Blog

4.Job Interview

After the resume screening stage, we set up interviews with the most qualified candidates to learn more about their skills, experience, and suitability for the job.

During the interviews, we aim to create a friendly and supportive environment to help candidates feel at ease and open up. This allows us to better understand the hotel housekeeping’s personality, work style, and qualifications.

• What motivated you to apply for this position?
• What experience do you have working in housekeeping or cleaning roles?
• How do you prioritize your tasks when cleaning a guest room?
• Can you describe a time when you had to handle a problematic guest request? How did you manage it?
• How do you ensure that guest rooms are cleaned to the highest standards?
• How do you maintain a positive attitude when working in a fast-paced and physically demanding environment?
• Are you comfortable working on weekends, holidays, and other non-traditional workdays?
• Can you speak any additional languages?
• How do you handle confidential guest information, such as lost and found items or personal belongings left in guest rooms?

We also ask the candidates some more technical questions as to hotel housekeeping strategies, including:

• What cleaning techniques do you use for different types of surfaces, such as wood, glass, and metal?
• How do you ensure that guest rooms are free of dust, dirt, and other debris?
• How do you properly sanitize and disinfect guest rooms and bathrooms?
• How do you maintain and restock your cleaning supplies?
• Can you explain how you would handle a guest’s complaint about the cleanliness of their room?
• What steps do you take to prevent cross-contamination when cleaning guest rooms?
• How do you properly dispose of hazardous waste, such as broken glass or used needles?
• Can you explain the correct process for making a bed in a guest room?
• How do you ensure you do not damage or break any items in a guest room during cleaning?
• Can you provide an example of how you have implemented time-management techniques to ensure you complete your cleaning tasks efficiently and on time?

5.Checking References

Checking references is an essential part of our hiring process for hotel housekeepers in Canada. Here are some reasons why and how to check references:

Why we Check References for Hiring Hotel Housekeepers?

The reasons for checking references include the following:

• Verifying the candidates’ work history: Checking references can help us to verify the candidate’s work history and confirm that they have the necessary experience and skills for a demanding job like hotel housekeeping.
• Confirming job performance: Speaking to previous employers can provide us with valuable insight into the candidate’s job performance and work habits. This can help us ascertain whether the candidate is reliable, efficient, and can work well in a team.
• Evaluating their soft skills: We also check references to gather information about the candidate’s soft skills, such as communication, time management, and customer service. This can help us to determine whether the candidate has the necessary interpersonal skills to interact with guests and provide a positive guest experience in the hotel.

How we Check References when Hiring Hotel Housekeepers?

To check references for a hotel housekeeper in Canada, we follow these steps:

• Requesting references: We ask candidates to provide references from previous employers or supervisors during the interview process. We also obtain the reference’s name, position, and contact information.
• Contacting references: We reach the references and ask specific questions related to the candidate’s job performance and work habits. Examples of questions we ask include:

• • How long did the candidate work for you?
  • What were the candidate’s main responsibilities?
  • What was the candidate’s work performance like?
  • Did the candidate work well in a team?
  • Was the candidate reliable and punctual?
  • Do you approve of the candidate’s propriety while interacting with guests?
  • Is the candidate good at multitasking when faced with a high volume of work in a hotel setting?
• Documenting and reporting the results: We finally take notes during the reference check and document the results. We also keep the information confidential and only share it with you and the appropriate personnel involved in the hiring process.

6.Assessing the Hotel Housekeeping Candidates

Following the reference checks, we assess the candidate’s hotel housekeeping skills through practical evaluations that simulate real-world scenarios.

