English and Bahasa Indonesia
A bilingual English and Bahasa Indonesia question sheet for Singapore employers interviewing an Indonesian domestic helper candidate. Each numbered pair gives the English question followed by a natural Bahasa Indonesia version and a short note on what to clarify from the answer. The questions focus on duties actually performed, daily routines, cooking evidence, care tasks, communication and unresolved items. Use the general interview checklist for the full household brief and comparison record; this sheet adds the language layer for an Indonesian candidate conversation.
Share your household duties, daily language and preferred start date. Apex checks the current Indonesian shortlist before sending biodata and arranging interviews.
Biodata is hosted on SearchMaid and may require a login. You can request a shortlist directly on WhatsApp.
By APEX Maids Agency Pte. Ltd. · MOM EA Licence 25C3180 · UEN 202547196H. Based in Jurong West and serving households across Singapore. Our website is apexmaids.sg and our phone is 8405 6661.
Indonesian nationality does not guarantee that the candidate speaks Bahasa Indonesia fluently, or that Bahasa Indonesia is the same as Malay. Ask which language she prefers for the interview. If your household uses a different language day to day, test that language too. One rehearsed English greeting is not evidence of working English. If a question or answer remains unclear, arrange a follow-up with a suitable person rather than treating the misunderstanding as inability.
Read the English question first, then use the Bahasa Indonesia version if the candidate prefers it. Check the meaning together and ask a follow-up when an answer is unclear. The question pairs are a conversation aid; the linked MOM resources below explain general interview practice.
There is no answer-entry form on this page. Keep your interview notes privately, without unnecessary identity or past-family details.
1. What duties did you do in your previous household, and which ones were your own responsibility?
Tugas apa saja yang Anda lakukan di rumah tangga tempat Anda bekerja sebelumnya, dan tugas mana yang menjadi tanggung jawab Anda sendiri?
Clarify: Which duties she handled independently versus shared. Compare with the duties your household actually needs.
2. Can you describe a typical working day from morning to evening?
Bisakah Anda menceritakan kegiatan Anda pada hari kerja, dari pagi hingga malam?
Clarify: The actual sequence of tasks and which ones overlapped. Note whether the routine fits a household similar to yours.
3. What dishes do you cook regularly? Please describe how you prepare one of them.
Masakan apa yang biasa Anda masak? Tolong ceritakan cara Anda memasak salah satunya.
Clarify: The actual recipe or process, not just a dish name. Ask whether she planned shopping or followed instructions, and for how many people she cooked.
4. Have you cared for children before? What ages, and what did you do each day?
Apakah Anda pernah merawat anak-anak? Berapa usia mereka, dan tugas apa saja yang Anda lakukan setiap hari?
Clarify: The actual ages and daily care tasks. Do not request private past-family details; focus on duties performed in a work setting and how she learned them.
5. Have you helped care for an elderly person? What assistance did you provide each day?
Apakah Anda pernah membantu merawat orang lanjut usia? Bantuan apa yang Anda berikan setiap hari?
Clarify: The specific daily assistance, mobility needs and supervision involved. This does not assess clinical qualification.
6. If I give you an instruction you do not fully understand, what will you do?
Kalau saya memberikan instruksi yang tidak sepenuhnya Anda mengerti, apa yang akan Anda lakukan?
Clarify: Whether she asks for help or tries to guess. A willingness to ask is more useful than a claim of understanding everything.
7. Can you explain back to me, in your own words, what your main daily tasks in this household would be?
Bisakah Anda menjelaskan kembali, dengan kata-kata Anda sendiri, tugas utama Anda setiap hari di rumah ini?
Clarify: Whether she understood the household description you gave. Gaps show where further explanation or a follow-up conversation is needed.
8. Which of these duties would you need training or help with?
Untuk tugas apa saja Anda masih memerlukan pelatihan atau bantuan?
Clarify: Honest identification of gaps is more useful than a claim of being able to do everything. Note which duties your family can teach during the first weeks.
9. If something goes wrong with a task, or there is a problem you cannot solve alone, how will you tell us?
Kalau ada masalah dengan suatu tugas, atau ada hal yang tidak bisa Anda selesaikan sendiri, bagaimana Anda akan menyampaikan masalahnya kepada kami?
Clarify: Whether she will raise the problem promptly and how. Agree on a practical way to communicate issues.
10. Do you have questions about this household, the duties or the arrangements?
Apakah Anda memiliki pertanyaan tentang rumah ini, tugas-tugasnya, atau pengaturan yang berlaku?
Clarify: Give her space to ask about the household, the people she will work with, rest arrangements and anything she is unsure about. Her questions also show what she understood.
11. Let us review what we have discussed. What have we agreed, and what still needs checking?
Mari kita tinjau apa yang sudah kita bicarakan. Apa yang sudah disepakati, dan apa yang masih perlu diperiksa?
Clarify: Confirm what each side understood. Note unresolved items separately: an unresolved point is not an agreement.
This is a hypothetical illustration using labels only, not an Apex placement, customer story or assessment of a real candidate.
Question asked: "What dishes do you cook regularly? Please describe how you prepare one of them."
| Factor | Candidate A | Candidate B |
|---|---|---|
| Dishes named | Specific dishes with ingredients listed | "I can cook anything" |
| Preparation detail | Described steps, timing and serving portions | No specific process given |
| Shopping responsibility | Planned weekly marketing for the household | Not discussed |
| Your follow-up | Ask whether she can prepare your family's regular meals | Ask for at least one specific dish and how she makes it |
Swipe sideways on a phone to read the remaining columns.
A specific answer with verifiable detail is more useful than a general claim. Neither answer proves competence by itself; combine the interview with the biodata and any available references.
Use the general interview checklist to organise your comparison record. For each candidate, note the profile reference, relevant experience, interview examples, evidence checked, points still unconfirmed and the next follow-up. Compare the itemised costs and written placement terms separately. If you are deciding between an Indonesian and a Filipino candidate, the comparison guide explains how to request parallel shortlists and compare individual evidence.
MOM advises employers to explain their household needs, ask how the candidate acquired the relevant skills, and document what both sides confirmed. Its CONNECT guidance also recommends asking for detailed examples rather than accepting only yes-or-no answers.
Use the Indonesian hiring page for a shortlist enquiry, then confirm availability, the interview arrangements and written costs separately from this question sheet.
Ask which language the candidate prefers. Do not assume Bahasa Indonesia, Malay or English from nationality alone.
Questions
Start by asking which language the candidate prefers. If your household uses English or another language day to day, test that language too. This sheet helps bridge communication during the interview; it does not replace assessing the language your family actually uses at home.
Give each candidate the same household brief and core questions. Record the example she describes, what supports it and what still needs checking. A detailed answer gives you something to follow up; it does not by itself prove that she can perform every task.
No. Ask which language the candidate prefers and check that you understand each other. Do not assume Bahasa Indonesia, Malay or English ability from nationality alone.
Yes. Select the relevant questions beforehand, share your household brief with the agency, and ask them during the video call. Record what was explained and what still needs checking. For video interview setup tips, see the general interview checklist.
No. It helps you ask structured questions in both languages, but communication depends on the actual household language, daily instructions and follow-up conversations. One interview is a first impression, not a competence certificate.
Talk to us
Send your household duties, daily language and preferred start date. Apex checks the current Indonesian shortlist before sending biodata and arranging interviews.
