Ahmed added: “On another note, you only get what you pay for. We are killing the golden goose by taking cheap people, and the prices have not really changed in the last 20 years.”
However, Aslitdinova added that it was important for housekeepers to train casual labour as well, which Hemaprabha agreed with. Aslitdinova continued: “Those who stay… we give them proper training and certification. And the company has to sign a contract saying whoever they give me, have to stay for 18 months from the date of starting.” Hemaprabha, however, pointed that salary also plays a role in motivation.
The increasing outsourcing of the housekeeping department could be a trend, as per Paramasivam. She commented: “In today’s market, for pre-openings there are n-number of consultancies who say, ‘You don’t have to have housekeepers, you don’t have to pay them. Give me the property and I will handle it.’ As the owner, and as a management company, they ask why they would do that — it’s because this is the total package, which happens all over Australia and now the concept is coming in Dubai. It’s less headache from the general manager’s and owners’ perspective. If brands see results with this in the next five years, housekeeping will evolve to boil down to outsourcing.”
Hemaprabha opined that this could possibly work only if a qualified housekeeper is hired to lead the team, with many unqualified to do the job thinking they can easily do it. She added: “This is because housekeepers have failed to convince the management and industry that it is a technical job.”
On that front, the housekeepers agreed and pointed out that in times of tightened budgets, the first job cut almost always happens in the housekeeping department. Paramasivam said: “Once they know the assistant can manage the operations, the executive housekeeper will have to go.” Hemaprabha added: “This is happening because nine out of 10 housekeepers do not become general managers. GMs don’t know the housekeeping background.”
Paramasivam, who has grown from her housekeeping background to looking after rooms, said that companies do exist which give opportunities to housekeepers to grow to the next level, “but it’s on case to case, and personal experience”.
The housekeepers agreed that the profession is largely undervalued, with a troubling trend of housekeepers expected to work overtime. Hemaprabha commented: “Some people think that if you don’t come in on days off, you’re not committed.”
Aslitdinova argued that micro-managing people over their working times isn’t effective anymore. “We are working with millennials. These are people who are totally different; if someone tries to micro-manage me, I’ll fail.”
The housekeepers also called for greater understanding of a hotel’s financing and P/L statements on the part of housekeepers, with them adding that with greater financial understanding comes greater power to implement and ask for changes. All this and more will be discussed, debated and shared at the Executive Housekeeper Forum next month.
ESSENTIAL INFORMATION:
Where: Grosvenor House Dubai
When: May 3, 2017
For speaking opportunities: louby.maktari@itp.com
To attend: michael.mcgill@itp.com
For sponsorship opportunities: stephen.price@itp.com
Website: http://www.hoteliermiddleeast.com/conferences/housekeepers
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