PLANNING
& ORGANISING THE HOUSEKEEPING DEPARTMENT
Planning
is probably the Executive Housekeepers most important management
function. Without proper planning each day may present one problem
after other. Since the Housekeeping is responsible for cleaning &
maintaining so many different areas of the hotel. Planning should be
undertaken in a systematic manner in order to obtain set objectives.
The step by step planning process may differ slightly from one
hotel’s housekeeping department to another’s and different
terminology may be in use across companies, but essentially the
sub-processes and tasks are the same. Housekeeping planning should be
done on paper and needs to be properly documented. The questions that
arise at the beginning of the planning process lead to the formation
of the basic planning documents. Certain documents are essential and
they are:
Area
Inventory List (AIL): Planning
the work of the Housekeeping Department begins with creating an
inventory list of all items within each area that will need
Housekeeping attention. Since most properties offered several
different types of guestrooms, separate inventory list may be needed
for guest room type. When preparing the guestroom ‘AIL’, it is a
good idea to follow the same system that room attendant will use as
their sequence of cleaning task & that supervisor will use in the
course of their inspection. E.g. Area within a guestroom may appear
on an inventory list as they are found from right to left & from
top to bottom around the room.
Frequency
Schedule:
It indicates how often items on inventory list are to be cleaned.
Items that must be cleaned on a daily or weekly basis become a part
of a routine cleaning cycle and are incorporated into standard work
procedures. Other items which must be cleaned, monthly or less
frequently are inspected on a daily basis but they become part of a
spring cleaning programme & are scheduled special cleaning
projects.
Performance
Standard:
They are required levels of performance that establish the quality of
work that must be done according to the expectations of the property.
The key to consistency in service is the performance standards which
the Executive Housekeeper develops, daily inspections & periodic
performance. Evaluation should follow up with specific on the job
coaching & re-training. This ensures that all employees are
consistently performing their tasks in the most efficient &
effective manner. Performance standards are achieved when:
Cleaning
methods are correctly selected and systematically followed.
The
ideal cleaning agents are used on the various surfaces involved.
The
correct pieces of equipment are used on the various surfaces
involved.
Cleaning
tasks are carried out at required frequencies.
All
the employees carry out their cleaning tasks in a consistent manner.
Time
and motion studies are periodically carried out in the department to
obtain best practices in housekeeping.
Productivity
Standard:
It determines the quantity of work to be done by the department
employees. Productivity standards must be determined in order to
staff the department within the limitation with the hotel operating
budget plans. Housekeeping Managers must know how long it should take
a room attendant to perform the major cleaning tasks identified on
the cleaning frequency schedules such as guestroom cleaning. Once
this information is known, productivity standards can be developed;
performance & productivity standard should be carefully balanced.
If the quality expectations are set too high, the quantity of work
that could be done may be low. Every hotel must develop their own
productivity standards, as there are several factors that influence
these standards, which vary from one property to another. Some of
these factors may be:
The
type and age of the property.
The
type of surfaces involved and the degrees and type of soiling.
The
accessibility of the work area from the service areas.
The
frequency of cleaning.
The
amount of traffic in the work areas.
The
type of cleaning supplies and equipment available.
The
function of the work area.
The
quality of supervision and inspection.
The
expected standards of cleaning.
The
quality of employees.
Time
and motion study in housekeeping operations: Extensive
research in the form of time and motion studies to analyse work
methods has helped the industry to find better and easier ways to
carry out tasks and save time and energy. The time and motion studies
for a task calculate how long it takes, on an average, to perform a
certain task. This helps in calculating staffing levels. To do a time
and motion study, several staff members perform the same task (say,
bed-making), one by one, their movements are studies and clocked. The
results are compared and an analysis is done as to how long it takes
on an average to perform the task. The best practices derived from
this study are then used by everyone, so that the resulting
performance will be more standardized and more predictable. Any of
the methods discussed below can be used by the executive housekeeper
to do a time and motion study in her department.
Pathway
chart:
this technique involves the study of the path covered by the worker
in the undertaking and completion of a task. A floor plan of the work
area is drawn to scale and fixed to a board on the wall. A long
thread is pinned down at the starting point on the plan. The line of
motion is marked using this thread-whenever the worker turns, that
point is marked with a pin and the thread wound around it. The length
of the thread gives an idea of the distance traversed in the
completion of the task. The time taken is also noted down. Various
pathways are tried out to find the simplest and smallest route to
finishing the task successfully. This is done to achieve the least
exertion and minimal loss of energy and time. This technique helps
pinpoint all movements that can be reduced or eliminated.
