Hiring household staff can feel like a daunting experience because you’re bringing a new person into your home and relying upon this person to improve your home from the inside out. Yet many different types of families can benefit from hiring a housekeeper to keep the household tidy, hygienic, livable, and beautiful. Housekeepers can do everything from vacuuming to scrubbing, laundry, and pet care, but it’s important to ask the right interview questions to ensure a good match.
Here are some essential housekeeper interview questions to ask when you meet with potential candidates.
What Housekeeping Experience Do You Have?
This is typically the first and most logical to ask a potential household staff member to get a sense of what he/she has worked on in the past. Ask for specific details from candidates’ past experiences to ensure that their skills match what you need in your own home.
What Types of Homes Have You Cleaned in the Past?
There is a lot of difference between cleaning a small one-bedroom apartment and cleaning a huge 10-bedroom estate. Ask your housekeeping candidate about the size of homes cleaned in the past, as well as the extent of cleaning that needed to be done and other house-specific details that concern you.
What Are Your Favorite Household Cleaning Products and Why?
Everyone who cleans for a living has some go-to products that are enduring favorites. Learn about what types of products your candidates like to use and why those are favorite products. If you are trying to live a greener and more natural lifestyle, ask candidates about their knowledge and experience with organic and homemade DIY cleaning products.
What Hours Are You Available to Work as a Housekeeper
Of course, you’ll want to assess your potential housekeeper’s schedule to make sure his/her hours fit what you need. Before your interview, determine if you need a full-time or a part-time housekeeper and approximately how many hours per week or month you will need housekeeping services. If you’re unsure, it may be best to hire a housekeeper with a flexible schedule who can work more or less depending on your needs.
What Do You Like and Dislike About the Housekeeping Profession?
If you’re going to welcome a new person into your home, you will want to get to know this household staff member on a personal level and be able to trust him/her. One way to gauge a candidate’s honesty is to ask about the things that the candidate likes and dislikes about this type of work. Get a sense of whether your candidates work better alone or in a team, what makes them excited to come to work each day, and the types of tasks they ultimately dread.
What Skills Do You Have That Set You Apart from Other Housekeepers?
There are many people vying for housekeeper jobs these days, so you’ll need to compare candidates to make the best hiring choice. Ask your candidates about what skills they have that set them apart from the competition to help make your decision. Some housekeepers are handier with tools, while others are great with kids, and still others can be relied upon for outdoor work as well as indoor tasks.
Key Housekeeper Qualities
Most families and individuals who need housekeeping services will benefit from hiring a housekeeper who has the following set of qualities:
- Trustworthy
- Hardworking
- Flexible
- Detail-oriented
- Accommodating
- Good listener
Find the Best Housekeeper for Your Home
One of our specialties at Household Staffing International is pairing highly qualified housekeepers with families who need their services. If you are looking to hire a housekeeper, please complete our application to tell us more about your home’s needs. If you are a housekeeper and think you have what it takes for the job, send us your resume to potentially join our team!