How to Hire a Hotel Housekeeper in Canada?
One of your hotel industry’s most critical responsibilities is hiring housekeeping staff.
Finding experienced hotel housekeepers who can promptly and efficiently clean the rooms is not an easy job in Canada. Hookjobs’ headhunters are here to quickly find the most proficient housekeepers for your business. By collaborating with us, you can streamline this challenging task and ensure you deliver top-notch services to your clients.
In the present article, we will provide you with the stages involved in our screening procedures for hunting and hiring a hotel housekeeper in Canada. By following this guide, you can make an informed decision and ensure that the results meet your expectations.
How we Help you Hire a Hotel Housekeeper in Canada?
Understanding the merits of a reliable hotel housekeeper for maintaining hygiene and cleanliness, saving time and effort, and improving guest experience, Hookjobs has developed a comprehensive hiring process to find and vet the desired employees for your hotel industry.
We’ll walk you through each step of the process so that you will have a clear understanding of how it works. Here’s the flowchart of our hiring procedure:
1.Understanding your Business
To ensure that we fully understand the needs of your hotel business and find the most qualified candidate for the job, we create an inception report. Before we start the hiring process, we work with you to determine the scope of your business.
Writing an initial inception report would also allow us to identify housekeeping staff who specialize in the type of work you require, streamline the search process, and increase the likelihood of finding the right candidate for your hotel industry.
Here are some points to consider while writing an inception report for hiring a hotel housekeeper in Canada:
- Conducting research on your hotel industry in Canada: We gather information about your hotel’s location, size, growth rate, and overall performance. This research will not only help us identify your hotel’s overall performance, but we can also attract and select the most appropriate candidates for your hotel housekeeping position.
- Job requirements: When identifying the qualifications and experience required for the hotel housekeeper role, it is crucial for us to consider factors such as education, language proficiency, and any necessary skills or certifications. This is especially important given that many of your guests may be international tourists, and language barriers among your hotel housekeepers could negatively impact your hotel’s reputation.
- Salary and benefits: Through our initial inception report, we determine the salary range and benefits package for the position, including health benefits, vacation time, and any other perks or incentives offered to the hotel housekeeping candidates.
- Identifying your Hotel culture and values: By considering the unique culture, values, and specific needs of your hotel, we can enhance the candidate selection process and choose individuals who possess the necessary skills and qualities to fit in with your team.
2.Job Posting
After creating the initial inception report for hiring a hotel housekeeping staff, it is essential to advertise your job vacancy to attract qualified candidates to your organization. A well-crafted job posting that provides detailed and accurate information can help hook a higher-quality pool of hotel housekeeping candidates, making the hiring process smoother and more efficient.
At Hookjobs, we use our social media platforms and networks to identify the most qualified hotel housekeeping applicants for your business.
Our job postings typically include the following key components:
- Job Title and Summary: We ensure that the job title is clearly and concisely stated and that the job summary provides a brief yet comprehensive overview of the position and its primary responsibilities.
- Job Duties and Responsibilities: We provide a detailed list of duties and responsibilities, including cleaning guest rooms and public areas, replacing linens and towels, restocking supplies, and reporting any maintenance issues or guest complaints.
- Requirements and Qualifications: We are also specific about the needs and qualifications for the position, including previous experience in hotel housekeeping or a related field, strong attention to detail, ability to work independently and as part of a team, and strong communication and customer service skills.
- Working Conditions: We provide information on the work schedule, which may include weekends, holidays, and night shifts, the physical demands of the job, the need to maintain a professional appearance, and any other requirements specific to your hotel or the housekeeping role.
- Compensation and Benefits: We include a detailed overview of salary, benefits, and other incentives offered to the selected candidates.
- How to Apply: We finally provide clear instructions on how to apply for the position, including the application deadline and any required documents.
3.Resume Screening
At Hookjobs, our recruiters carefully review the resumes of all hotel housekeeping applicants to quickly and effectively screen out unqualified candidates and identify those who meet the necessary qualifications for further consideration.
To this end, we first check the prospective hotel housekeepers’ relevant certifications or licenses to ensure improved guest satisfaction, increased productivity and efficiency, and a safer workplace.