Process
chart:
all tasks, in order to be completed, require a specific process or
activity. In this technique, a close study of the process adopted is
carried out and the flow of activity closely studied. A record of the
time taken to finish the task is kept. All unnecessary movements and
steps are then listed down, so as to be avoided in the final process
adopted.
Operation
chart: this
technique helps one track down all wasteful expenditure of time and
energy in all activities. The technique requires a detailed study of
all the
smaller
activities making up a work process. The movements of the two hands
are studies in great detail and a fine analysis shows where in the
job delays are occurring.
Micro-motion
film analysis:
using a timing device, every activity is filmed. Then a detailed
study, especially of the finer movements of the hands and other parts
of the body, helps analyse the areas where changes need to be or can
be made to carry out the task with the least expenditure of time and
energy.
Cyclography:
This is also a technique that uses filming. Here, a bulb is attached
to the worker’s body (may be the hand, the legs, or the back). As
the body or the body part so highlighted moves during the activity,
the path taken is lighted by the electric bulb and hence easily
captured by slow photography. The analysis of the complete film or
the record of movement helps reveal how smooth and rhythmic the
movements of the activity are. Thus, the worker may be guided to make
the necessary changes.
Chronocyclography:
In this technique, a film of the activity is made with small lights
attached to the middle finger. The pattern or movement is filmed and
finally analysed to find out which movements were unnecessary or
arrhythmic and can be eliminated or improved upon.
Standard
operating manuals-Job procedures
A
job procedure specifies the way in which a task is to be performed.
Job procedures should be used during induction and training sessions
and ought to be incorporated into the department’s procedure
manuals. Updating job procedures is necessary as and when changes in
equipment, cleaning materials, and so on, occur. They are most
popularly called ‘SOP’s’ or standard operating procedures. They
are also referred to as ‘work cards’ or ‘order of work’
documents.
SOP’s
comprise the following information:
The
job to be done
Equipment
and materials required
Procedure
of work
Safety
factors
Time
required to do the job
The
goals in establishing SOP’s are as follows:
To
aid standardization
To
help in training
To
preserve surfaces and materials
To
ensure the completion of a task successfully
To
effect a saving on cleaning equipment and agents
To
prevent accidents
To
help in training
To
ensure the completion of a task successfully
To
aid the compiling of work schedules and help in staffing
requirements
Job
allocation and work schedule:
A
work schedule is a document that lists the actual tasks to be carried
out by an employee in a particular shift and the time frame in which
to undertake each task. The document includes the following:
The
position of the employee
The
area of operation
The
time at which the employee has to perform the allotted task
Timings
of meals, breaks, and any special jobs
Time
for tidying equipment and closing up
Work
schedules must be written in simple language and have a concise form.
Since the amount of work in a day may take longer than the length of
one shift, several work schedules need to be compiled for use in one
day. The number of schedules made for a given area is thus an
indication of the number of staff required to clean that area on the
particular day. The schedules should be handed over to the employees
when they report for work.
Calculating
staff strength:
Compared
to other hotel departments, the housekeeping department employs the
largest workforce in most hotels. Manpower thus becomes a major
operating expense. Good management of the housekeeping department
depends on achieving a balance between the workload and the staff
strength. When calculating staff strength, it must be remembered that
each property will have its individual requirements. The factors to
be considered here are:
The
type of hotel it is
The
location of the hotel
Traditions
and customs of the locality
The
size of the hotel (in terms of number of rooms)
The
occupancy rate of the hotel
Management
needs
Company
policies
The
quantity of work to be done
The
quality of work expected, that is, the standards to be met
The
time needed to do the work
The
frequency with which the work needs to be done
The
time when the work area is available
The
amount of traffic in the area
The
staff strength of the housekeeping department mainly depends on the
size and structure of the hotel, that is, whether it has a compact
structure with clusters of rooms, the number of rooms per cluster or
floor, the expanse of the public areas and landscaped areas, and so
on. The general rule of thumb that aid in determining staff strength
in the housekeeping department is given below.
