Housekeeping Job Description

Housekeeping employees handle a variety of light cleaning tasks.

They can look after private households and commercial buildings, keeping them clean and orderly.

The common duties of housekeepers include cleaning rooms, making beds, vacuuming, and replenishing linens.

The duties can be different from one housekeeping position to another.

For instance, a housekeeper at a hotel has different tasks from a hospital housekeeper.

Additionally, the supervising housekeeping jobs are different from the regular ones.

What Does a Housekeeping Employee Do

Housekeeping professionals are tasked with dusting furniture, cleaning toilets, doing the laundry, and other similar duties.

They should also keep a steady supply of bathroom products and fridge supplies, change light bulbs, make beds.

In their work, they should follow cleanliness standards at all times.

Although the job can be tiring, it’s not stressful at all.

First, housekeepers mostly work individually.

Plus, they can complete their work in a way they prefer.

However, their work will be evaluated on the spot, which can be somewhat stressful sometimes.

Responsibilities

Below, there is a list of common duties and responsibilities of housekeeping professionals.

These responsibilities can be found in various types of housekeeping positions, so not all of them relate to every position.

• Clean and vacuum rooms, make beds and replenish linens.
• Dust the furniture, clean toilets, and do the laundry.
• Keep supplies of bathroom and fridge products, change light bulbs.
• Maintain a positive attitude toward guests, patients, and employers, and be honest and respectful.
• Be comfortable with physical labor, resist dust and cleaning chemicals.
• Work under supervision or independently.
• Maintain professionalism and follow instructions, procedures, and protocols.

Essential Skills

Since housekeeping jobs are tiresome and taxing, one needs certain skills to be able to do them.

The lack of these skills may result in a poorly performed job.

This may lead to quitting or losing the job because of stress and overexertion.

Interpersonal:

Housekeepers should be reliable and have excellent listening skills.

They should be honest and respectful towards guests, patients, and employers.

Communication skills and a certain level of professionalism are essential for this job.

They need to know how to maintain a positive attitude and customer focus.

Also, if any conflicts are to arise, housekeepers should maintain a certain level of integrity.

Detail-oriented:

To do their job successfully, housekeepers should have excellent attention to detail

They need to adapt easily to a situation to complete each task properly and on time.

Also, they need to have quick wits and be able to work under supervision or unsupervised.

Organizational:

Housekeeping professionals need superior organizational and planning skills.

They must follow instructions, protocols, and procedures, and be able to incorporate them in their work.

They should also be able to work in a team and cooperate with supervisors and other employees to fulfill their duties.

Physical strength:

To do their job, housekeepers need high levels of energy.

Additionally, they need good stamina and high physical strength to stand, bend, kneel, crawl, crouch, squat, and work in confined spaces.

Also, resistance to dust and cleaning agents is essential.

How to Become a Housekeeping Professional

The responsibilities of housekeepers can vary with different employers.

You may run into some hard times while hunting for a job as a housekeeper.

But the main thing to do to power through is to smile and keep going.

And that is the only difficulty that comes with the job.

There aren’t any educational requirements.

Plus, you may receive some help with the layout of the workplace from older colleagues.

Training and Qualifications

Even though a housekeeping job is poorly paid, it’s sought-after because of the low educational requirements.

It is beneficial to hold a high school diploma or GED, but it’s not mandatory.

However, the work is physically demanding, so the employees need a certain level of fitness.

Working out from time to time can help with this job.

Also, housekeepers rarely undergo on-the-job training since most of the time they already know what they will be doing.

Experience

When it comes to the job and salary of a housekeeper, the experience isn’t an essential factor.

The payment can increase over time, but it happens slowly.

As PayScale reports, the median salary of a housekeeper can grow by only $6,000 over 20 years.

Experience can influence the chances of getting hired in the first place.

Typically, older and more experienced housekeepers have higher chances of obtaining a better-paying job.

This only relates to the housekeepers employed in the private sector.

Working Hours

Usually, housekeepers work in shifts.

However, more experienced employees choose to work during the day and schedule the lower members of staff for the night shifts.

The typical shift usually includes 8 hours with a break.

There are also part-time positions available.

Additionally, housekeepers may have to work on weekends and holidays, when usually a few members of staff work together.

Housekeepers can work in various settings: hotels, residential establishments, health spas, holiday centers, private clubs, etc.

The salary of a housekeeper is quite low, $10 per hour, and the job is pretty tiring.

It involves dealing with unsanitary objects and staying on your feet a lot.

So, anyone who has back or leg issues might not fit the occupation.

Sometimes, expenses for rent are deducted from their wages, which lowers the salary even more.

However, they can make some extra money for working at odd and late hours.

Career Outlook

The employment rate for housekeepers is positive, according to the BLS.

By 2024, it should increase by 7%, which is as fast as other occupations in the US.

Several factors influence this growth, connected to the occupations intrinsically and extrinsically.

Housekeepers employed at hotels have better career prospects than those in public sectors.

They can become a housekeeping supervisor, or move up to another position at a hotel.

Similar opportunities exist in hospitals and other places with a hierarchy.

Conclusion

Housekeeping is one of the best-paid jobs in the hospitality industry, but it can be taxing and tiring.

With practically zero educational requirements, this is one of the most sought-after positions.

The job isn’t for everyone, as it requires certain skills and qualities to perform the duties successfully.