poor reflection of their abilities. Negotiate your own terms of employment directly with prospective employees (their previous duties, days of work, salary etc are provided only as a guideline).
A Note from the an Expat Spouse ...... . June 2017
Hello fellow expats, BWA members,
We are leaving Jakarta at the end of June after 6 years. And easily some of the best years of my expat journey. It will be a hard goodbye for many, many reasons but one of the most difficult parts will be to say goodbye to my staff. A big positive part of living in Indonesia is the privilege we have to be able to employ people who make our lives easier.
I have been helping my staff to look for other positions. And I have communicated with a lot of people who want information on them. And this is why I am writing this note because the question "are they fluent in English/can they speak English well" seems to come up a lot. The answer is "NO, NO and NO!! Because it's not their first language, it's probably not even their second language! And if they WERE fluent they would probably not be working as gardeners or domestic workers. So can I please ask everyone looking for help at home, learn some basic Bahasa Indonesia and take time to teach them some English. You need loyalty and commitment, you don't need a linguist or someone with a diploma. Don't write someone off because they don't understand you immediately when you call them.
I understand its rather scary to think you will have someone in your house who doesn't understand you, but you will have that wherever you go in Indonesia, and these people are desperate to please you and do the best job they can, so be patient, take a little more time to understand and know that whatever you accomplish to teach them in your short time in their country will mean the world to them and their future employment. When I initially met our live in maid, she was extremely shy and could hardly communicate in English. But I took a chance on her, best decision I made. She is fiercely loyal and a wonderful soul. In the beginning we used a lot of hand gestures, google translate (me) and landed up with some mistakes, but we worked it out and she has become part of my family.
You need references, and you need a 'feel' for a maid/nanny/housekeeper. Mostly trust your instinct and meet them face-to-face.
ANON
BWA maintains a staff lists folder. If you would like to forward a copy reference for an employee when you are moving from Jakarta please email [email protected] or ask your staff to visit the house with a copy.
Members and non-members are welcome to visit BWA House to view the staff lists folder in person if you are seeking a new member of staff for your household. Please note: BWA is not accountable for the reliability of references nor for the conduct of any staff interviewed or hired from the staff lists. BWA offers this service for free to all.
NOTE:
Most expatriates transfer in/out of Indonesia during June/July and December/January. Some staff might wait until new families arrive to obtain employment. If references and entry to the staff list are dated some time in the past, it is not necessarily a poor reflection of their abilities. Negotiate your own terms of employment directly with prospective employees (their previous duties, days of work, salary etc are provided only as a guideline).
A Note from the an Expat Spouse ...... . June 2017
Hello fellow expats, BWA members,
We are leaving Jakarta at the end of June after 6 years. And easily some of the best years of my expat journey. It will be a hard goodbye for many, many reasons but one of the most difficult parts will be to say goodbye to my staff. A big positive part of living in Indonesia is the privilege we have to be able to employ people who make our lives easier.
I have been helping my staff to look for other positions. And I have communicated with a lot of people who want information on them. And this is why I am writing this note because the question "are they fluent in English/can they speak English well" seems to come up a lot. The answer is "NO, NO and NO!! Because it's not their first language, it's probably not even their second language! And if they WERE fluent they would probably not be working as gardeners or domestic workers. So can I please ask everyone looking for help at home, learn some basic Bahasa Indonesia and take time to teach them some English. You need loyalty and commitment, you don't need a linguist or someone with a diploma. Don't write someone off because they don't understand you immediately when you call them.
I understand its rather scary to think you will have someone in your house who doesn't understand you, but you will have that wherever you go in Indonesia, and these people are desperate to please you and do the best job they can, so be patient, take a little more time to understand and know that whatever you accomplish to teach them in your short time in their country will mean the world to them and their future employment. When I initially met our live in maid, she was extremely shy and could hardly communicate in English. But I took a chance on her, best decision I made. She is fiercely loyal and a wonderful soul. In the beginning we used a lot of hand gestures, google translate (me) and landed up with some mistakes, but we worked it out and she has become part of my family.
You need references, and you need a 'feel' for a maid/nanny/housekeeper. Mostly trust your instinct and meet them face-to-face.
ANON