Thumb
rules for determining staff strength
Executive
housekeeper:
1 for a 300 room property
Assistant
housekeepers:
2 (1 per morning and evening shift)
Floor
supervisors:
1 per 60 rooms for the morning shift; 1 for the evening shift; 1 for
the night shift.
Public
area supervisors:
1 for each shift
Linen/uniform
room supervisors: 1
Room
attendants:
1 per 16 rooms for the morning shift; 1 per 30 rooms for the evening
shift (if turn down service is provided)
Linen
and uniform room attendants:
2
Housemen:
depends on the size of public areas and functions expected, but on
average, 1 per 60 rooms
Desk
attendants:
1 per shift
Tailors/upholsterers:
2 (may differ depending on the size of the hotel)
Horticulturist:
1
Head
gardeners:
1 per 20 horticulturists
Gardeners:
1
per 4500 sq. ft of landscaped area
Planning
duty roasters:
Duty roasters specify the allotment of jobs, hours of duty, and days
off for each member of the staff. To make for an even share of
duties, the roaster should be rotated every five weeks. Duty roasters
must be simple in format, easy to interpret, clearly written, and
displayed on the staff notice board at least a week in advance.
Advantages
for a duty roaster: Planning
a duty roaster in advance helps to ensure:
The
exact number of staff required to be on duty at any given occupancy.
That
staff working hours are as per their employment contract.
That
regular off-days are availed for enhancing productivity.
Knowledge
of which employees are present on the premises in instances of
emergencies.
Accuracy
in attendance and payroll reports.
Steps
in making a roaster:
the steps in making a duty roaster are as follows:
Step
1:
Ascertain occupancy levels and events expected in the hotel. This
information is provided by the sales and marketing department at the
beginning of the financial year. On a daily and a weekly basis, more
specific reports of occupancy are available through coordination with
the front office department. The overall forecasts of occupancy must
be considered before scheduling the employees’ annual leave. These
forecasts also help the executive housekeeper to follow the staffing
to ensure sufficient staff at peak periods and avoid excess labour
during slack periods.
Step
2:
Ascertain the spread of duty hours to be scheduled in the duty
roaster, whether 12 hours, 16 hours, or 24 hours. Decide whether the
positions will work for 5 or 7 days per week.
Step
3:
Ascertain the type of shift-straight shift, break shift, rotating
shift, or any other alternative scheduling-to be used.
Step
4:
Ascertain the number of full time and part time staff on the payroll.
Step
5:
Ascertain the number of labour hours per day and per week required
for various positions.
Step
6:
Incorporate coffee breaks and mealtime allowances in the roaster.
Step
7:
Ascertain that each employee gets a weekly off day after 6 working
days. Provide for compensatory offs. Schedule one reliever per 6
employees
Step
8:
Ascertain closed days and restricted holidays, and any contingency
planning that may be needed.
TEAMWORK
AND LEADERSHIP IN HOUSEKEEPING
The
current trend in housekeeping operations is to form teams to
accomplish tasks rather than scheduling employees on an individual
basis. The three important determinants of teamwork are leadership,
the building of the right kind of groups or teams for better
productivity, and membership (which reflects the individual
contributions people will make towards team goals). A housekeeping
team may consist of one supervisor, several (2-5) GRAs and one
houseman. This team under the supervisor becomes totally responsible
for a particular section of guestrooms in the hotel. Cleaning
performance, say, is then measured on a team basis rather than on
individual basis.
Team
cleaning-an example of teamwork: In
team cleaning, two or more GRAs together clean one guestroom at a
time. Usually teams of two GRAs each are assigned to 30-35 rooms.
Team members rotate duties of bedroom and bathroom cleaning. Team
cleaning is successful when ideas come from the employees themselves
and they are given a free hand in their implementation. Team cleaning
works in hotels that are willing to make a change to meet new
challenges. Promoting teamwork within each team requires special
effort. A teamwork checklist should be followed by the executive
housekeeper to make it a success.
Reward
teamwork by praising the team and giving them choice assignments,
raises, and promotions.
Include
teamwork as a criterion during the employee’s performance
appraisals.
Rotate
special assignments, allowing everyone an opportunity to shine as an
individual occasionally.
Consider
ideas generated jointly by the team as well as individual ideas.
Share
information and give the team a say in decision-making.
Give
credit to the team for jobs well done.
Set
an example of cooperation with others and yourself.
