As a Housekeeper, have you ever had to work as part of a team? It can be very different than working as the sole Housekeeper in a household. So if your new job requires you to work alongside or with other Housekeepers, it is important that you know how to work in a Housekeeping team.
What should you know about working in a Housekeeping Team?
In Junior Roles
Knowing how to work in a Housekeeping team, will firstly come down to your position. Are you in a senior or in a junior role, or perhaps equal to your co-workers. When you are in a junior role, there are several things to keep in mind, to make it a successful working relationship.
Follow Instructions
When you are a junior member of a housekeeping team, it is important to know your place. This means acknowledging and respecting your team leader or Head Housekeeper, and following instructions. They are your direct supervisor so you should take directions from them.
Not from the principal or your overall boss. The Head Housekeeper will likely make schedules and planning, and as a junior member of the team, you should follow these schedules and stick to them.
Work to Impress
As a junior Housekeeper, you want to make sure you leave the right impression. In the hope to climb the career ladder! So even though you might not be as experienced as some of the other Housekeepers, that does not mean you do not add value. Be consistent in your work. Show up on time. It will make you seen as a reliable person, which can help in career progression. Work professionally and do your job well – as this will be rewarded in the end!
In Equal-level Roles
Another option may be that you are working in a housekeeping team alongside another Housekeeper. They will not be above or below you, but at an equal level.
This can be found a lot in larger private homes, as well as more commercial setups.
Stay Respectful
The key here is communications and cooperation. Make sure you are respectful of the other person. Whatever your personal views, in this job you are no more or less than them. So refrain from taking control, or correcting them as if you are in charge. Even though it might sometimes be tempting to do so. Focus on your own work and tasks.
Communication & Teamwork
But keep in communication! Make sure that you are clear on the task division every day, so you do not end up doing double work. Are there tasks that require two people? Perhaps some furniture needs moving, or a big room needs to be spotless at a certain deadline. Then use your combined strengths as a team!
Use Your Strengths
Equally so, if the other Housekeeper has specific skills that might not be your strong point, utilise this too. At the end of the day, your employer will want to job done, and done well. So if the other Housekeeper loves ironing, and is really good at it. Make sure they take on that part of the day. Whilst you focus on other tasks, that suit you best.
It will result in the work being done better, quicker, and more efficiently.
In Senior Roles
Finally, you might be working in a housekeeping team where you are (0ne of) the senior person. This can be a tricky situation if you are not used to managing people, or a team.
Being in a senior role can be challenging and scary at first. If you are completely new to the role of being in charge, it might be worth it to invest in a short Management training course. This can give you the skills, and therefore also the confidence, to lead better.
Learn to Delegate
An important key factor of being a senior member of any team, or when you are in charge, is knowing how to delegate. Even though you might be the most experienced, highly skilled Housekeeper out there. You simply will not be able to do everything yourself!
Know your team’s strengths
The reason why you have a team around you, is so that you can all work to your own strengths to get the work done. So know and understand your team members’ skills. Who is better at what? Nobody can be good at everything. So make sure you place the right people in the right positions, doing tasks that they are good at.
Be Open To Feedback
Working in a Housekeeping team will only be successful if every member, junior or senior, feels valued. So make sure your team knows you are open to feedback. That you are there to listen when people are unhappy. And give everyone a chance to speak up, perhaps at weekly or monthly team meetings. A successful Housekeeping team is a happy housekeeping team. Who enjoy working together and respect and appreciate each other!
Are you looking for a new challenge as a Housekeeper, perhaps in a team setting? We can help! Polo & Tweed works with amazing clients all over the world offering the best housekeeping jobs in the industry. And if you are looking for more training, perhaps in Housekeeping, or in Management, you have come to the right place too. Our Polo & Tweed Training Academy offers it all. So contact us now to see how we can help you and your housekeeping career!