All About a Career as a Housekeeper, Hotel Housekeeping in Zimbabwe and more on Mywage Zimbabwe
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By Wongai Zhangazha
What is it that we first look at when selecting a hotel for a vacation or a meeting?
Answer: The size of the rooms, hotel services, location and reviews.
But there is one important factor that people tend to overlook - the housekeeping staff. Talent Jekesa is a hotel housekeeper who believes she contributes a lot to making a hotel gain its reputation for good service.
Working in a five star hotel, the Rainbow Towers in Harare, Talent is a hardworking woman who ensures that untidy rooms become superbly spotless each day. Hotel housekeeping is quite a difficult and demanding job that requires much more than might be expected.
Duties
On a daily basis Talent’s duties are to keep a number of assigned rooms clean - which is a tough job as at times there can be 15 to 20 rooms. Rainbow Towers is a big hotel that often hosts big conferences, and thus it is usually fully booked.
Her job involves basic cleaning duties. It is more challenging when visitors have just checked out, as it involves a thorough clean of their room so that new hotel guests cannot tell that someone has just vacated the room a few hours earlier. According to her working procedures she should be able to make a bed in two minutes, unless there are stains on the sheets and pillowcases.
Her time of work changes here and there depending on what shift she works, but typically hers is an eight-hour shift, most of which is very busy. She is expected not to spend not more than 15 minutes in an occupied room but she says it is often a difficult schedule to keep considering the state of some rooms. She is expected to make more time for large suites.
Requirements
In Zimbabwe not much is required to become a hotel housekeeper but a formal education up to the Zimbabwe Schools Examination Council ordinary level might be required at some hotels.
Other hotels prefer to hire people with a high school education, but with most hotels on-the-job training is usually done.
Hotel housekeepers are required to work quickly and efficiently without invading their guests' privacy and should have a neat and clean appearance. Those with a lot of experience can see themselves working for top luxury hotels that pay higher wages.
Promising jobs
In this inclusive government and with promising investment opportunities in the country the hotel industry is expected to grow faster in the coming years. More hotels are expected to be opened to increase business travel and domestic and foreign tourism. The demand for all hotel workers is expected to rise, offering a good job outlook.
Salary
Hotel housekeepers are not highly paid in most hotels, but in some luxury hotels they receive a higher-than-average salary. However, they can receive tips from guests at the end of their stay and get free meals during working hours. Those who are permanent housekeepers can get vouchers for free accommodation in the hotel, health insurance and retirement benefits.
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