Advantages
of teamwork:
There are many advantages of teamwork. Some of these are as follows:
A
principal advantage to the manager is in being able to schedule a
group of people as though they were one entity.
Co-operation
and workers morale will be higher when they are part of a small unit
rather than solitary individuals in a large group of people.
Team
spirit will cause the entire group to excel in operations. GRAs who
excel in room cleaning help the poorer performers on the team to
improve.
Absenteeism
and tardiness get better resolved at the team level because one
member being absent or late could have a negative effect on the
entire team’s reputation.
With
increasing concern for safety and security, assigning two or more
GRA’s to clean a room could save expenses on liabilities and
lawsuits.
Mundane
cleaning tasks may become fun when performed as a team.
Fewer
tools are needed-for example, one room attendant’s cart, one
vacuum cleaner, and one hand caddy can equip a team of two.
Some
heavier cleaning tasks are accomplished more easily and faster with
two people-for example, moving beds, turning over heavy mattresses,
making up a double bed, and so on.
Bringing
new employees up to the required standards becomes easier since they
have buddies to coach them along the way.
There
is saving on labour costs since team workers complete work faster,
have
better attendance, meet with fewer accidents, and develop greater
interest in improving the processes.
When
planning for team cleaning, the executive housekeeper must address
the following considerations:
Have
linen and cleaning inventories equally distributed so that teams do
not fight over supplies.
If
a team must stop because it is faced with some hurdle, the work
output of 2-3 people is stopped, as opposed to only one in the
traditional method of guestroom cleaning. Hence the executive
housekeeper should make sure that adequate supplies are available
and teams are given an accurate list of room assignments.
Scheduling
may require special effort to accommodate team members getting the
same days off.
LEADERSHIP:
For teamwork in housekeeping to be successful, the department leader,
that is, the executive housekeeper needs to be an inspiring role
model as a team player as well as an effective leader. The leader of
any group can help to build its members into a well-knit team by
sharing vision, goals, and strategies with them. Leadership is the
capacity to frame plans that will succeed and the faculty to persuade
others to carry them out in the face of difficulties. Leadership
quality in a manager makes people look up to him/her for advice, feel
motivated to work for and respect the manager, and be loyal to the
manager. An executive housekeeper who can mobilize the trust and
support of the staff achieves great heights. Some executive
housekeepers who are good planners and organizers fail to achieve
results because they are not effective as leaders. An executive
housekeeper who is a good leader will ensure the following
activities:
Draft
a compelling vision
Communicate
passionately
Get
cooperation from others
Inspire
and pull employees towards goals
Provide
direction and momentum
Be
assertive if necessary
Learn
from other leaders
Make
decisions in line with the vision
Get
feedback
Command
and not demand respect and loyalty
Do
some self evaluation as well
Different
leadership styles may be used by the executive housekeepers. Some
distinctly make people work by force or order; others join the group
and initiate activity; still others use persuasion; while some, by
their pleasant and endearing manner, generate the enthusiasm for work
and achieve goals in the best possible manner. An executive
housekeeper who is an effective leader uses all these styles to
different extents, according to the nature of the decisions to be
made and as the situations demands.
Styles
of leadership:
Autocratic:
imposes own decision with/without explanation to subordinates
Participative:
decision made after prior consultation with subordinates
Democratic:
joint decision arrived at
Laissez
faire:
decisions taken by delegation
Most
often, executive housekeepers tend to use the participative style and
depend more on communication, adopting a supportive attitude and
sharing needs, values, goals, and expectations with their staff. When
employees, regardless of their level of education, are involved in
decision making, they become highly contributive to successful
decisions of major consequence. They are then not only committed to
the outcome of these decisions, they are involved in the success or
failures of such decisions are thereby motivated to continue their
participation and personal growth. A self assessment needs to be
carried out by executive housekeepers to find out which style of
leadership they adopt as their principal one in actuality.
TRAINING
IN HOUSEKEEPING DEPARTMENT
The
efficiency and economy with which any department will operate will
depend on the ability of each member of the organization to do his or
her job. Such ability will depend in part on past experiences, but
more commonly it can be credited to the type and quality of training
offered. Employees, regardless of past experiences, always need some
degree of training before starting a new job. Small institutions may
try to avoid training by hiring people who are already trained in the
general functions with which they will be involved. However, most
institutions recognize the need for training that is specifically
oriented toward the new experience, and will have a documented
training program. Some employers of housekeeping personnel find it
easier to train completely unskilled and untrained personnel. In such
cases, bad or undesirable practices do not have to be trained out of
an employee. Previous experience and education should, however, be
analyzed and considered in the training of each new employee in order
that efficiencies in training can be recognized. If an understanding
of department standards and policies can be demonstrated by a new
employee, that portion of training may be shortened or modified.
