Taking care of your children and an entire household can be quite taxing, especially for working parents. There are plenty of chores that seem to have not enough time to accomplish, and that’s where hiring a maid or helper might be a solution. A maid can also be very helpful if you have young children or elderly in the house. That said, hiring a reliable and dependable maid might pose a challenge. Selecting a good maid agency is the first step to hiring a maid in Singapore. Only the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) licensed maid agencies are allowed to act as middlemen, but there are over 4,000 maid agencies in Singapore, making it impossible to know which to choose. We have done our research to bring you a list of the 7 best maid agencies in Singapore so that you can easily hire help when you need it.
This article is part of our Essential Home Services series. Find more services here.
This article was last updated on 10 August 2020.
How to find a good maid agency in Singapore
On top of their online portfolio and reviews, it is important to find out their scorecard of the maid agency on MOM’s maid agency directory. It will list the agency’s years of experience, placement volume, transfer rate, and retention rate, along with customer ratings and reviews. These metrics are important and I will explain them below:
- Years of experience: You will want to find a maid agency in Singapore that has been around for at least 5 years or more. A longer track record will give you more accurate performance, and you can determine whether the agency is consistent in hiring good maids.
- Placement volume: This is the number of foreign domestic worker (FDW) work passes that the agency applies for. The industry average is 61.69. A higher volume would indicate that the agency is active and professional. In the event that you would like to switch maids, it is likely they have more resources to help.
- Transfer rate: This is the percentage of FDWs that have been transferred to 3 or more employers within one year. The industry average is 1.42%. While not every maid might be suitable for every family, you will want to take note of this as a high percentage might mean that the maids might not be well-trained.
- Retention rate: This indicates the FDWs that stay with the same employer for at least one year. A standard contract is two years. This is a positive rating, and you will want a higher percentage, as that means the maids from the agency are consistent and steadily employed. The industry average is 44.33%.
- I have placed each company’s scorecard below.
Best Maid Agencies in Singapore
1. 121 Personnel Services
121 Personnel Services has the longest experience in the maid industry on this list. They have the highest retention rate of 6 Incorporated since 2002, they have 18 years of experience with maid hiring. They are MOM approved and also listed on CASETrust. Priding themselves on providing a trustworthy maid hiring service to families, they provide a complimentary 365 days guarantee with 2 maid replacements in the event you need them (read here to find out why it is important to have a free replacement guarantee). They also ensure to protect your interest and promise to provide transparent, all-inclusive pricing.
Additionally, 121 Personnel Services believes in building a long-term relationship with its customers and strives to ensure their satisfaction. They provide a Family Satisfaction program whereby you can reach out to them for assistance anytime. You can see the effectiveness of this program is reflected in their 0% transfer rate. Read their customer testimonials here. This maid agency has also been listed on SGHomeNeeds one of the best maid agencies in Singapore. They are also rated 4.6 (393 votes) on The Best Singapore.
Maid Agency Highlights:
- 365 Days Guarantee and 2 free maid replacements
- Transparent, all-inclusive pricing.
- MOM approved and accredited by CaseTrust
- 0% transfer rate
2. Eden Grace Maid Agency Singapore
Eden Grace Human Resources Pte Ltd aims to provide dependable maids for their families. This maid agency in Singapore uses a 3-pronged approach that focuses on quality selection, quality training, and an integration program to ensure their maids are well-trained and reliable.
Founder and managing director Sunny Wong understands the importance of a harmonious relationship between the employer and maid and hence steers his company in this direction. Eden Grace maid agency focuses on integrated programs and ensures to match the right helper for the family’s needs. On top of a strict screening process, all of their helpers are also given strict training that includes skill enhancement and English lessons. Priding themselves as one of the top Christian maid agencies in Singapore, they also have a Sunday program and accountability group for the maids under his company to attend, for them to grow in character. You can see their list of maids here.
