Stepping out from behind the scenes

Lisa Williams, national chair of the UKHA, knows housekeeping has changed – but have our attitudes?

After more than 35 years working in hospitality and housekeeping, I have seen our industry change enormously. Technology has changed. Guest expectations have changed. Hotels have changed. The way we recruit has changed. And the expectations we place on our teams have certainly changed.

But there is one question I keep coming back to:

Has the way we value housekeeping changed enough?

Housekeeping is one of the largest and most operationally critical departments in many hotels. We are responsible for the product the guest has ultimately paid for – their room. Yet we still hear housekeeping described as a department that works ‘behind the scenes’.

I think it is time we stepped out from behind those scenes.

We need to stop talking only about rooms.

Of course productivity matters. Cost per occupied room matters. Payroll matters. Budgets matter. I manage them myself and understand the commercial pressures facing hotels. But people matter too. When occupancy suddenly increases, when forecasts change at short notice or when sickness hits a department, it is the housekeeping team that somehow has to make those bedrooms available.

There is a human being behind every room cleaned. If we continually ask fewer people to do more, eventually something gives – quality, morale, retention or wellbeing. We cannot talk about delivering exceptional guest experiences without also talking about the working experience of the people expected to deliver them.

Where is the next generation?

This is perhaps my biggest concern. Where are our future executive housekeepers and directors of housekeeping coming from? We need to make housekeeping a career that young people actively choose, rather than a department they simply ‘fall into’. I would love to see much stronger housekeeping education within colleges and hospitality courses, supported by practical hotel experience and recognised development pathways. Imagine a young person being able to clearly see a route from:

Room Attendant ➔ Supervisor ➔ Assistant Housekeeping Manager ➔ Housekeeping Manager ➔ Executive Housekeeper/Director of Housekeeping.

That is a career.

And it is our responsibility as today’s leaders to make that pathway visible. We also need to listen to younger generations. Leadership cannot simply be, “This is how we have always done it.” Young people may challenge us. They may communicate differently. They may have different expectations around flexibility, recognition and progression. That doesn’t mean standards should disappear. It means leadership has to evolve.

Recognition needs to happen every day. I am passionate about awards and celebrating our teams. Recognition events such as International Housekeeping Week are incredibly important. But recognition cannot be limited to one week of the year. Sometimes the most powerful recognition costs absolutely nothing. Walk the floors. Say thank you. Ask a Room Attendant how their day is going. Include housekeeping in hotel-wide conversations. Celebrate excellent guest feedback. Invest in training. Give someone the opportunity to progress. And perhaps most importantly, listen when your housekeeping leaders tell you what their departments need. Housekeeping shouldn’t have to constantly prove its importance.

Give our teams the guest experience.

At The Grand York, I am fortunate to have an employer that understands the importance of our people. One initiative I particularly value is giving colleagues the opportunity to experience the hotel as a guest. Think about how powerful that can be. We spend our working lives creating experiences for other people, but how often does the room attendant who prepares a beautiful five-star bedroom actually get to experience that room from the other side of the door? Allowing employees to experience the product helps create pride, understanding and connection. It says: you are part of what we are creating. More hotels should consider it.

We need a stronger voice.

Through my role as National Chair of the UK Housekeepers Association, I speak to housekeepers, suppliers and hospitality leaders across the country. The challenges aren’t isolated to one hotel or one region. Recruitment. Retention. Rising costs. Productivity pressures. Training. Recognition. Succession planning. These conversations are happening everywhere. But I also see something incredibly positive. I see passionate housekeepers who genuinely want to change our profession for the better. I see suppliers investing in innovation. I see experienced leaders willing to mentor the next generation. And I see young people who, when given the opportunity, quickly realise just how varied and rewarding a housekeeping career can be.

So perhaps the question isn’t whether housekeeping has a future.

Of course it does.

The question is what kind of future we are prepared to create for it. After more than 35 years in this industry, I remain incredibly proud to call myself a housekeeper. Now I want the next generation to feel exactly the same.