what is a housekeeper?
A housekeeper is in charge of making sure that a home or institution maintains a high standard of cleanliness. In a private home or small business, this means being responsible for tasks such as cleaning, laundry, and dealing with tradesmen like plumbers or electricians. In a larger institution, a housekeeper supervises a team of cleaners or other housekeeping staff. In this type of environment, your responsibilities include setting team schedules, inspecting work, ordering supplies and similar management tasks.
Housekeepers work in a wide range of different environments, each with its own special responsibilities. As a hospital housekeeper, you maintain the exacting standards of hygiene needed to keep a medical facility running smoothly. You need to monitor strict adherence to safety and waste disposal protocols. As a hotel housekeeper, your job includes not just cleaning but also customer service and coordinating with other members of the hotel's team. By contrast, in a private household, your role involves a wide range of other tasks like cooking or driving.
Would working as a housekeeper suit your organisation and attention to detail? Then read on to find out what competencies and qualifications you need to thrive in a housekeeper role.
average salary of a housekeeper
The National Careers Service reports that a starting housekeeper earns around £14,500 a year. With experience, this can increase significantly. A more experienced housekeeper can earn £25,000 a year.
other factors influencing housekeeper pay
In addition to experience, the hours worked can have a big effect on your compensation as a housekeeper. In some settings, such as office environments, housekeepers can work late hours so that their work doesn't clash with other activities. Housekeeping work also takes place on weekends, bank holidays and other times outside the normal working week. Working at times like these can help increase compensation.
Another element that affects compensation is where you work. Housekeepers in the NHS, for instance, start at a higher rate than the average given by the National Careers Service. The starting salary for an NHS housekeeper is £18,500, with more experienced housekeepers earning more.
types of housekeeper
Your role as a housekeeper will vary depending on the environment you work in. Although all of these housekeeper jobs require similar skills, there are important differences between them. Different types of housekeepers include:
- hospital housekeepers, who also serve food, order supplies, talk to patients, and more.
- hotel housekeepers, who prepare hotel rooms to high standards and organise toiletries and other guest amenities.
- private housekeepers, who adapt to the unique needs of families, ensure tasks such as maintenance and childcare are undertaken.
- other housekeepers, who work in businesses such as offices, gyms, spas, and more.
working as a housekeeper
Interested in learning more about a role as a housekeeper? Keep reading to learn more about the job, including where you'll work, who you'll work with, and your prospects for advancement.
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housekeeper job description
As a housekeeper, you are responsible for the overall cleanliness and hygiene of your workplace. You supervise a team of cleaners and other employees. This means that you have a wide range of different responsibilities. Your tasks in the workplace include:
- inspecting the work of your cleaners to ensure it meets standards
- understanding your organisation's hygiene and safety policies
- training and supervising members of the housekeeping team
- creating shift schedules and other work assignments
- ordering supplies and equipment
You also serve as a point of contact between the housekeeping staff and other departments. In a smaller workplace, you also work alongside the rest of the housekeeping team to clean and carry out maintenance. In addition, you could have other duties specific to your workplace, such as the general assistant tasks of a private housekeeper.
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work environment
As a housekeeper, you work in a range of different environments, including businesses, homes, and public buildings. A typical housekeeper's workplace is indoors, and work travel is rare. If you supervise more than one site, however, travel between them is part of the job. Workplace safety is an important part of a housekeeper's responsibilities; your environment contains slip and trip hazards, while your tools include hazardous chemicals.
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who are your colleagues?
Depending on your employer and the industry you work in, your colleagues might include cleaners, cleaning supervisor position, caterers and maintenance engineers. You might also be working in close proximity to plumbers and electricians, as well as other specialists that could include, but not be limited to, nurses, front-of-house staff and linen services staff.