Eden Grace is rated 4.7 on Google (154 reviews). Eden Grace has also received the Singapore Excellence Award in 2013/2014 and has been rated Best for Babies & Kids in 2015 and 2016. You can refer to their customer testimonials here.
Maid Agency Highlights:
- Focuses on matching the right helper to the family’s expectations and needs
- Strict pre-screening criteria that include personal interviews
- Gives quality training to their maids
- Has an integrated program that includes accountability meetings and training programs
- Check out their MOM scorecard below (This information is accurate at the time of posting. Please refer to MOM for the updated scorecard.)
| Website: www.edengracemaids.com Address: Eden Grace at Bishan, Blk. 18 Sin Ming Lane, #07-38 Midview City, Singapore 573960 Contact: 31564478 | 31564959 | +65 62625562 | +65 62625593 – 94 Email: [email protected] |
3. Universal Employment Agency Pte Ltd
Established in 1986, Universal Employment Agency has built up a strong reputation with one of the highest retention rates according to the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), earning the trust of many employers. They specialize in placements of foreign domestic helpers – be it new or transfer maids. With more than 30 years of experience in the business, their vast network of maids is credited to diligent sourcing. Extensive background checks and interviews are always conducted before the potential candidates are shared with you. Their Foreign Domestic Workers (FDWs) are mainly from the Philippines, Indonesia, and Myanmar.
Universal Employment Agency’s extensive scope of services include processing of work permits, comprehensive insurance coverage for maids, and even documentation and facilitation of direct-hired helpers who are not yet in Singapore. Due to the current situation with Covid-19, many employers are looking for transfer helpers as helpers currently are unable to fly in from overseas. What’s great is that Universal Employment Agency has a decent selection of transfer helpers available. Check out their Google and Facebook reviews for more information.
Maid Agency Highlights:
- More than 30 years of experience in the industry
- One of the highest retention rates according to MOM
- 4.9/5 stars Google reviews
4. Homekeeper
Homekeeper is one of the leading maid agencies in Singapore. They have been operating since 1998 and have served over 80,000 happy families. With 5 agency branches islandwide, you can easily visit one of their branches to hire a maid. Homekeeper has an extensive network recruitment network. They have partner training centres in Myanmar, Indonesia, Philippines, and India. They provide maid training and development to equip all their maids with necessary skills such as infant care, cooking, housekeeper, disability, and elderly care. If there are changes to your home care needs, Homekeeper also provides enhancement training for your maid.
Their aim is to make the entire process of hiring a maid as smooth as possible. Their support team will handle all applications, insurance, and passport requirements so that you can focus on choosing a maid that best fits your household needs. Homekeeper has impressive statistics on MOM, with a high placement volume way above industry average, and a retention rating of 43.59%. Their transfer rate of 2.89% may be slightly higher industry average of 1.42% but relative to their high placement volume, that is acceptable. They are rated 3.9 from 875 reviews and are one of the most reviewed maid agencies on MOM. You can also read their customer testimonials here.
Maid Agency Highlights:
- Impressive statistics on MOM
- High placement volume of 2219 with a high retention rate
- 5 branches conveniently located islandwide
| Website: www.homekeepermaidagency.com Branches
Contact: + 65 6468 5220 | +65 8515 5527 |
5. Island Maids
Founded in 2011, Island Maids has grown to become one of the more established maid agencies in Singapore. They are committed to providing a top-tier, high-quality maid hiring service. What stands out for Island Maids is they have an in-house training school, to ensure that their maids are well-trained in various areas such as cooking and elderly care. They are also an approved training provider for the Caregiver Training Grant. Their well-trained maids are reflected in their low transfer rate and high retention rate, indicating that most families are pleased with their helpers.
They have 5 branches located conveniently islandwide, at Ang Mo Kio, Bedok, Jurong, Yishun, Hougang, and Central so you can easily drop in at one of their outlets to hire a maid. To give you a smooth-sailing experience, they take care of the entire process, from initial interviews and selection to handling all the paperwork and administrative requirements such as work permit, maid insurance, travel arrangements, medical screening.
