Organizing The Housekeeping Department

     Organizing refers to the executive housekeeper's responsibility to structure the department's staff and to divide the work so that everyone gets a fair assignment and all the work can be finished on time.

     Structuring the department's staff means establishing the lines of authority and the flow of communication within the department. Two important principles that should guide the organization of  a department are :

- Each employee should have only one supervisor

- Supervisors should have the authority and information necessary to guide the efforts of employees      under their direction.

     The executive housekeeper delegates authority to supervisors and must ensure that each employee recognizes the authority structure of the department. While the executive housekeeper may delegate authority, he/she cannot delegate responsibility. The executive housekeeper is ultimately responsible for the actions of department supervisors. Therefore it is important that supervisors be well-informed about hotel policies, procedures and the limits of their authority.

The Department Organization Chart

     An Organization chart provides a clear picture of the lines of authority and the channel of communication within the department . 

     The organization chart of the department not only provides for a systematic direction of orders, but also protects employees from being over directed . the chart shows that each employee takes orders only from the person who is directly above him/her the department's organization. An organization chart also shows how grievances or other communications are channeled through the department.

     A copy of the chart should be posted in an area so that all housekeeping employees can see where they fit into the overall organization of the department. Some housekeeping departments post organization charts that show employees at the top and the executive housekeeper at the bottom. Posting this type of chart emphasizes the importance of the work performed by the majority of employees ; it conveys that employees are " at the top of the chart ". Such a chart also illustrates how the entire department balances on the managerial talents of the executive housekeeper and other department managers.

Job Lists and Job Descriptions

     If the executive housekeeper has planned the work of the housekeeping department properly, organizing the department staff becomes a relatively straightforward matter. Executive housekeeper use information gathered from earlier planning activities to identify the number and types of positions that are needed and to develop job lists and job descriptions for each of these positions. 

     A job list identifies the tasks that must be performed by an individual occupying a specific position within the department. The tasks on the job list should reflect the total job responsibilities of the employee. However, the list should not be a employee will follow in carrying out each task. The job list should simply state what the employee must be able to do in order to perform the job.

     Some types of the job descriptions simply add information to the appropriate job lists. This information may include reporting relationships, additional responsibilities, and materials to be used in the course of the job. 

     To be most effective, job descriptions must be tailored to the specific operational needs of individual properties. Therefore, the form and content of job descriptions will vary among housekeeping department.

    The range of duties and responsibilities of executive housekeepers at various sizes and types of properties varies enormously. This is because many of  the housekeeping management functions at small, independent economy/limited-service hotels may be carried out by the general manager. In the case of chain-affiliated properties, many housekeeping management functions area performed by staff at corporate headquarters. This leaves the task of implementing standardized procedures to the general managers and head housekeepers at individual properties.

     Since job descriptions may become inappropriate as work assignments change, they should be reviewed at least once a year for possible revision. Properly written job descriptions can ease employee anxiety by specifying responsibilities, requirements, and peculiarities of their jobs. Employees should be involved in writing and revising job descriptions for their positions.

     Each employee of the housekeeping department should be given a copy of the job descriptions for his/her positions. A job description may also be given to all final job candidates before an employment offer is made . This is preferable to having someone accept the job and then decide the job is unsuitable because he/she was unaware of its requirements. 

     Job lists and job descriptions form the basis for developing job breakdowns ( specific, step-by step procedures for accomplishing a task ), training plans, and effective performance evaluation forms. 

Planning the work of the Housekeeping Department

     Planning is probably the executive housekeeper's most important management function. Without competent planning, every day may present one crisis after another. Constant crises lower morale, decrease productivity, and increase expenses within the department. Also, without the direction and focus that planning provides, the executive housekeeper can easily become side tracked by tasks which are unimportant or unrelated to accomplishing the hotel's objectives.

     Since the housekeeping department is responsible for cleaning and maintaining so many different areas of the hotel, planning the work of the department can seem like an enormous task. Without a systematic, step-by-step approach to planning, the executive housekeeper can easily become overwhelmed and frustrated by the hundreds of important details that must be addressed in order to ensure that the work is not only done -but done correctly, efficiently, on time, and with the least cost to the department.

