If you’re hiring a housekeeper, here’s what to keep in mind when reviewing their CV.
If you’re thinking about hiring an independent housekeeper, you’ll likely find yourself sorting through a number of qualified applicants for your job. Now comes the challenging part: sorting through a pile of housekeeping CVs and deciding who to interview. Has the process left you scratching your head yet? While many CVs look the same, we’ve put together the top things to look for when reviewing a housekeeping CV, as well as a few things to avoid.
Here are 5 things to look for on a housekeeping resume:
1. Housekeeping skills and services
From basic cleaning abilities to specialty services, a housekeeper should have a variety of skills and services listed on their CV to showcase professional qualifications.
As you’re reviewing the list of services and qualifications, consider what suits the needs best for you and your family. A housekeeper who specialises in pet care cleaning could be a good choice if you have a four-legged friend in the home. Or maybe you are just looking for assistance with routine chores like dusting and mopping. Look for skills and services that fit the needs and demands of your household.
Basic tasks performed by a housekeeper include dusting, vacuuming and mopping, wiping down and cleaning off surfaces, making beds, removing garbage, as well as tidying up bathrooms, kitchens, and main living areas. The candidate may also detail what, if any, experience they have using specific types of cleaning tools, such as floor buffing machines.
On this part of the CV, you’ll also find additional specialty services they may offer such as grout cleaning, upholstery cleaning, window washing, silverware polishing, time and budget management, as well as child care and pet care, and more. Remember, look for the skill set that best matches up with the needs of your family and home.
Also, take note of any professional certifications from reputable organisations as well as applicable training courses listed on their CV. These extra steps indicate the applicant is up-to-date on the industry standards to provide the best possible service to clients like you.
2. The candidate’s availability and scheduling
As you flip through the stack of CVs, check to see if the applicant has listed their availability, desired schedule, and if they are looking for part-time or full-time employment. A good housekeeping CV will contain this information near the top in their personal summary.
Many housekeepers offer their services on a weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly basis, and are available throughout the week and on weekends. Determine which cleaning frequency, as well as what days of the week or weekend, works best for your household.
If you’re between candidates, this is a quick and simple way to sort out which ones will work for you and which will not.
3. Professional housekeeping experience level
On each resume you review, you should find a detailed recap of all their previous job experience, accompanied by the number of months and years spent at the job. Do you need someone with years of experience? Or will an entry-level housekeeper meet your needs? If your household just needs light cleaning from time-to-time, you may consider hiring someone with less experience. If you’re looking for a good deep cleaning every week or so, then you’ll likely want to hire someone with a reasonable amount of experience who has performed the desired duties before.
The applicant’s experience will give you a more comprehensive understanding of their specific skills, qualifications, and certifications mentioned elsewhere on their CV. Questions to ask include what responsibilities did they have? How long did they work for the family? These are all things a good candidate’s CV will contain.
4. Housekeeper’s location and contact information
Someone who lives an hour or more away may not be the best choice for you if you’re looking to hire frequent cleaning help. Choose a housekeeper who lives within a reasonable driving distance of your home. This is a great topic to discuss during the interview process and can open the door to other important questions such as promptness and reliable transportation.
Also, check to verify that they provided a valid email address and personal phone number. This is how you will reach them to set up an interview, as well as communicate with them should they be hired. Keeping the lines of communication open is key ensuring the success of any working relationship.
5. Personal summary
Housekeepers offering their services on Care.com will provide a personal summary – and there’s a lot you can learn about someone in just a few short sentences. How do they describe themselves? Hardworking? Efficient? Reliable? These are all great descriptive keywords that ooze confidence. Of course, there are many other similar adjectives one can use, but a candidate who speaks highly of themselves with the experience to back it up could be a great potential match for you and your household.
Other things to look for in an applicant’s personal summary: Are they fluent in multiple languages? Do they work well with others and easily get along with different personalities? What are their professional goals and what do they hope to gain from working in your home?
Above all, a candidate’s personal summary should leave you interested enough to call them for an interview while providing a good overall impression of who they are.
Housekeeping CV Red Flags
Now that you have an idea of what to be on the lookout for when it comes to sifting through resumes, here are 5 red flags to avoid:
- Job hopping
If the applicant has a long list of jobs but spent six months or less in each position, that should raise a red flag. Look for someone who has been with a private family or company for a decent amount of time (at least six months to a year). Doing so will ultimately translate into a solid, long-term commitment to you and your household.
- Too much information
If a CV lists every cleaning skill and qualification in the book, and isn’t backed up by a robust and lengthy job history, the candidate is probably too good to be true. Use common sense and trust your gut when evaluating each CV.
- Too little information
A resume that lacks information and offers vague descriptions probably isn’t the right fit for you. A suitable candidate should provide just enough information about themselves and their previous job history to give you the full picture.
- Spelling and formatting errors
If you notice an abundance of spelling, grammatical and formatting errors, this could be a sign that the applicant lacks the attention to detail needed to properly clean a home. A housekeeping CV should be professional, organised and free of mistakes.
- Irrelevant experience
A housekeeping CV should be just that. It should not contain job experience that’s unrelated to keeping a home clean. Whatever their professional expertise may be, look for candidates who have at least one previous housekeeping job under their belt.
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