Housekeeper: What is the cost of hiring?

What is a housekeeper?

A housekeeper is responsible for maintaining cleanliness and order within a property, workplace, or hospitality setting. They manage daily cleaning tasks, laundry and may also handle inventory of supplies. The role ensures that spaces remain hygienic, safe and presentable for residents, guests or employees.

Why recruit a housekeeper?

Recruiting a housekeeper ensures high standards of hygiene and comfort in your business. They contribute directly to customer satisfaction, employee wellbeing and operational efficiency. You may need to recruit a housekeeper if your staff are spending excessive time on cleaning duties, if cleanliness standards are slipping, or if your business is scaling and requires dedicated housekeeping support.

Contributions of a great housekeeper:

• Maintaining cleanliness and hygiene across all designated areas
• Supporting smooth day-to-day operations by reducing workload on other staff
• Improving guest satisfaction and creating a positive impression of your business

Defining your recruitment needs for a housekeeper

Before recruiting a housekeeper, assess the scope of work required. You might need daily cleaning, deep cleaning, laundry or specialised tasks. Decide whether your business needs full-time, part-time, live-in or contract support. Consider your budget and whether the role overlaps with other positions, such as a cleaner or janitor. Defining the title and scope clearly will help you attract the right candidates and set accurate expectations from the start.

What are the types of housekeepers?

Housekeepers can work in a range of environments and at different levels of responsibility. For example, some may focus solely on residential properties, while others specialise in hotels or healthcare facilities. Larger organisations may employ senior housekeepers or housekeeping supervisors who manage teams.

Here are some common variations of the job title for a housekeeper:

• Residential housekeeper
• Hotel housekeeper
• Executive housekeeper
• Housekeeping supervisor
• Live-in housekeeper

When writing your housekeeper job description, consider including some or all of the following keywords to improve the visibility of your job posting. These are the most popular search terms leading to clicks on housekeeper jobs, according to Indeed data:

• Cleaner
• Housekeeping
• Housekeeper
• Cleaning
• Hotel
• Hospitality
• Room attendant

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Where to find housekeepers?

To find the right housekeeper, it helps to use a blend of traditional and modern recruitment methods. The best approach often combines word-of-mouth recommendations, industry networks and online job postings. By targeting the right spaces, you increase your chances of connecting with candidates who already have the skills and standards your business needs.

To find the right housekeeper for your business, consider trying out a few different recruitment strategies:

• Hospitality networks: hotels and hospitality associations often have job boards or networking events such as job fairs where you can connect with skilled housekeepers
• Training providers: vocational schools or colleges offering hospitality and cleaning courses can be a great source of qualified candidates
• Internal mobility: consider upskilling existing staff members who are already familiar with your standards and processes
• Recruitment agencies: agencies specialising in hospitality and domestic staff can quickly connect you with pre-vetted candidates and agency workers
• Post your job online: try posting your housekeeper job on Indeed to find and attract quality housekeeper candidates

Skills to look for in a housekeeper

A successful housekeeper candidate will typically have the following skills and competencies, which may be gained through a variety of experiences, training or education:

• Attention to detail
• Time management and efficiency
• Knowledge of cleaning techniques and products
• Ability to work independently
• Physical stamina for repetitive tasks
• Strong organisational skills

Writing a housekeeper job description

Now that you know the key skills, salary expectations, popular jobseeker search terms and recruitment insights for a housekeeper, you are ready to write a job description.

A housekeeper job description typically includes a compelling summary of the role, a detailed list of duties and responsibilities and the required and preferred skills for the position. You may also want to include information about your company culture, benefits and perks to attract candidates to your open role.

Ready to get started? See our full guide for writing housekeeper job descriptions.

Interviewing housekeeper candidates

Strong candidates for housekeeper positions will be confident answering questions regarding:

• Experience with different cleaning tasks and equipment
• Ability to prioritise and manage time effectively
• Knowledge of health and safety standards
• Situational responses to guest or client requests
• Teamwork and communication skills

Need help coming up with interview questions? See our list of housekeeper interview questions for examples (with sample answers).

Deciding between a full-time vs freelance housekeeper

Before writing a housekeeper job description or interviewing candidates, it’s important to determine whether you need a full-time, part-time, freelance or contract housekeeper (and what your budget will allow).

Housekeepers may be self-employed or work through an agency, and they can be hired on a part-time, contract or full-time basis, depending on your specific requirements. Understanding these options will help you find the right fit for your home or business.