Area Inventory Lists

     Planning the work of the housekeeping department begins with creating an inventory list of all items within each area that will need housekeeping's attention. Preparing area inventory lists is the first planning activity because the lists ensure that the rest of the planning activities address every item for which housekeeping will be held accountable. Inventory lists are bound to be long and extremely detailed. Since most properties offer several different types of guestrooms, separate inventory lists may be needed for each room type.

     When preparing a guestroom area inventory list, it is a good idea to follow the same system that room attendants will use as the sequence of their cleaning tasks and that supervisors will use in the course of their inspections. This enable the executive housekeeper to use the inventory lists as the basis for developing cleaning procedures, training plans, and inspection checklist, For example, Items within a guestroom may appear on an inventory lists as they are found from right to left and from right top to bottom around the room . Other systematic techniques may be used, but the point is that some system should be followed-and this system should be the same one used by room attendants and inspectors in the daily course of their duties.

Frequency Schedules

     frequency schedules indicate how often items on inventory lists are to be cleaned or maintained. Items that must be cleaned on a daily or weekly basis become part of a routine cleaning cycle and are incorporated into standard work procedures. Other items ( Which must be cleaned or maintained biweekly, monthly, bimonthly, or according to some other cycle ) are inspected on a daily or weekly basis, but they become part of a general for deep cleaning program and are scheduled as a special cleaning projects. 

     Items on an area's frequency schedule that are made part of housekeeping's general cleaning program should be transferred to a calendar plan and scheduled as a special cleaning project. The calendar plan guides the executive housekeeper is scheduling the appropriate staff to perform the necessary work. The executive housekeeper must take into account a number of factors when scheduling general cleaning of guestroom or other special projects. For example, whenever possible , days marked for guestroom general cleaning should coincide with low occupancy periods. Also, the general cleaning program must be flexible in relation to the activities of other departments. For example, if the engineering departments schedules extensive repair work for several guestrooms, the executive housekeeper should make every effort to coordinate a general cleaning of these rooms with engineering's timetable. Careful planning will produce good results for the hotel with the least possible inconvenience to guests or to other departments.

Performance Standards

     The executive Housekeeper can begin to develop performance standards by answering the question. what must be done in order to clean or maintain the major items within this area ? Standards are required levels of performance that establish the quality of the work that must be done. Performance standards state not only what must be done ; they also describe in detail how the job must be done.

     One of the primary objectives of planning the work of the housekeeping department is to ensure that all employee carry out their cleaning tasks in a consistent manners. The keys to consistency are the performance standards which the executive housekeeper develops, communicates, and manages. Although these standards will vary from one housekeeping department to another , executive housekeepers can ensure consistency of cleaning by demanding 100 % conformity to the standards established by their departments. When performance standards are not properly developed, effectively communicated, and consistently managed, the productivity of the housekeeping department suffers because employees will not be performing their tasks in the most efficient and effective manner.

     The most important aspect of developing standards is gaining consensus on how cleaning and other tasks are to be carried out. Consensus can be achieved by having individuals who actually perform the tasks contribute to the standards that are eventually adopted by the department.

     Performance standards are communicated through ongoing training programs. Many properties have developed performance standards and have included them between the covers of impressive housekeeping procedures manuals. However, all too often, these manuals simply gather dust on shelves in the offices of executive housekeepers. Well-written standards are useless unless they are applied . The only way to get standards in the work place is through effective training programs.

     After communicating performance standards through ongoing training activities, the executive housekeepers must manage those standards. Managing standards means ensuring conformity to standards by constant inspection. Experienced housekeepers know the truth of the adage : " You can't expect what you don't inspect ".  Daily inspection and periodic performance evaluations should be followed up with specific on-the-job coaching and retraining. This ensures that all employees are consistently performing their tasks in the most efficient and effective manner. The executive housekeepers should review the department's performance standards at least once a year and make appropriate revisions as new work methods are implemented. 

