Housekeepers are crucial to the success of any hotel or vacation rental. They form the first impression, drive service standards, and deliver guest needs. However, housekeeping teams face major challenges that can prevent them from excelling in all the ways they could. These challenges include attracting talent, staff turnover, and language barriers. Thankfully, there are things you can do to improve the profession and enhance quality of life for housekeepers. Here are some of the opportunities you should capitalize on to empower housekeepers:
1. Show Real Signs of Respect
One of the biggest challenges faced by housekeepers is feeling undervalued and stagnant in their career growth. This is why it’s important to show housekeepers that they are genuinely valued and that a career in hospitality can be a dream job. Invest in education and upskilling to help make housekeeping a fulfilling position in the hospitality industry. There are many small yet impactful changes you can make to emphasize the importance and difficulty of the work and show housekeepers that they are appreciated and respected.
2. Create Flexibility and Room for Growth
Housekeepers work long, labor-intensive hours, and many of their tasks are unattractive. This has led to a high turnover rate across the industry, and many hotels and vacation rental properties are struggling to attract and retain talent. Workers now prioritize work-life balance, want a flexible schedule, and are seeking opportunities to grow. Find ways to become more flexible in your approach to managing housekeepers and provide room for growth. This shows that you understand their needs and desires, increasing the attractiveness of the profession and maintaining happier, longer-term teams.
3. Increase Pay
Housekeepers have one of the greatest impacts on guest satisfaction. Guests expect comfortable, clean, well-kept rooms, and it’s the role of housekeepers to meet these expectations. However, many housekeepers are underpaid when compared to the value they bring to the hospitality industry. Low salaries are part of the reason why it is difficult to attract and retain housekeepers. Increasing pay and investing in the livelihoods of these individuals can help you build strong, committed housekeeping teams.
4. Implement the Right Technology
Technology is rapidly evolving in the hospitality industry. New innovations are helping hotels and vacation rentals solve problems better than ever before, and this includes housekeeping. Tools like ResortCleaning allow you to implement automation, clear communication, flexible scheduling, and more to make the job fast and efficient. You can keep up with how your housekeeping team is doing without micromanaging them, boosting morale and eliminating friction. This housekeeping software also makes it easy to shout-out high performing housekeepers and foster teamwork.
More Ways to Improve the Job for Housekeepers
You want your housekeeping team to feel empowered and supported to do their best work every day. Are you looking for more solutions to ensure housekeepers feel appreciated and enjoy their work? Check out these housekeeping staff incentive ideas to help you retain your employees and make them feel valued each and every day.
Are you ready to make the job easier and more enjoyable for your housekeeping team? Sign up for our premier housekeeping software today!