Report of Survey of ABCDE in Mumbai by Students

Introduction

According to a survey, Helper4u is a concept of a fast, effective way of hiring verified, local ABCDE –  Aaya, Bai, Cook, Driver, and Everyone similar without any middleman. It was started by Meenakshi Gupta Jain and Punit Jain for helping, connecting and fulfilling the needs of the people who need jobs and to earn a living.  With the kind of lives we have today, there is a dire need for Helpers everywhere in our society. The tricky part is to get a good one without the struggle and in a short time.

Helper4U has a very unique concept to deal with this. It helps the poor, uneducated, and/or unemployed people get employment by showing their information on their website. Based on that, Helper4U targets suitable employers.  Meenakshi has been connecting different job givers and job seekers, across different fields of work, especially domestic help, for 3 years.

FABS students were given projects to survey some localities, analyze the problems faced by the ABCDE. They also educated them about Helper4U so that they can find jobs with dignity.

Survey Report

LOCATION

Our group conducted the survey in southern parts of Mumbai at Mahalaxmi, Wadi Bunder and Masjid Bunder. Initially, it was difficult for the surveyors to connect with the people as they were not finding us trustworthy. This is because many agents try to exploit them in the name of jobs. We tried to make them understand the concept of Helper4U which was then accepted by many of the people. Those who were still confused were given the pamphlets and also shown the Helper4u website.

MAJOR PROBLEMS

Major problems the job seekers had were related to finding jobs near homes and with good pay. This was true even when they were desperate to find work. Traveling long distances to work is something no one wanted to do. This was mostly because the payment did not increase much even if they traveled far.

At Wadi Bunder, there were some ladies who sell flowers and earn their living, and also work as maids, cooks and babysitters to earn more. We realized how difficult it is for them to manage time doing multiple jobs since domestic work does not really pay well. 48% of the women we met did some work or the other to run their homes, but without any support at home to take care of their children, homes, shopping, cooking etc. They manage their work as well as all responsibilities at home. Often they had to leave young children (as young as 2-3 years) at home alone while they went out to work. Can we imagine that in our homes? That is also a reason they need to work near home.

PEOPLE'S PERCEPTION

A lady who had her own business at Mahalaxmi race course was happy in sharing the information of her son and daughter. The boy was doing graduation and the girl was 12th pass. Both needed to study and wanted a part-time job to earn and pay their fees. We felt so privileged that our education has been sponsored by our parents!

On the other side, people of some areas had no trust in their own locality boys. They said they will not do their work seriously. This was quite sad as it just showed how youth is getting wasted in India. Surely, if they are given good jobs they will stop wasting their time and gain the trust of people. But, the question is where do they find the jobs?

LACK OF COUNSELING

A related problem is that no one has ever counseled these youngsters like we are counseled regarding the college to corporate journeys. They don’t know what qualities are needed to get a job and to keep it. So, even when they get a job, they lose it for simple things like not being on time, not dressing appropriately. Or, not knowing how to talk at work or taking leaves without permission. Simple things for us, because we have been trained in these. But, for them, it is not something they think about.

Case Problems

• What other strategies should Helper4U adopt to spread awareness about Helper4u in a scalable, cost-effective way?

• How can we educate or career counsel the ABCDE: Aya, Bai, Cook, Driver and everyone similar so that they do not have unrealistic expectations in terms of job location, money and job assurance?

Helper4U From the Perspective of Employers

Helper4u is not an agency, so takes no commission on the hiring of the Helper.

Just like their unique concept they have unique policies as well. Their replacement credit policy is very simple, no questions asked policy. If an employer finds details of a Helper wrong, or the hired Helper leaves the job within 15 days, they offer a no questions asked replacement credit.

Whenever you want to hire a Helper for your home or office, do check outHelper4U.in before going to an agency. You may be able to close your hiring faster and cheaper.

Helper4U also offers online verification services: Get your staff verified through a simple online process, The website offers an address, criminal background & document verification at very nominal prices.