In a typical hotel, the housekeepers are considered the invisible workers, often un-noticed unless there is a problem or complaint. Like any hotel department however, they are essential to the complete picture.

Not only is it becoming increasingly difficult to attract and hold onto housekeeping staff but there is also a declining number of courses being run to support the need for skilled workers. A reason given for this, is that housekeeping is rarely seen as a proper career, which requires skills, qualifications and experience. This idea, is challenged to be untrue.

With the number of new hotels opening, we can pose the question of where will Human Resources get all the needed highly skilled housekeepers from and how will they be retained?

The United Kingdom Housekeepers Association is an example of an Association that aims to improve the professional status of housekeeping and promote the job as a ‘proper job' and a career channel within the hospitality industry.

The UK Housekeepers Association has over 600 professional housekeepers as members and this doesn't include the many staff that work beneath them. For the Association, even within the industry, the profession of housekeeping still keeps a low profile. They are however quick to point out, ‘no clean rooms means no sales'.

Hotels are not only about facilities and visible staff but also the staff that are behind the scenes. Whilst housekeepers are rarely seen, good housekeeping is visible. Room presentation and consistent uniformity is essential and staff in this department need to have an eye for detail. The first impressions of the room for many guests is its style, appearance and most importantly, cleanliness.

The Job of Housekeeping

Housekeepers liase large teams of cleaning staff. They also carry out room checks, select toiletries and maintain hotel standards within the bedrooms and public areas as well as working with other key hotel staff. Organising the linen and laundry– whether out sourced or washed in house, is also a task in itself.

Good housekeeping is as much about organization and efficient time management as it is about clean rooms, laundry and stain removal. It is a multi-task job of sorting rotas, timesheets, working with suppliers and outsource companies, keeping in touch with health and safety regulations and current problems as well as recruiting, training and retaining staff.

As a job it is physical hard work, and requires the flexibility in character for personnel to also be fantastic people managers. The reward for those passionate about this area of hotel work, is satisfaction in seeing the completion of a clean and tidy, beautifully presented finished rooms and public areas. For many this is a naturally motivating factor the job simply appeals.

As Bill a head housekeeper comments, "It is essential to have self value and take pride in what you are doing. A good positive attitude and strong commitment to the task regardless of how it is viewed by others. ‘Setting standards to which others aspire to achieve!' is a good motto."

There is a need for trust in this department. Housekeeping staff enter the rooms of guests. They have to be correct in their behaviour and respectful attitudes, not tampering with or stealing guests possessions.

Health & SafetyPoor housekeeping quickly leads to hygiene and safety problems, which effect the reputation and therefore sales of the hotel. 4 and 5 star hotels aren't exempt from bedbugs, for example. Hiring pest control people means being aware of the need to spray safely and to be mindful of potential allergy suffering guests. Correct usage and storing of cleaning products is regulated in many countries. Hygiene practice is in all areas of the hotel and the housekeepers are predominantly responsible for the areas outside the kitchen.

Is there enough of the Right Staff? 

Staff can be very transient. The challenge for the Executive and Head housekeeper is to attract the right people at the beginning and then keep them motivated. ‘Learnpurple', a UK based training organization, set up a course to tackle the problem of unskilled housekeeping staff . The general advice they offer is: make it fun as a job, empower staff to self-check and give more responsibilities. Rotating staff in various jobs within the department avoids boredom.

Lots of small promotions speed up the rise up the ladder and are good incentives for staff who want to do well.

House Economics

Often perceived as a costly department, cut backs hit the number of towels ordered in and the number of staff employed. Taking an economic stance in this area of business, hoteliers also look at cost savings in laundry. There is a need for a reliable, efficient and consistently high standard in laundry service. High turn overs in guests mean a lot of sheets, pillow cases, towels and bathrobes to be washed, iron and replaced.

The need for standardised, high quality laundry is often the reason for outsourcing. As hotel managers have be known to claim, hotels are hotels and not laundries. In fact, the real problem is a lack of in-house knowledge of laundry management. More often than not, for large operations it is less expensive and more space efficient to outsource the laundry to off-site facilities. It is estimated that 70% of costs in laundry are labour related. Automated centralised facilities reduce human contact and therefore cost effective. For a group or chain of hotels/lodgings, within a given location, pooling outsourced laundry is a viable option.

Career Developments for Housekeepers to the Top?This position doesn't typically allow for movement outside of its domain but rapid promotion within the department is a possibility. For those who stick at the job, do the hard work and really learn by doing on-going training, there are good management positions.

Interestingly though, it is rare that an Executive Housekeeper becomes a General manager. The logical progression is to move into a front of house position, deputy manager position and then General manager. There is still a way to go until the Housekeeper rules the House!

SpotLight is the weekly column exclusively written for 4Hoteliers.com by Sarah Muxlow, it is highlighting the challenges and issues which the global hospitality is facing today.

Sarah is writing for hotel and restaurant owners, hotel chain managers, producers/growers/sellers of food & beverage, restaurant associations, governing bodies and hotel schools. She is looking at the problems they face...competition, trends of branding, staff shortages, unskilled staff, turning out students who are looking for good in-house management training schemes with hotel chains, what makes a good quality training course at a hotel school and more... 

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