Productivity Standards

     While performance standards establish the expected ' quality ' of the work to be done, productivity standards determine the acceptable " quantity ' of work to be done by department employees. An executive housekeepers begins to establish productivity standards by answering the question : How long should it take for a housekeeping employee to perform an assigned task according to the department's performance standards ? Productivity standards must be determined in order to property staff the department within the limitations established by the hotel's operating budget plan.

     Since performance standards vary in relation to the unique needs and requirements of each hotel, it is impossible to identify productivity standards that would apply across the board to every housekeeping department. Since the duties of room attendants vary widely among economy/limited service, mid-range-service, and world-class-service hotels, the productivity standards for room attendants will also vary.

     When determining realistic productivity standards, an executive housekeeper does not have to carry around a measuring tape, stopwatch, and clipboard and conduct time and motion studies on all the tasks necessary to clean and maintain each item on an area's inventory list. The labor of the executive housekeeper and other management staff is also a precious department resource. However, housekeeping managers must know how long it should take a housekeeping employee to perform the major tasks identified on the cleaning, frequency schedules-such as guestroom cleaning. Once this information is known, productivity standards can be developed.

     Let's assume that, at a hotel offering mid-range service, the executive housekeeper determines that a room attendant can meet performance standards and clean a typical guestroom in approximately 27 minutes.Productivity standards can then be established for room attendant working 8 hour shifts. Calculation room attendant take a half hour unpaid lunch period. Room attendants should be to clean 15 guestroom per 8-hour shift.

     Quality and quantity can be two sides of a double-edged sword. On one side, if the quality expectations ( performance standards ) are set too high, the quantity of work that can be done accordingly may be unacceptable low. This forces the executive housekeeper to add more and more staff to ensure that all the work gets done. However, sooner or later ( and probably sooner than expected ), the general manager will use the double-edged sword to cut the high labor expense of the housekeeping department. This action would force the executive housekeeper to reduce the size of the department staff and to realign quality and quantity by redefining performance standards in light of more realistic productivity standards.

     On the other side, if performance standards are set too low, the quantity of work that can be done accordingly will be unexpectedly high. At first, the general manager may be delighted. However, as complaints from guests and staff increase and the property begins to reflect dingy neglect, the general manager may, once again, wield the double-edged sword. This time, the general manager may choose to replace the executive housekeeper with a person who will establish higher performance standards and monitor department expenses more closely.

     The challenge is to effectively balance performance standards and productivity standards. Quality and quantity need not be a double-edged sword ; instead, each can serve to check and balance the other . A concern for productivity may not necessarily lower performance standards-it can sharpen and refine current work methods and procedures. If room attendants are constantly returning to the housekeeping area for cleaning and guestroom supplies, there is something wrong with the way they set up and stock their carts. Wasted motion is wasted time depletes the most important and most expensive resource of the housekeeping department: labor. The executive housekeeper must be constantly on the alert for new and more efficient work methods. 

     Remember, an executive housekeeper will rarely have all the resources necessary to do everything he/she may want to accomplish. Therefore, labor must be carefully allocated to achieve acceptable performance standards and realistic productivity standards. 

Equipment and supply Inventory Levels

     After planning what must be done and how the tasks are to be performed, the executive housekeeper must ensure that employees have the necessary equipment and supplies to get their jobs done. The executive housekeeper plans appropriate inventory levels by answering the following question; What amounts of equipment and supplies will be needed for the housekeeping staff to meet the performance and productivity standards of the department ? The answer to this question ensures smooth daily housekeeping activities and forms the basis for planning an effective purchasing system must consistently maintain the needed amounts of items stored within inventories controlled by the housekeeping department.

     Essentially, the executive housekeeper is responsible for two types of inventories. One type stores items which are recycled during the course of hotel operations ; the other type stores non recyclable items. Non-recyclable items are consumed or used up during routine activities of the housekeeping department. Due to limited storage facilities and management's desire not to tie up cash in overstocked inventories, the executive housekeeper must establish reasonable inventory levels for both recyclable and non-recyclable items. 