Here are some key areas we evaluate when hiring hotel housekeeping candidates:

1. Cleaning Skills: We evaluate the candidates’ cleaning skills and techniques, including their ability to clean different surfaces and areas such as bathrooms, floors, and guest rooms.
2. Attention to Detail: We test candidates on paying attention to detail and having a high level of accuracy in their work. This is important to ensure that guest rooms and common areas are cleaned thoroughly and meet the hotel’s standards.
3. Time Management: We evaluate the candidates’ time-management skills to ensure they can complete cleaning tasks efficiently and within designated time frames.
4. Communication Skills: We look for candidates with strong communication skills, as hotel housekeepers often interact with guests and other staff members. This includes the ability to communicate effectively in multiple languages, if necessary. Therefore, we assess their language proficiency to better identify their communicative competence.  
5. Physical Fitness: We evaluate the candidates’ physical fitness as hotel housekeeping can be physically demanding and requires bending, lifting, and carrying heavy items.
6. Professionalism: We also assess the candidates’ professionalism, including their ability to maintain a neat and clean appearance, follow dress codes, and exhibit appropriate behaviour when interacting with guests and other staff members.

7.Training the Hotel Housekeepers

After the evaluation stage, we choose the most qualified hotel housekeeping candidates. Following this stage, we train the candidates based on your hotel’s requirements, as discussed in the inception report.

The primary purpose of training the candidates is to ensure that the prospective housekeepers can provide high-quality cleaning services, interact with guests in a professional and friendly manner, and maintain the hotel’s reputation for cleanliness and customer satisfaction.

Our trainers at Hookjobs train the hotel housekeeping candidates in the following techniques:

• Orientation: We provide an overview of your hotel’s facilities, policies, and procedures. This may include a hotel tour, an introduction to staff members, and an overview of safety procedures.
• Cleaning techniques: We train housekeepers on effective cleaning techniques, including the use of cleaning products and equipment, proper sanitation procedures, and the specific cleaning materials that you use.
• Customer service: We also train the housekeepers on practical communication skills and customer service regarding your hotel’s policies and regulations to ensure they can professionally and courteously interact with guests.
• Language training courses: To facilitate effective communication with guests, we offer language training to the hotel housekeeping applicants, focusing on hotel-related phrases and expressions in international languages, especially English. This training ensures that our housekeepers are proficient in language skills and can provide excellent customer service to guests who speak different languages.
• Ongoing training: We finally provide ongoing training and support to ensure that housekeepers are up-to-date on any new procedures or changes in your policies.

8.Drawing up a Contract

Once the training sessions are completed, the selected hotel housekeeping candidates will be fully prepared to begin working and can proceed with signing a contract.

We recognize the significance of having legally sound agreements. To this end, we collaborate closely with our legal advisors to develop a comprehensive and fair contract for your prospective hotel housekeeping personnel.

Drawing up a contract with hotel housekeeping candidates in Canada typically involves the following steps:

• Outlining job responsibilities and expectations: we begin by detailing the specific job responsibilities and expectations of the position. This may include duties such as cleaning guest rooms, restocking supplies, and maintaining cleanliness and organization in public areas of the hotel.
• Establishing compensation and benefits: We specify the compensation and benefits the candidate can expect, including hourly rate or salary, paid time off, and any other benefits offered.
• Setting work schedule and hours: We outline the work schedule and hours required for the position, including any overtime or on-call requirements.
• Including terms and conditions: We include any additional terms and conditions of the employment contract, such as performance expectations, termination policies, and confidentiality agreements.
• Having the candidate sign the contract: Once the contract has been drafted, we have the candidate carefully review and sign it to indicate their agreement to the terms and conditions.

Hotel Housekeeping Labour Laws and Regulations in Canada

You must comply with all relevant labour laws and regulations in your province or territory. In Canada, hotel housekeeping labour laws and regulations vary by province or territory.

Some common laws and regulations that may apply to your hotel housekeeping employees in Canada include the following:

• Minimum wage: Each province and territory sets its own minimum wage, the lowest hourly rate you are legally required to pay your employees. Hotel housekeeping employees must be paid at least the minimum wage for their province or territory.
• Employment standards: Employment standards laws regulate matters such as work hours, overtime pay, vacation pay, and termination and severance pay. These laws vary by province or territory but typically provide minimum standards that you must follow.
• Workplace health and safety: You are required to provide a safe and healthy work environment for your housekeeping personnel. This includes training on workplace hazards and the use of personal protective equipment, as well as the provision of necessary safety equipment and supplies.
• Human rights: Human rights laws prohibit discrimination in the workplace based on factors such as race, gender, religion, and disability.
• Unionization: Your housekeeping employees have the right to form or join a union to bargain collectively for better wages and working conditions.