However, skill and ability must be demonstrated before training can
be altered. Finally, training is the best method to communicate the
company’s way of doing things, without which the new employee may
do work contrary to company policy.
First
Training:
First training of a new employee actually starts with a continuation
of department orientation. When a new employee is turned over to the
housekeeping or environmental services department, orientation
usually continues by familiarizing the employee with department rules
and regulations. Many housekeeping departments have their own
department employee handbooks. Although these handbooks are for
completely different types of organizations, the substance of their
publications is essentially the same; both are designed to
familiarize each new employee with his or her surroundings. Handbooks
should be written in such a way as to inspire employees to become
team members, committed to company objectives.
A
Systematic Approach to Training: Training
may be defined as those activities that are designed to help an
employee begin performing tasks for which he or she is hired or to
help the employee improve performance in a job already assigned.
The purpose of training is to enable an employee to begin an assigned
job or to improve upon techniques already in use.
In hotel or hospital housekeeping operations, there are three basic
areas in which training activity should take place: skills,
attitudes, and knowledge.
SKILLS
TRAINING:
A sample list of skills in which a basic housekeeping employee must
be trained are as follows:
1.
Bed
making:
Specific techniques; company policy
2.
Vacuuming:
Techniques; use and care of equipment
3.
Dusting:
Techniques; use of products
4.
Window
and mirror cleaning: Techniques
and products
5.
Setup
awareness:
Room setups; what a properly serviced room should look like
6.
Bathroom
cleaning:
Tub and toilet sanitation; appearance; methods of cleaning and
results desired
7.
Daily
routine:
An orderly procedure for the conduct of the day’s work; daily
communications
8.
Caring
for and using equipment: Housekeeper
cart; loading
9.
Industrial
safety:
Product use; guest safety; fire and other emergencies
The
best reference for the skills that require training is the job
description for which the person is being trained.
ATTITUDE
GUIDANCE:
Employees need guidance in their attitudes about the work that must
be done. They need to be guided in their thinking about rooms that
may present a unique problem in cleaning. Attitudes among section
housekeepers need to be such that, occasionally, when rooms require
extra effort to be brought back to standard, it is viewed as being a
part of rendering service to the guest who paid to enjoy the room.
The following is a list of areas in which attitude guidance is
important:
1.
The guest
2.
The department manager and immediate supervisor
3.
A guestroom that is in a state of great disarray
4.
The hotel and company
5.
The uniform
6.
Appearance
7.
Personal hygiene
MEETING
STANDARDS: The
most important task of the trainer is to prepare new employees to
meet standards. With
this aim in mind, sequence of performance in cleaning a guestroom is
most important in order that efficiency in accomplishing day-to-day
tasks may be developed. In addition, the best method of accomplishing
a task should be presented to the new trainee. Once the task has been
learned, the next thing is to meet standards, which may not
necessarily mean doing the job the way the person has been trained.
KNOWLEDGE
TRAINING:
Areas of knowledge in which the employee needs to be trained are as
follows:
1.
Thorough knowledge of the hotel layout; employee must be able to give
directions and to tell the guest about the hotel, restaurants,
and other facilities
2.
Knowledge of employee rights and benefits
3.
Understanding of grievance procedure
4.
Knowing top managers by sight and by name
Ongoing
Training: There
is a need to conduct ongoing training for all employees, regardless
of how long they have been members of the department. There are two
instances when additional training is needed:
The
purchase of new equipment, and
Change
in or unusual employee behaviour while on the job.
When
new equipment is purchased, employees need to know how the new
equipment differs from present equipment, what new skills or
knowledge are required to operate the equipment, who will need this
knowledge, and when. New equipment may also require new attitudes
about work habits. Employee behaviour while on the job that is seen
as an indicator for additional training may be divided into two
categories: events that the manager witnesses and events that the
manager is told about by the employees. Events that the manager
witnesses that indicate a need for training are frequent employee
absence, considerable spoilage of products, carelessness, a high rate
of accidents, and resisting direction by supervisors. Events that the
manager might be told about that indicate a need for training are
that something doesn’t work right (product isn’t any good),
something is dangerous to work with, something is making work harder.