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work schedule
Like other aspects of your role, your schedule as a housekeeper is very varied. In many businesses, housekeeping staff work around the clock and for some employers, such as hotels, weekends and holidays can be the busiest times. As a result, your work schedule as a housekeeper can include work on evenings or weekends. Changing shift schedules are also common for housekeepers. Good flexibility and time management skills will help you succeed in this fast-paced job.
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job outlook
The varied nature of a housekeeper role means that you can move from here to a range of other positions. In a workplace with a large housekeeping department, you could advance to a role such as head housekeeper or domestic services manager. Alternatively, if you're interested in focusing on the customer service aspects of housekeeping, consider moving to a job such as a front of house manager. Similarly, working as a housekeeper could qualify you for a position such as training manager or accommodation manager.
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advantages of finding a housekeeper job through randstad
Finding your housekeeper job through Randstad provides important advantages such as:
- a wide variety of training and development opportunities
- an experienced contact person to provide help if needed
- a range of opportunities in your area
- get paid weekly or monthly, depending on the job
- temporary and permanent contracts
Want a permanent contract? A temporary job as a housekeeper is often a stepping stone to an attractive permanent job. Every year, thousands of people earn a permanent contract with great employers thanks to a temporary job found through Randstad. What's more, many companies recruit their permanent employees through Randstad too!
education and skills
There are many paths to your new career as a housekeeper.
- one way to develop the skills you need for the role is to study at a further education college. A qualification such as a Level 3 Award in Hospitality Supervision and Leadership Principles can give you the grounding you need to land this job.
- If you'd rather combine classroom learning and on-the-job training, consider an apprenticeship. An advanced apprenticeship as a hospitality supervisor will help you prepare for a career as a housekeeper.
However, you don't need formal training to become a housekeeper if you have the right kind of job experience. If you've worked as a cleaner or in another related role, a housekeeper job is a logical next step. You can also apply directly for a job as a housekeeper if you have experience in a related field. Working in hospitality management, customer service or a similar supervisor role is a good way to gain the necessary experience.
skills and competencies
Your work as a housekeeper is varied, and so are the skills you bring to the role:
- your focus and attention to detail make you effective both at managing a team and at spotting areas for improvement in cleanliness and organisation.
- as the contact point between your housekeeping team, the rest of your organisation, and the public, you need strong interpersonal skills. Being able to stay calm and focused in a busy working environment will be important as well.
- finally, the varied nature of your role calls for good time management and multi-tasking.
In addition to these skills, there are some specific areas of knowledge that will help you in your housekeeping career:
- as the manager of a team, you will need some familiarity with employment and health and safety law, as well as your organisation's policies.
- similarly, cleaning supplies and equipment can pose health and safety risks, which you need to be aware of.
- a good level of IT knowledge can be very useful, as you'll use computers or similar devices in many areas of your job.
FAQs
FAQs about working as a housekeeper
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what does a housekeeper do?
A housekeeper is responsible for the cleanliness and organisation of an institution or home. This can mean performing tasks like cleaning or ordering supplies, as well as supervising teams of maids or cleaners.
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what is the difference between a maid and a housekeeper?
A maid usually works under the supervision of some kind of manager, while a housekeeper has final responsibility for cleaning in an establishment. A maid often works under a housekeeper's direction.
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what is a personal housekeeper?
A personal housekeeper is responsible for a family or individual home rather than an institution such as a hotel or hospital. A personal housekeeper may supervise a staff of maids or combine housekeeping with cooking or child care.
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can a man be a housekeeper?
Historically, most housekeepers have been women. However, anyone who has the necessary skills and qualifications can work as a housekeeper.
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what does a housekeeper do in a hospital?
A housekeeper in the healthcare field has many of the same jobs as a housekeeper in a home or hotel. In addition, hospital housekeepers serve food, manage supplies and deal with patient requests.
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how do I apply for a housekeeper vacancy?
Applying for a housekeeper job is easy: create a Randstad profile and search our job offers for vacancies in your area. Then simply send us your CV and cover letter. Need help with your application? Check out all our job search tips here!