What is the Average Wage for Hiring a Hotel Housekeeper in Canada?

According to the Government of Canada’s Job Bank, the median hourly wage for housekeeping and related occupations in Canada is $16.50, with wages ranging from $12.50 to $23.50 per hour.

The average wage for a hotel housekeeper in Canada can vary by province and territory. Here is a breakdown of the minimum wage rates as updated on November 2022 in each province and territory:

What Different Types of Hotel Housekeepers we Hire in Canada?

In Canada, hotel housekeeping positions can vary depending on the size and type of hotel. Depending on the specific needs of your hotel industry, you can choose the right kind of hotel housekeeping staff for your hotel.

Here are some common types of hotel housekeepers we attract and hire:

• Room attendants: These are the most common types of hotel housekeepers responsible for cleaning and maintaining guest rooms, including changing bed linens, replenishing towels and amenities, and ensuring the room is tidy and clean.
• Housekeeping supervisors: They are responsible for overseeing and coordinating the daily work of the room attendants. They assign tasks, train new employees, and ensure that standards of cleanliness and hygiene are met.
• Public area attendants: They are responsible for cleaning and maintaining the hotel’s public areas, including the lobby, corridors, elevators, and public restrooms.
• Laundry attendants: They are responsible for washing, drying, folding, and ironing the hotel’s linens, towels, and other items.
• Housekeeping managers: They are responsible for managing the overall housekeeping operations of the hotel. They oversee the work of the housekeeping supervisors and room attendants, maintain the cleaning supplies and equipment inventory, and ensure that the hotel meets all cleaning and hygiene standards.

Takeaway

Finding the right hotel housekeepers in Canada can be an arduous task as it requires balancing the factors of cost, quality, and reliability. To alleviate these challenges, our recruitment agency provides industry knowledge, networks, and recruitment expertise to help employers identify and attract top talents, streamline the hiring process, and offer flexible staffing solutions.

It’s crucially important for us to hire reliable and trustworthy housekeepers as they have to clean the client’s private rooms. Moreover, we hire housekeepers with high customer service and soft skills such as communication style and work ethic. At Hookjobs, our recruiters are so strict with these qualifications. If they are not satisfied enough, they will reject the candidate immediately, no matter how proficient the hotel housekeepers are.

FAQs

Q1: How many hours do hotel housekeepers work in Canada?

A: Generally, hotel housekeepers work full-time hours, which typically range from 30 to 40 hours per week.

Q2: How many rooms do housekeepers do a day?

A: Assuming that a staff member works for eight hours (and allowing for a 30-minute break), they’ll be able to clean around ten bedrooms per shift, depending on the size of the rooms. By dividing the total number of occupied rooms by 10, you should be able to determine how many staff members you need at a given time.

Q3: Can I hire a foreign hotel housekeeper in my hotel in Canada?

A: Yes, it is quite possible, but you will need to obtain a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) from Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) first, which is a document that assesses the impact of hiring a foreign worker on Canada’s labour market.

Q4: Is it better to hire young hotel housekeepers or old ones?

A: There is no black-and-white dichotomy, and both are beneficial. Young hotel housekeepers may have more energy and physical stamina, while older ones have higher problem-solving and customer service abilities with more experience, maturity, and stability.

Q5: Why should I hire a licensed hotel housekeeper in my hotel?

A: Hiring a licensed hotel housekeeper brings expertise, professionalism, and compliance with regulations. They provide quality service, enhance guest satisfaction, ensure efficient operations, and contribute to your hotel’s reputation and image.

Q6: What are the necessary skills to consider when hiring a hotel housekeeper?

A: The most common vital skills that employers require dusting, beverage sales, furniture, sweeping, cleaning Experience, mopping and communication skills.