Careers in Housekeeping

Housekeeping jobs are the backbone of a hotel’s operation. Without housekeepers, hotels and other pillars of the hospitality and tourism industry will not be able to function properly. This job requires a certain level of skill, hard work, dedication and attention to detail. Though the requirements to get in this line of work aren’t strict, there are certain skills and qualities employers look for when hiring people for housekeeping jobs.

Duties and Responsibilities of a Housekeeper

The easiest way to explain a housekeeper’s main responsibility is that they have to ensure cleanliness in their work environment and they should be able to do that with considerable skill and speed. Their tasks include changing linens, beddings, towels and other items in hotel guest rooms regularly or as requested by the guests. They should also thoroughly clean bathroom fixtures and surfaces. When a guest checks out, they should check the rooms completely for any missing or broken items or if the guest left anything in the room and report any incidents like this to their supervisor. Some members of the housekeeping team may be assigned to the laundry area. They are responsible for washing, ironing, folding and storing linens, curtains, towels and beddings. Hotel housekeepers are also usually on-call whenever a guest needs them to clean up spills and if the guest needs extra pillows or blankets. They must do all these tasks thoroughly and efficiently.

Qualities of a Good Housekeeper

Housekeeping jobs don’t require a bachelor’s degree or any equivalent, but applicants with previous experience or formal training in housekeeping have an advantage. Most hotels offer on the job training for successful applicants and a trainee may be assigned to do each of the housekeeping tasks during this training period. They will be taught how to do their jobs efficiently and how to handle cleaning materials safely. Employers look for certain qualities in the people they hire for this job.

Since this job is an integral part of the hotel’s operations, a housekeeper must have a good personality and must be friendly and approachable. They should have good time management skills and be able to clean rooms quickly and efficiently. They also must be trustworthy and they should be able to keep confidential information about the guests to themselves. The job requires people to do a lot of bending, lifting and standing which may lead to back strain and sore feet. This is why people who are interested to apply for housekeeping jobs must be in excellent health, be physically fit and to be careful to avoid the occurrence of injuries on the job.