Although
training is vital for any organization to function at top efficiency,
it is expensive. The
money and man-hours expended must therefore be worth the investment.
There must be a balance between the money spent training employees
and the benefits of productivity and high-efficiency performance. A
simple method of determining the need for training is to measure
performance of workers: Find out what is going on at present on the
job, and match this performance with what should be happening.
The difference, if any, describes how much training is needed. In
conducting performance analysis, the following question should be
asked: Could the employee do the job or task if his or her life
depended on the result? If the employee could not do the job even if
his or her life depended on the outcome, there is a deficiency
of knowledge
(DK). If the employee could have done the job if his or her life
depended on the outcome, but did not, there is a deficiency
of execution
(DE). Some of the causes of deficiencies of execution include task
interference, lack of feedback (employee doesn’t know when the job
is being performed correctly or incorrectly), and the balance of
consequences (some employees like doing certain tasks better than
others). If either deficiency of knowledge or deficiency of execution
exists, training must be conducted. The approach or the method of
training may differ, however. Deficiencies
of knowledge can be corrected by training the employee to do the job,
then observing and correcting as necessary until the task is
proficiently performed. Deficiency of execution is usually corrected
by searching for the underlying cause of lack of performance, not by
teaching the actual task.
Training
Methods: There
are numerous methods or ways to conduct training. Each method has its
own advantages and disadvantages, which must be weighed in the light
of benefits to be gained. Some methods are more expensive than others
but
are also more effective in terms of time required for comprehension
and proficiency that must be developed. Several useful methods of
training housekeeping personnel are listed and discussed.
1.ON-THE-JOB
TRAINING:
Using on-the-job training (OJT), a technique in which “learning by
doing” is the advantage, the instructor demonstrates the procedure
and then watches the students perform it. With this technique, one
instructor can handle several students. In housekeeping operations,
the instructor is usually a GRA who is doing the instructing in the
rooms that have been assigned for cleaning that day. The OJT method
is not operationally productive until the student is proficient
enough in the training tasks to absorb part of the operational load.
2.
OFF-THE JOB-TRAINING:
This type of training takes place away from work, in a classroom, by
means of workshops, demonstrations, lectures, discussions, seminars,
audio-visual presentations, etc. Few of these methods have been
discussed below:
LECTURES:
The lecture method reaches the largest number of students per
instructor. Practically all training programs use this type of
instruction for certain segments. Unfortunately, the lecture method
can be the dullest training technique, and therefore requires
instructors who are gifted in presentation capabilities. In
addition, space for lectures may be difficult to obtain and may
require special facilities.
CONFERENCES:
The conference method of instruction is often referred to as
workshop training. This technique involves a group of students who
formulate ideas, do problem solving, and report on projects. The
conference or workshop technique is excellent for supervisory
training.
DEMONSTRATIONS:
When new products or equipment are being introduced, demonstrations
are excellent. Many demonstrations may be conducted by vendors and
purveyors as a part of the sale of equipment and products.
Difficulties may arise when language barriers exist. It is also
important that no more information be presented than can be absorbed
in a reasonable period of time; otherwise misunderstandings may
arise.
3.
SIMULATION TRAINING:
With simulation training, a model room (unrented) is set up and used
to train several employees. Whereas OJT requires progress toward
daily production of ready rooms, simulation requires that the model
room not be rented. In addition, the trainer is not productive in
cleaning ready rooms. The advantages of simulation training are that
it allows the training process to be stopped, discussed, and repeated
if necessary. Simulation is an excellent method, provided the
trainer’s time is paid for out of training funds, and clean room
production is not necessary during the workday.
4.
INDUCTION TRAINING:
This is carried out when an employee is new to the organization and
has to learn the required knowledge, skills, and attitude for his new
position.
5.
REFRESHER TRAINING:
This is carried out when an old employee has to be re-trained to
refresh his/her memory.
6.
REMEDIAL TRAINING:
This is carried out for old employees when there is a change in the
present working style, which may be related to a competitive
environment, technological changes, or guest expectations.
7.
CROSS-TRAINING:
This training enables employees to work in departments other than
their speciality in periods of staff shortage.
