Housekeeping supervisor

Housekeeping supervisors oversee the work of housekeeping staff and ensure that hotels, resorts, hospitals, universities, office buildings, and other facilities are kept clean and tidy. They enforce staff compliance with established safety and sanitation policies, while keeping an eye on customer satisfaction.

The duties of a housekeeping supervisor include, but are not limited to:

• Assigning housekeeping tasks to staff and inspecting work to ensure that the prescribed standards of cleanliness are met.
• Scheduling staff shifts and organizing replacements as required.
• Investigating and addressing complaints regarding poor housekeeping service.
• Providing training to the housekeeping staff.
• Regularly taking inventory of cleaning supplies and ordering stock as needed.
• Issuing cleaning supplies and equipment to housekeeping staff as needed.
• Screening housekeeping applicants and recommending promotions, transfers, and dismissals.
• Performing various cleaning duties in instances of staff shortages.

Housekeeping supervisors usually work indoors when cleaning. In some cases, they may be outdoors when cleaning balconies or other outdoor spaces. They often wear a special uniform, especially if they interact with the public.

Like housekeepers, they are regularly exposed to contaminants and diseases or infections. They work with cleaning chemicals and clean soiled items.

Housekeeping supervisors may work full time or part time. Schedules are typically established.. They may work days, evenings, or weekends.

The following job titles also refer to housekeeping supervisor:

executive housekeeper
housekeeping manager
head of housekeeping
head housekeeping manager
housekeeping coordinator
head housekeeper
deputy head housekeeping manager
deputy head housekeeper

No formal educational credential is required to be a housekeeping supervisor. However, a high school diploma is a plus.

Housekeeping supervisor is not an entry-level position. It requires prior work experience as housekeeper or similar role.

Most of the skills necessary for that role are gained through experience with cleaning and maintenance tasks. Flexibility to work various shifts, stamina to handle the physical demands of the job, and excellent organizational and team management skills are the most important assets when considering such role.

ISCO skill level is defined as a function of the complexity and range of tasks and duties to be performed in an occupation. It is measured on a scale from 1 to 4, with 1 the lowest level and 4 the highest, by considering:

• the nature of the work performed in an occupation in relation to the characteristic tasks and duties
• the level of formal education required for competent performance of the tasks and duties involved and
• the amount of informal on-the-job training and/or previous experience in a related occupation required for competent performance of these tasks and duties.

Housekeeping supervisor is a Skill level 2 occupation.

These occupations, although different, require a lot of knowledge and skills similar to housekeeping supervisor.

hospitality establishment security officer
quick service restaurant team leader
night auditor
hotel concierge
bed and breakfast operator

These occupations require some skills and knowledge of housekeeping supervisor. They also require other skills and knowledge, but at a higher ISCO skill level, meaning these occupations are accessible from a position of housekeeping supervisor with a significant experience and/or extensive training.

rooms division manager
camping ground manager
hospitality entertainment manager
accommodation manager
restaurant manager

These skills are necessary for the role of housekeeping supervisor.

• Supervise housekeeping operations: Oversee the day-to-day service and cleaning of rooms and public areas to ensure continuous operations.
• Comply with food safety and hygiene: Respect optimal food safety and hygiene during preparation, manufacturing, processing, storage, distribution and delivery of food products.
• Manage inspections of equipment: Monitor formal or official viewings and examinations in order to regularly test and inspect property and equipment.
• Manage budgets: Plan, monitor and report on the budget.
• Handle customer complaints: Administer complaints and negative feedback from customers in order to address concerns and where applicable provide a quick service recovery.
• Manage staff: Manage employees and subordinates, working in a team or individually, to maximise their performance and contribution. Schedule their work and activities, give instructions, motivate and direct the workers to meet the company objectives. Monitor and measure how an employee undertakes their responsibilities and how well these activities are executed. Identify areas for improvement and make suggestions to achieve this. Lead a group of people to help them achieve goals and maintain an effective working relationship among staff.
• Procure hospitality products: Acquire goods or services from an outside external source.
• Coordinate redecoration of hospitality establishment: Lead redecoration of hospitality establishment by staying up to date with trends in decoration, fabrics and textiles and implementing necessary changes in order to meet changing desires and expectations.
• Manage health and safety standards: Oversee all personnel and processes to comply with health, safety and hygiene standards. Communicate and support alignment of these requirements with the company’s health and safety programmes.
• Monitor stock level: Evaluate how much stock is used and determine what should be ordered.
• Assess cleanliness of areas: Evaluate cleanliness of areas in order to make sure that they are clean and presentable for customers.
• Maintain customer service: Keep the highest possible customer service and make sure that the customer service is at all times performed in a professional way. Help customers or participants feel at ease and support special requirements.
• Manage cleaning activities: Oversee cleaning activities undertaken by employees.
• Schedule shifts: Plan staff time and shifts to reflect the demands of the business.
• Ensure cross-department cooperation: Guarantee communication and cooperation with all the entities and teams in a given organisation, according to the company strategy.
• Manage maintenance operations: Oversee maintenance activities, making sure that staff is following procedures and ensuring routine and periodic refurbishment and maintenance activities.
• Present reports: Display results, statistics and conclusions to an audience in a transparent and straightforward way.
• Manage budgets for social services programs: Plan and administer budgets in social services, covering programmes, equipment and support services.
• Train employees: Lead and guide employees through a process in which they are taught the necessary skills for the perspective job. Organise activities aimed at introducing the work and systems or improving the performance of individuals and groups in organisational settings.

These skills and competences are sometimes, but not always, required for the role of housekeeping supervisor. However, mastering these skills and competences allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

• Encourage staff in cleaning activities: Motivate employees in cleaning activities in a hospitality establishment by providing them with a convincing reason for action.
• Perform multiple tasks at the same time: Execute multiple tasks at the same time, being aware of key priorities.
• Greet guests: Welcome guests in a friendly manner in a certain place.
• Think analytically: Produce thoughts using logic and reasoning in order to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Service rooms: Offer room service and, where appropriate, service public areas, including cleaning surfaces, bathrooms, replacing linen and towels and restocking guest items.
• Handle chemical cleaning agents: Ensure proper handling, storage and disposal of cleaning chemicals in accordance with regulations.
• Clean public areas: Disinfect the areas to which the public has access.
• Identify customer’s needs: Use appropriate questions and active listening in order to identify customer expectations, desires and requirements according to product and services.
• Handle surveillance equipment: Monitor surveillance equipment to observe what people are doing in a given area and ensure their safety.
• Develop working procedures: Create standardised series of actions of a certain order to support the organisation.
• Monitor work for special events: Oversee activities during special events taking into account specific objectives, schedule, timetable, agenda, cultural limitations, account rules and legislation.
• Manage stock rotation: Oversee stock levels, paying attention to expiry dates to diminish stock loss.
• Perform services in a flexible manner: Adapt service approach when circumstances change.
• Seek innovation in current practices: Search for improvements and present innovative solutions, creativity and alternative thinking to develop new technologies, methods or ideas for and answers to work-related problems.

5151 – Cleaning and housekeeping supervisors in offices, hotels and other establishments

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References

1. ESCO
2. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
3. Housekeeping Supervisor Job Description – Betterteam
4. Housekeepers – Working Conditions – Illinois WorkNet
5. Featured image: Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels