Housekeeping Responsibilities: Is This the Right Job for You?
If you’re looking for a way to get your foot in the door in the Hospitality Industry, or you want to learn more about Hotel Operations, then housekeeping might be the job for you. Not only is housekeeping a thriving industry, with hotels and travel expanding around the world, but it’s a job that requires little prior experience and secondary schooling. But that doesn’t mean it’s a walk in the park. A housekeeper has many responsibilities that are essential to keeping the hotel or resort running smoothly. The services a housekeeper provides can also be the deciding factor in whether a guest will want to return for another stay. So, let’s look at some of the different jobs inside of an average housekeeping department, and the jobs they do to keep guests happy and properties up to standard. Along the way, we’ll offer helpful tips and tricks to get started and make yourself stand out, if you decide this is the industry for you. If you don’t, you’ll at least feel more appreciative of the hardworking people who make each hotel stay a pleasant one.
Jobs in the Housekeeping Department
Hotels and Resorts vary in sizes and the same goes for the housekeeping departments that service them. Small boutique hotels and motels may have just a handful of housekeeping attendants, where as resorts, and big brand name hotels can have hundreds of housekeeping team members. Another thing to note is that not all housekeepers do the same job. The main housekeeping department can usually contain up to seven sub-departments inside it. Housekeepers can also work different shifts, with responsibilities varying from day to night.
Leadership Roles
There are many great leadership opportunities for housekeepers. Most large hotels and resorts have multiple leadership positions, including a Director of Housekeeping. The most common leadership positions for housekeepers are Executive Housekeepers and Assistant Executive Housekeepers. It often takes anywhere from 2 to 5 years to be promoted to a leadership role, depending on many factors including the quality of your work, your ability to adapt and help, and your willingness to learn new skills. There are a few other leadership opportunities within the role of a normal housekeeper as well. You can either become a housekeeping manager or get a supervisor certification to distinguish yourself in your team.
Room Associate
Room Associates are the most common type of housekeeper in the industry, but they have an extremely important job. These housekeepers make sure rooms are clean and up to standard before guests check in for their stay. They make sure everything is clean, restock amenities, and take care of any additional requests the guest may have before their arrival. The first impression of a room often sets the tone for the rest of the guest’s stay, and greatly affects their overall experience, therefore this is one of the most important jobs a housekeeper can have, to keep the hotel functioning smoothly.
Public Areas
Cleaning public areas such as pool decks, lobbies, meeting spaces, lounge areas, and offices can also be responsibilities of the housekeeper, if the services were requested by the client to the housekeeper’s company. This is also an important job, as these are areas where guests go to relax and unwind during their stay. They could also be spaces for social gatherings, or important meetings, therefore, keeping the areas clean and safe are crucial to the property’s business.
Laundry and Linen
Laundry and linen services are often overlooked, and underrated services provided by housekeepers at resorts and hotels. However, they are crucial in case of emergencies and extended stays. Laundry tasks often include collecting, transporting, cleaning, and distributing linen on time for guests. Without clean linen, room attendants can often be delayed in their duties, which sets back their schedule and could lead to a room not being done in time.
Houseperson & Runners
Houseperson and runners have the important job of seeing to guests needs. Operators will usually answer calls for the housekeeping department and forward the call to the correct housekeeping team, member. Runners often receive these requests. Requests can be for a number of things, restocking someone’s mini bar, replenishing soaps and other amenities, or getting fresh towels.
Daily Tasks for Housekeepers
There is always something for you to do as a housekeeper! You work as a team to keep the entire hotel up and running, while making sure guests needs are met. At MasterCorp, we provide our housekeepers with our own award-winning technology, so they can keep track of time, update room assignments, and communicate more easily. Communication can be challenging for a big team that works in different areas of the hotel, and housekeeping-specific systems are designed to make the communications process more efficient and streamlined. So, what does each member of the housekeeping department actually do each day.
Housekeeping Leaders: What are your duties?
Housekeeping leaders keep their housekeeping teams organized, safe, and running on schedule. They are usually the main point of contact between the housekeeping department and property leaders. That’s why it’s important the housekeeping leader to communicate well and have good communication skills and hold their team accountable for upholding the hotel’s service standards.
A housekeeping manager’s daily tasks include:
- Putting together arrival and departure reports
- Scheduling housekeeping staff in advance
- Working with the front desk for special requests
- Attending hotel leadership meetings
- Holding pre-shift safety meetings
- Responding to guest requests
- Resolving guest service issues related to housekeeping
Housekeeping Duties
A housekeeper usually works in 8-hour shifts and can clean anywhere from 12 to 16 rooms in that time. Most hotels offer housekeeping services only once per day, so room attendants would work one daytime shift while high-end hotels that offer evening turndown service would have a second shift of housekeeping staff who work afternoon and evening hours.
Housekeeping duties include:
- Cleaning guestrooms mid-stay and after departure
- Making beds
- Replacing dirty linens and towels
- Restocking guestroom amenities like toiletries, drinking glasses, and notepads
- Removing garbage, recycling, and room service trays
- Picking up and returning valet laundry items
- Organizing and stocking housekeeping carts
- Notifying the maintenance department about broken appliances, old light bulbs, or damage
- Upholding the hotel’s confidentiality and security standards
- Respecting “do not disturb” signs and the guest’s privacy
Beyond the Room
Housekeepers will sometimes be asked to clean outside of the room. A public area attendant’s daily tasks include:
- Cleaning public spaces like lobbies, restaurants, and meeting rooms
- Cleaning back-of-house areas like office and employee changing rooms
- Cleaning stairways, hallways, and elevators
- Emptying garbage cans in public areas
- Reporting broken items to the maintenance department
Laundry Services and Duties
Most laundry attendants don’t interact directly with guests, but that doesn’t mean their job is any less important. Their work is crucial to the hotel’s overall operations. Without clean sheets and towels, room attendants can’t do their jobs and guests will want to stay elsewhere.
Daily tasks of laundry staff or linen room staff include:
- Sorting, washing, drying, folding, ironing, and organizing all hotel laundry, which can include towels, sheets, bathrobes, napkins, tablecloths, uniforms, and more
- Removing linen that has stains or holes
- Operating washing and drying machines
- Mixing and measuring soaps, detergents, and cleaning products
- Handling guest valet laundry and dry cleaning within the agreed upon timeframe
Requirements and Safety
Every housekeeping position in a hotel comes with its share of hazards and physical requirements. Housekeepers need a variety of skills, a passion for service, and a high level of dedication to be successful in their roles. They also need to make sure to keep themselves safe on the job, by following their safe
Housekeeping employees, especially room attendants, need to be able to perform various physical activities, which can be strenuous:
- Pushing/pulling a housekeeping cart
- Standing, walking, or kneeling for an extended period
- Lifting objects between 25 and 50 lbs.
- Walking up and down stairs
- Reaching in far or narrow spaces
Besides the physical requirements, housekeepers must have a strong work ethic and soft skills, including:
- Attention to detail
- The ability to work and collaborate in a team
- Organizational and time management skills
- The ability to work independently
- Integrity and dependability
- High and positive energy levels
Apply For Housekeeping Jobs
To find out what housekeeping jobs are available for you right now, go to our website at https://www.applymc.com/en , and apply today!