Planning and Organizing the Housekeeping Department

     Like all other managers in a hotel, the executive housekeeper uses available resources to attain objectives set by top management executives, resources include people, money, time, work method materials, energy, and equipment.  These resources are in limited supply, and most executive housekeepers will readily admit that they rarely have all the resources they would like.  Therefore, an important part of the executive housekeepers job is planning how to use the limited resources available to attain the hotel's objectives. 

     The executive housekeeper uses objectives set by the general manager as a guide in planning more specific, measurable goals for the housekeeping department. For example, one of the first planning activities of the executive housekeeper is to clarity the department's cleaning responsibilities and to map strategies for carrying out these responsibilities effectively.  Strategies will identify the types of cleaning task and how frequently the task must be performed. 

     The chapter begins by identifying some of the executive housekeeper's most important planning functions.  Major cleaning responsibilities of the housekeeping department are identified and suggestions for planning work within the department are presented. In addition, the chapter examines the organizational structure of several housekeeping departments and presents sample job descriptions for executive housekeeper positions.  Job descriptions are also presented for typical housekeeping positions in a mid-range-service hotel.  The chapter close by showing how other important management functions of the executive housekeeper fit into the overall process of management.