You’ve placed your profile, you’ve dusted off your dusters and polished up your CV. Now for the nerve-wracking bit – the interview!
When you are interviewing for a cleaning job, you want to put your best foot forward, so it’s important to follow all the typical interview advice: be on time, dress nicely, be polite. But the most important parts of the process are the questions.
Potential employers will be more at ease if you appear knowledgeable about how to fulfill your duties. You should also be prepared to ask questions about the job itself. Here are suggestions for things to discuss during your housekeeper interview. Use them as starting points to show that you are a good fit for the position and why you should be hired.
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The basics
- What is the size of the family?
- Are there indoor or outdoor pets?
- Do any family members have allergies?
- What supplies and equipment are provided or will you need to provide them?
- Do you prefer green cleaning products?
- Will the family be at home when you clean?
- What is the pay rate?
- Have you ever used a cleaning service? What was the experience like?
- What do you look for in a housekeeper?
Frequency of cleaning
- If the job will be a weekly housecleaning job, what day of the week works best for your schedules (and make sure that you have a note of when you are already working on other jobs)?
- Will the duties be the same each time or will they alternate?
- When will the job begin?
- Will there be seasonal or other deep-cleanings required?
- Will there be any ‘as-needed’ cleaning duties involved?
Specific cleaning duties
- Will sweeping, mopping and vacuuming floors will be part of the normal cleaning routine?
- Will you be responsible for doing laundry or ironing?
- Will cleaning bathrooms will be part of the regular cleaning schedule?
- Will emptying the bins will be part of your duties?
- Will you be responsible for tidying rooms or sorting through papers?
- Will you need to move furniture or simply clean around it?
Additional responsibilities
- Will there be any outdoor duties involved?
- Will you need to care for or clean up after pets?
- Will you be required to prepare meals?
- Will there be children at home when you clean?
- If there will be children in the house, will you be responsible for their care?
It’s important to come across as a professional when you interview for housecleaning jobs. Discussing the details of the job in advance can help avoid any misunderstanding and can help you negotiate a fair pay.
If you’re hired, you should always provide a high level of service. Housecleaning jobs done well can lead to referrals for additional cleaning jobs.
>> Looking for job opportunities? Find work in your area now.