Do you know how to keep your Housekeeper happy? When you have found a great Housekeeper that you love and works really well, it is important. You want to create a positive working environment where both you and your Housekeeper are happy. Finding a balance in that is important. As it can set you and your Housekeeper up for very positive long term employment.
Clear Job Expectation
One great way to keep your housekeeper happy is to make really clear, from the start, what the job actually is. Housekeeping is one of the most varied jobs one can find, with many different tasks and responsibilities.
So it is important not to assume that a new Housekeeper will know exactly what you are expecting from them. What might be very obvious tasks for you, might be something they never had to do in a previous job.
To avoid any confusion, make sure you create a rota or at least a list with all tasks. It is important to have everything (even the small things) listed so that your Housekeeper can meet your expectations.
When they know what to know, there will be no confusion about any tasks. Things will go a lot smoother. To give you an idea, the following tasks could be examples that might have to be clarified – as your Housekeeper might not be clear in assuming whether this is one of their tasks or not.
Childcare
You may have had previous Housekeepers who helped with the children, but it is not something to assume. Some Housekeepers are naturally great with kids, some really don’t want to. So it’s something to be clear about at the interview stage.
Cooking
Again a very changeable thing. Some Housekeepers naturally love to cook and bake. So then that is a great match if that is what you are looking for. Some really do not like it or are simply not very good at it. That does not mean they cannot be a great Housekeeper! But maybe not for your household if cooking and food prep are important.
Driving
Can your Housekeeper drive? And if so, are they comfortable driving? They might be ok with it in the quiet countryside – but working and driving in a big city can be very different. So just because they have a driving licence, do not assume that it is something they will want to do in their job.
Gardening
Gardening is not normally something a Housekeeper would do. Their focus would very much be on the house itself. However, there might be Housekeepers who are keen gardeners and like to add it to their tasks. As long tasks are realistic, nothing too heavy, no heavy machinery. Then light gardening might be added.
Clear & Positive Communication
If there is one way on how to keep your Housekeeper happy, it is to keep communication very clear. This means both the positives and the potential negatives.
Situations can quickly progress into problems if clear communication is not in place. Lots of things can be avoided too, as long as things are clear and open.
Are things not getting done? Are tasks left at the end of the day you felt needed to be done? Or maybe tasks are not being executed at a high enough standard. The most important thing in this situation is to have communication about this as soon as possible.
Your Housekeeper might not be aware at all of the dissatisfaction. And someone cannot change their behaviour if they do not know there is a problem! So make sure you sit down with your Housekeeper as soon as you feel something is not going right.
You would be surprised how quickly things can get cleared up when just having an open and positive conversation about things. Make sure to let the Housekeeper speak, and explain. There might be reasons why things are not happening. They perhaps did not realise some things needed to be done. Or maybe the schedule needs changing. And after one conversation they might change their ways already. Which could take the whole problem away before it even became one!
Pay The Right Salary
One very simple and straightforward way on how to keep your Housekeeper happy is to pay them the right salary. When someone feels they are being paid fairly for the work they are doing, they will likely work harder and even go the extra mile where needed.
When someone feels they are being underpaid, they will not work as hard and chances are they will not stick around very long. So make sure you are up to date on the current salary guidelines for Housekeepers in your area and country.
Although it can depend even per country, rough UK guidelines are as follows for live out Housekeepers:
Entry Level/Less Experienced Live out Housekeeper
- £615 – £711 gross per week
- £32,000 – £37,000 gross per year
Mid Level/More Experienced Live out Housekeepers
- £730 – £1057 gross per week
- £38,000 – £55,000 gross per year
High Level/Very Experienced Live out Housekeepers
- £1067+ gross per week
- £56,000+ gross per year
How Polo & Tweed Can Help
If you would like help in finding a great new Housekeeper for your household – why not contact Polo & Tweed now? With the best candidates all over the world, our highly experienced recruitment consultants will provide the best service. We will help with salary guidelines, job specs, tasks and any other things you might not have thought about. Making the process easy, smooth, and efficient for you and your family.