Recycled Inventories, Recycled inventories include linens, most equipment items, and some guest supplies, Recycled equipment includes room attendant carts, vacuum cleaners, carpet shampooers, floor buffers, and many other items. Recycled guest supplies include such items as irons, ironing boards, cribs, and refrigerators that guests may need during the course of their stay. Housekeeping is responsible for storing and maintaining these items as well as issuing them as they are requested by guests.

     The number of recycled items that must be on hand to ensure smooth operations is expressed as a par number . Par refers to the standard number of items that must be on hand to support daily, routine housekeeping operations.For example, one par of linens is the total number of items needed to outfit all the hotel guestroom once; two par of linens is the total number of items needed to outfit all the hotel guestroom twice; and so on.

Non-Recycled Inventories, Non-recycled inventories include cleaning, supplies, guestroom supplies ( such as bath soap ), and guest amenities ( which may range from toothbrushes and shampoos and conditioners, to scented bath powders and colognes ). Since non-recyclable items are used up in the course of operations, inventory levels are closely tied to the purchase ordering system used at the property. A purchase ordering system for no-recyclable inventory items established a par number that is based on two figures-a minimum quantity and a maximum quantity.

     The minimum quantity is the fewest number of purchase units that should be in stock at any time. Purchase units are counted in items of normal size shipping containers, such as cases, drums, and so on. The inventory level should never fall below the minimum quantity. When the inventory level of a non-recyclable item reaches the minimum quantity, additional supplies must be ordered.

     The actual number of additional supplies that must be ordered is determined by the maximum quantity. The maximum quantity is the greatest number of purchase units that should be in stock at any time . This maximum quantity must be consistent with available storage space and must not be so high that large amounts of the hotel's cash resources are tied up in an overstocked inventory. The shelf life of an item also affects the maximum quantity of purchase units that can be stored.

Identifying Housekeeping's Responsibilities

    Regardless of the size and structure of housekeeping department, it is typically the responsibility of the hotel's general manager to identify which areas of the property housekeeping will be responsible for cleaning.  Most housekeeping departments are responsible for cleaning the following areas :

- Guestrooms
- Corridors
- Public areas, such as the lobby and public restrooms
- Pool and patio areas
- Management offices
- Storage areas
- Linen and sewing rooms
- Laundry room
- Back-of-the-house areas, such as employee locker rooms.

     Housekeeping departments of hotels offering mid-range and world-class service are generally responsible for additional areas, such as :

- Meeting room
- Dinning rooms
- Banquet rooms
- Convention exhibit halls
- Hotel-operated shops
- Game rooms
- Exercise rooms.

     Housekeeping's cleaning responsibilities in the food and beverage areas vary from property to property.  In most hotels, housekeeping has very limited responsibilities in relation to food preparation, production, and storage areas.  The special cleaning and sanitation tasks required for maintaining these areas are usually carried out by kitchen staff under the supervision of the chief steward.  In some properties, the dinning room staff cleans service areas after breakfast and lunch periods ;housekeeping's night cleaning crew does the in-depth cleaning after dinner service or early in the morning before the dinning room opens for business.  The executive housekeeper and the dining room managers must work closely together to ensure that quality standards are maintained in the guest service and server station areas.

     The same cooperation is necessary between housekeeping and banquet or convention services.  The banquet or convention staff generally sets up function and meeting rooms and is responsible for some cleaning after the rooms are used.  The final in-depth cleaning is left to the housekeeping crew. This means that the final responsibility for the cleanliness and overall appearance of these areas falls squarely on the shoulders of the housekeeping staff.

     The general manager typically designates which areas housekeeping will be responsible for cleaning.  However, if areas responsibility cross department lines, the manager of those departments must get together and settle among them selves any disputes about cleaning responsibilities.  The agreement among the managers is then reported to the general manager for his/her approval.  A good housekeeping manager can effectively solve problems on his/her level with other managers, thereby relieving the general manager of day-to-day operational problems.

