Full Time/ Part Time Cooks For Home in Pune

It is important that you are transparent with the Home cook during the interview so that she clearly knows what is expected from her. However, it is possible that the cook maid hired by you is not performing as per your expectation and you are wondering what to do about it. Here are some tips:

1. Communication problem: Try to find out if the issue is due to the fact that the cook has not understood your directions. It could be due to several reasons for ex. different culture, language, or lack of experience. It could also be because your directions were not clear enough. Hence, you should try to repeat it in a simpler manner and check for the feedback if she has understood it.
2. Expectation mis-match: Is it because your expectation is different from the capability of your cooking maid? You may want to tell her your expectation in a nice manner. And also, try to upskill her by suggesting YouTube cooking channels (in her native language such as Marathi) and providing her the resources to learn. It is also important for you to be sure that your expectation is not unrealistic.
3. Time: if the cook is new in the job, give her some time to get used to your style of cooking. Keep giving her feedback and observe if she is receptive towards it. If yes, she will most probably improve over time. You can also show her how to do it practically.
4. Work load: If you have a full time cook and she is also required to do other chores, it is possible that she is not able to manage the work load and it is reflecting in her work. Talk to her to find out of this is the problem.
After trying through all the steps, if you are still not able to get the cook to work efficiently, you should convey that you will have to look for a replacement. Try to resolve it in a way so that both the employer and the cook get enough notice period.

It is a topic of contention in a lot of cases. With the increasing use of social media, domestic maid cooks especially the younger ones are glued to their smart phones.
It becomes a problem because the employer feels that it is interfering with the cook’s work and she would not be able to focus.
On the other hand, the Live-in cook feels that since she is living away from her family, she needs to stay in touch with them. Also, she may not have access to TV and hence this is her only source of entertainment.

Here are some tips for employers:
Firstly, you should discuss about the usage of mobile phone during the interview. If you had a bad experience in the past with reference to excessive usage of mobile by your previous home cook, tell her that.
Make it clear that the cook should be using phone only outside of her work hours. For example, when she is having her meals or after she has finished her work in the evening. However, if there is an emergency call, she can receive that during the work hours.
Some employers in Pune do not allow their full time cooks to use the phone at all. That is extreme and they will find it very difficult to retain anyone in job.
The above guidelines are broadly relevant whether you are looking to hire in Pune through an agency for cooks or directly through an online portal like JobNukkad.