8.COACH-PUPIL
METHOD:
The coach-pupil method is similar to OJT except that each instructor
has only one student (a one-to-one relationship). This method is
desired, provided that there are enough qualified instructors to have
several training units in progress at the same time.
Training
Aids:
Many hotels use training aids in a conference room, or post messages
on an employee bulletin board. Aside from the usual training aids
such as chalkboards, bulletin boards, charts, graphs, and diagrams,
photographs can supply clear and accurate references for how rooms
should be set up, maids’ carts loaded, and routines accomplished.
Most housekeeping operations have films on guest contact and courtesy
that may also be used in training. Motion pictures speak directly to
many people who may not understand proper procedures from reading
about them. Many training techniques may be combined to develop a
well-rounded training plan.
Development:
It is possible to have two students sitting side by side in a
classroom, with one being trained and the other being developed.
Recall that the definition of training is preparing a person to do a
job for which he or she is hired or to improve upon performance of a
current job. Development is preparing a person for advancement or to
assume greater responsibility. The techniques are the same, but the
end result is quite different. Whereas training begins after
orientation of an employee who is hired to do a specific job, upon
introduction of new equipment, or upon observation and communication
with employees indicating a need for training, development begins
with the identification of a specific employee who has shown
potential for advancement. Training for promotion or to improve
potential is in fact development and must always include a much
neglected type of training—supervisory training. Many forms of
developmental training may be given on the property; other forms
might include sending candidates to schools and seminars.
Developmental training is associated primarily with supervisors and
managerial development and may encompass many types of experiences.
Recycled
& non recycled inventories:
The Executive Housekeeper is responsible for 2 types of inventories.
1)
Recycled
inventory:
It includes linen equipments & some guest supplies like extra
bed, iron, etc. The no. of recycled items that must be on hand to
ensure smooth operations is expressed as a ‘PAR’. It refers to
the standard number of items that must be on hand to support daily
routine housekeeping operations e.g. One par of linen is the total
number of items needed to outfit all the hotel guestrooms once. Most
sister hotels would on a ‘four-par’ of guest rooms linen
(guestroom, floor pantry, laundry & linen).
2)
Non-recycled
inventory:
They include cleaning supplies, guestroom supplies, guest-amenities
like toothbrush, hair-conditioner, etc. They are used up during
routine activities of the housekeeping department. A purchasing
ordering for non recycled inventory items establishes a ‘par’ no.
based on 2 figures i.e. Maximum & minimum quantities. The
minimum quantity is the least amount at which reordering is done
taking into consideration the lead time (it is time taken by the
supplier to convey goods from the time the order is placed). The
maximum quantity is the amount ordered.
The
executive housekeeper must establish reasonable levels for both
recycled and non-recycled inventories. Overstocking should be
avoided, as it ties up cash and calls for a larger storage area.
There should be an effective purchasing system to consistently
maintain the inventory levels set by the executive housekeeper. To
maintain the inventory levels, the executive housekeeper needs to
determine the par level for each inventory item.
Determining
the par levels:
Par refers to the standard quantity (or numbers) of each inventoried
item that must be on hand to support daily, routine housekeeping
operations. Par levels are determined differently for the two types
of inventories. Inventory levels for recycled items are measured in
terms of a par number. The
par number is a multiple of the standard quantity of a particular
inventory item that must be on hand to support day-to-day
housekeeping functions.
In the case of non-recycled inventory items, the par number is the
range between two figures: a minimum inventory quantity and a maximum
inventory quantity. The minimum inventory quantity refers to the
lowest number of purchase units (items per case) that must be in
stock at any given point of time. The on-hand quantity for a
non-recycled inventory should never fall below this figure. The
minimum quantity figures are established based on the rate of
consumption of a particular inventory item over a certain period. The
following formula may be used:
Minimum
quantity=lead time quantity + safety stock level
Where
the
lead time quantity is the number of purchase units that are used up
between the time that a supply order is placed and the time that the
order is received in hand,
and safety
stock level is the number of purchase units that must always be on
hand in case of emergencies, damages, delays in delivery, and so on,
so that the daily operations and functioning of the department are
smooth even in emergencies.
The maximum inventory quantity, on the other hand, refers to the
greatest number of purchased units that should be in stock at any
given point of time. Storage space, the cost of the item and its
shelf life (best before date) are certain factors that must be kept
in mind when establishing the maximum inventory level for a
non-recycled inventory item.