     It is good idea for the executive housekeeper to obtain a floor plan of the hotel and color in those areas for which housekeeping is responsible.  Different colors can be used to designates those areas for which other department managers are responsible.  To ensure that all areas of the property have been covered-and to avoid future misunderstandings about responsibilities-copies of this color-coded floor plan should be distributed to the general manager and to all department managers.  This way, everyone can see at a glance who is responsible for cleaning each area in the hotel.  The color-coded floor plan also presents a clear and impressive picture of the housekeeping department's role in cleaning and maintaining the hotel.

     Once housekeeping's areas of responsibility have been identified, planning focuses on analyzing the work required for cleaning and maintaining each area.

   

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.

Housekeeping and Engineering / Maintenance

     In most non-lodging commercial buildings, housekeeping, engineering, and maintenance personnel generally report to the same department manager.  This makes a great deal of sense because these functional areas have similar goals and methods and must have a close working relationship. In most midsize and large lodging operations, however, housekeeping reports to the rooms division manager, while engineering and maintenance constitute a separate division.  Different reporting responsibilities can become barriers to effective communication between these important support centers of a hotel. 

     In fact, it is unfortunate that support centers often seem to have an almost adversarial relationship. For example, housekeeping personnel sometimes resent having to clean up after various types of maintenance, while engineering personnel may be upset if the misuse of chemical and equipment by housekeeping results in additional work for them.  In order to ensure the smooth operation of both departments, housekeeping and engineering managers need to devote attention to improving the relationship between their departments.

     The housekeeping department often takes the first steps in relation to maintenance functions for which engineering is ultimately responsible.  There are three kinds of maintenance activities : routine maintenance, preventive maintenance, and scheduled maintenance.

     Routine maintenance activities are those which relate to the general upkeep of the property, occur on a regular ( daily or weekly ) basis, and require relatively minimal training or skills. These are maintenance activities which occur outside of a formal work order system and for which no specific maintenance records (tome or materials ) are kept. Examples include sweeping carpets,washing floors, cleaning readily accessible windows, cutting grass, cleaning guestrooms, shoveling snow, and replacing burned-out light bulbs.  Many of these routine maintenance activities are carried out by the housekeeping department. Proper care of many surfaces and materials by housekeeping personnel is the first step in the overall maintenance program for  the property's furniture and futures.

     Preventive maintenance consist of three parts inspection, mirror corrections, and work order initiation. For many areas within the hotel, inspections are performed by housekeeping personnel in the  normal course of their duties.  For example, room attendants and inspectors may regularly check guestrooms for leaking faucets, cracked caulking around bathroom fixtures, and other items that may call for action by engineering staff.  Attending to leaking faucets and improper caulking around sinks and tubs can control maintenance costs by preventing greater problems, such as ceiling or wall damage in the bath below.  Such maintenance protects the physical plant investment and contributes to guest satisfaction.

     Communication between housekeeping and engineering should be efficient so that most minor repairs can be handled while the room attendant is cleaning the guestroom.  In some properties, a full time maintenance person may be assigned to inspect guestroom and to perform the necessary repairs, adjustments, or replacements.

     Preventive maintenance, by its nature, sometimes identifies problems and needs beyond the scope of a minor correction. These problem are brought to the attention of engineering through the work order system.  The necessary work is then scheduled by the building engineer. This type of work is often referred to as scheduled maintenance.

     Scheduled maintenance activities are initiated at the property based on a formal work order or similar document. Work order are a key element in the communication between housekeeping and engineering. 

     Engineering generally keeps data cards and history records on all equipment operated by housekeeping personnel. Equipment data cards contain basic information about pieces of equipment, This information can include technical data, manufacturers information, cost, special instructions, warranty information, and references to other information as well ( such as the storage location of manuals and drawings ). Equipment history records are logs of the inspection and maintenance work performed on  a given piece of equipment.  History records may be separate cards or may be incorporated into the equipment data card. Their purpose is to provide documentation of all maintenance activity on a given piece of equipment. Many properties have computerized these record keeping functions, making it easier for the executive housekeeper to retrieve pertinent information when requesting replacement or new equipment items.