Career Focus

To be a housekeeper

Opportunities in housekeeping, an integral part of any hotel, are in abundance but there is a dearth of sincere and dedicated people. Bhavika Jhaveri checks out the benefits of this profession for aspiring hotel management students

Housekeepers, the so-called invisible workers, play a critical role in the maintenance of a hotel property. Their job is considered by many as unglamorous and that which requires long working hours, making it increasingly difficult to attract and retain staff. This has led to a declining number of courses that could have supported the requirement for skilled workers.

But the idea of housekeeping being a thankless job is being challenged. In fact, the industry speaks of the immense opportunities that this field offers professionals these days. Akshi Singh, housekeeping manager at Grand Hyatt Mumbai, says, "Opportunities in the industry are in abundance today, but there is a dearth of sincere and dedicated people. All those who have stuck to and survived their formative years in the industry are now reaping fruits of their patience. Hotels, real estate managers, airlines, etc, are all scouting for good housekeepers."

It is not only the hotels but even large business houses and multinationals, chains of eateries, hospitals, agencies who are now taking up cleaning contracts along with maintenance, carpet cleaning and floor maintenance. Even outsourcing has witnessed growth, especially over the last five years. Moreover, earlier only applicants rejected from other job operations would consider housekeeping as a career option, but now there are bright students making this their career. An encouraging sign is that there are many male students opting for this profession.

Job requirements

Good housekeeping is always visible. Room presentation, appearance, cleanliness and consistency are important, along with eye for detail and interest in aesthetics. Apart from the educational qualification the other qualities required are good communication skills, pleasing personality and high emotional intelligence. People-handling skills are a must especially at a supervisory position. Leena Sengupta, director (Services) at JW Marriott Mumbai, says, "Housekeepers are people with the keenest senses. They are responsible for cleanliness and maintenance of the hotel. It is now also being considered as a guest interaction area where they are expected to meet guests and update guest profile processes."

Housekeepers also lease out large teams of cleaning staff. They carry out room checks, select toiletries and maintain hotel standards within the guestroom and public areas. Sengupta adds that apart from cleaning laundry, etc, good housekeeping is also about efficient time management. Housekeepers look after the budget, control costs (finance), department purchases, quality check and control, obtain lists of vacant rooms which need to be cleaned immediately and list of prospective check-outs in order to prepare work assignments, renovation, repair and maintenance. They are always updated about current trends, record data concerning work assignments, personnel actions, and time cards, and prepare periodic reports, conduct orientation and training for new employees and in-service training for other employees to explain company policies and housekeeping procedures.

As a job it is physical hard work and requires the flexibility of character to be fantastic people managers. The reward for those passionate about this area of hotel work is satisfaction in seeing the completion of clean and tidy, beautifully presented finished rooms and public areas. For many this is a naturally motivating factor. Explains Rita Chaudhary, corporate housekeeper for Sarovar Hotels, "Housekeeping can be an ungrateful job at times, but very interesting involving surprises every morning packed with action both verbal and physical." The housekeeper must be a people's person and know the local language. A good sense of humour just adds to making the job even more motivating.

Career growth

Students or candidates planning to take up housekeeping begin as room attendants or supervisors and can move all the way up to being executive housekeepers or even corporate directors for housekeeping. Jaishree Sharma, executive housekeeper at Le Royal Meridien, Mumbai informs, "The industry is booming at present and hotel jobs are the most sought after. Housekeeping is definitely a lucrative option if one has the passion to pursue it."

People joining this profession start with a package ranging from Rs 4,000 to a lakh at the head of department level. Sharma avers, "Remuneration differs depending on one's experience, job knowledge and skills. One must remember the sky is the limit if one is dedicated to one's work."

With the advent of increasing mechanisation of service equipment, supervisors are placed in a unique position to train staff for optimum usage. It goes a long way in increasing efficiency in operations, which is crucial in minimising wasteful expenditure. Besides, housekeeping requires a lot of motivational classes/exercises to retain staff. The hotel should organise competitions/plays/games, etc to keep their motivational levels high. Systemised training is also important.

Team spirit is a must and hotel must inculcate a feeling in them that the management is approachable and can address every query. Sharma explains, "Keeping an employee engaged is the key to retention. Motivating them, highlighting their career graph, focusing on their growth potential, organising departmental activities and outings and making them feel that they belong will surely keep the attrition levels low."