Island Maids is accredited on CASETrust and MOM approved. Read their customer testimonials here. Refer to their website for helpful information.
Maid Agency Highlights:
- They have their own in-house training school
- Approved training provider for caregiver grant
- 6 years of experience with relatively high placement volume and a good retention rate.
6. JL Maid Specialist
JL Maid Specialist prides themselves on their customer-oriented approach. Their friendly staff is committed to achieving a high level of professionalism, productivity, and standard of service. Having been in the maid industry for more than 8 years, they have provided maids to suit the different needs of families. Whether it is childcare, cooking, elderly care, or cleaning, their maids are well-trained to handle these tasks.
Their focus on delivering good customer service can be seen in their customer reviews. Rated 4.7 by 130 reviews, many customers have commended them for their helpful, detailed and prompt service. Their simple, fast and dependable process will make your maid hiring process a smooth-sailing one. They have 3 branches in Pasir Ris, Bishan, and Yishun.
Maid Agency Highlights:
- Well trained helpers
- Focuses on delivering a high standard of customer service
- Accredited Myanmar, Filipino, Indonesian, Mizoram maid agency
| Website: www.jlrecruitment.com.sg Address: Blk. 625, Elias Rd, #01-328 Elias Mall, Singapore, 510625 Contact:+65 6904 8488 |
7. Maid Avenue
Maid Avenue is one of the most reviewed maid agencies in Singapore. While being a relative newcomer in the maid industry, their impressive 4.9 Google rating is backed by 501 reviews. The reason for their good ratings is that they offer great maid hiring services at extremely affordable rates.
As customers are often frustrated with the high costs of hiring help, their mission is to lessen the financial burden on families that really need the extra help. They also offer a 2 to 5-month installment plan for families who need it. Their packages are simple and easy to understand, and they are upfront and transparent with their pricing. For a new maid, they also include a 12-month guarantee with 1 free maid replacement.
Despite only being a 2-years old company, Maid Avenue has already served over 2,569 customers. Their placement volume of 308 is way above industry average (61.69) and has exceeded many other maid agencies that have been around for longer. You can refer to their maids here.
Maid Agency Highlights:
- Affordable maid hiring service
- Upfront, transparent pricing with no hidden cost
- Well-reviewed and recommended by many customers
Things to consider when hiring a maid in Singapore:
Before hiring a maid, it would be important for you to consider the following.
What are the tasks you need help with?
Do you have certain needs that you require help with? Do you need a helper to take care of young children, or your elderly parents/grandparents? Or do you require help from the maid for general cleaning and household chores? Are there certain skillsets that you are particular about, i.e. cooking, good language, and communication skills for English/Chinese, years of experience working? List down your requirements and make sure to communicate them to the maid agency, so that they can better shortlist a maid for you.
Costs
Hiring a maid would definitely add to your finances. As you will be hiring a maid for the long-term, do calculate the costs of hiring a maid and ensure that it can fit with your budget. Make sure to also consider the additional costs such as medical expenses or emergency expenditure.
If you are tight on your budget but still require a maid due to circumstances, we suggest reaching out to Maid Avenue. They have very reasonable and transparent rates. Another alternative would be to hire a part-time helper to ease your chores. As you can determine the hours, job scope and commitment period, it can be more flexible on your budget. You can check out the 9 Best House Cleaning Services in Singapore 2020.
Living Arrangements
Once you have hired a maid, where is she going to stay in your house? Do allocate enough space to accommodate your maid, and ensure to make it relatively comfortable for her to live in. A happy maid will ensure that she will do her job and take care of your family members well. It would be best to have all these arrangements thought out thoroughly before she arrives in Singapore. If you do not have sufficient space in your home, but require a full-time helper, an alternative would be a live-out nanny.
I hope that this article has helped you to find a suitable maid agency in Singapore for hiring a maid. Please share this with your family and friends if you have found it useful.
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