To do so, we ensure that the candidates hold any of the following (or related) certificates in Canada:
- Hospitality and Hotel Certificate: This certificate shows that hotel housekeepers have received the skills required to work in Canada’s hospitality and hotel industry. This certification program provides training in areas such as cleaning techniques, laundry operations, and guest room preparation. Completing this certificate can enhance job prospects in roles like front desk agents, housekeeping room attendants, and food service associates.
- Standard First Aid/CPR certification: Having this certificate is an important consideration when hiring hotel housekeepers in Canada. This certification indicates that the individual has received training in first aid and CPR and is prepared to respond to emergencies that may arise in the workplace. This is especially important in the hotel industry, where the housekeeping staff may encounter guests with medical emergencies or injuries.
- Food Safety Certificate: It includes certificates like FoodSafe Level 1, referring to a credential that demonstrates an individual’s knowledge and understanding of safe food handling practices. It is typically obtained by completing a recognized food safety training program. The certificate proves that the holder has learned essential principles related to food safety, including proper food storage, handling, preparation, and sanitation techniques.
- Food Handlers Certification: A Food Handlers Certification is a credential in Canada that demonstrates an individual’s knowledge and understanding of safe food handling practices in the food service industry. This certification is commonly required or preferred by employers to ensure that hotel cooking and housekeeping staff have the necessary skills to maintain food safety and hygiene standards.
- Occupational Health and Safety (OHS): This training program provides hotel housekeeping staff with the knowledge and skills to identify and mitigate potential hazards in the workplace.
- Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System Certificate (WHMIS): This is a certification program for individuals who work with hazardous materials. This includes hotel housekeeping staff who handle cleaning products and other potentially hazardous materials. The WHMIS program provides training on how to handle, store, and dispose of hazardous materials safely to prevent accidents and injuries. It is a mandatory certification for hotel housekeeping staff in Canada to ensure workplace safety and prevent incidents related to dangerous materials.
The following table demonstrates the most crucial hotel housekeeping certifications in different provinces in Canada:
Province | Certification/Requirement |
Ontario | WHMIS, First Aid/CPR |
British Columbia | WHMIS, FoodSafe Level 1, Standard First Aid/CPR |
Alberta | WHMIS, Food Safety Certificate, Standard First Aid/CPR |
Nova Scotia | WHMIS, First Aid/CPR, Food Handlers Certification |
Saskatchewan | WHMIS, Standard First Aid/CPR |
Manitoba | WHMIS, Standard First Aid/CPR, Food Handler Training Certificate, Hospitality and Hotel Certificate |
Quebec | WHMIS, First Aid/CPR |
We look for candidates with prior experience in hotel housekeeping or a similar role. This can help ensure they have the necessary skills and knowledge to perform the job effectively.
We verify that the candidates have acquired and possess the relevant skills necessary for their previous roles.
As relevant language proficiency enables housekeepers to communicate clearly and effectively, we ensure they know the language required by your hotel industry to meet international guests’ needs.
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:
- 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.
- 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.
- Time Management: We evaluate the candidates’ time-management skills to ensure they can complete cleaning tasks efficiently and within designated time frames.
- 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.
- Physical Fitness: We evaluate the candidates’ physical fitness as hotel housekeeping can be physically demanding and requires bending, lifting, and carrying heavy items.
- 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 $23.50 per hour.
The average wage for a hotel housekeeper in Canada can vary by province and territory. Here is a breakdown of the minimum wage rates as updated on November 2022 in each province and territory:
Community/Area | Low ($/hour) | Median ($/hour) | High ($/hour) |
Alberta | 17.00 | 24.67 | 29.81 |
British Columbia | 15.65 | 18.21 | 27.00 |
Manitoba | 14.15 | 15.99 | 23.00 |
New Brunswick | 14.75 | 14.75 | 20.10 |
Newfoundland and Labrador | 14.50 | 16.07 | 25.00 |
Nova Scotia | 14.50 | 15.76 | 22.59 |
Ontario | 15.50 | 18.95 | 27.25 |
Quebec | 15.83 | 21.00 | 30.75 |
Saskatchewan | 13.00 | 15.20 | 20.40 |
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.