Hiring - what are your criteria?
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white pine
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At this point, I would take a LIVE one...discouraged.... Anyway, a very successful woman I know always choose someone who walked with a quick decisive step...had somewhere to go and something to do attitude. I think that was a valuable clue. I would love someone with a quick wit and some common sense.
happykeeper
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Hiring? It seems more like evaluating a potential suitor sometimes! Will they this and will they that?
Will they show up when you need them the most? Can they read your mind? Will they know what drives you crazy and not do it? Are they good at the stuff you don't like to do?
Will they show up when you need them the most? Can they read your mind? Will they know what drives you crazy and not do it? Are they good at the stuff you don't like to do?
I'm hired!white pine said:
Just kidding...I agree with you. I don't think we have this to choose from for housekeeping, unfortunately. I know, I was just at stuff -mart near the first of the month today when they all crawled out from under whatever rocks they dwell for their entitlement. I have never seen so many tattoos and pj bottoms in one place!
Madeleine
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Well, last year's models both were energetic and one had even read our reviews online. Both looked us in the eye and spoke well.
Neither lasted.
Now we have one who seems on the ball and one who seems shy but has a great eye for detail in that they spotted something on a shelf during the walk thru and asked about it.
Two more tomorrow and then a job fair as well.
Neither lasted.
Now we have one who seems on the ball and one who seems shy but has a great eye for detail in that they spotted something on a shelf during the walk thru and asked about it.
Two more tomorrow and then a job fair as well.
Joey Bloggs said:
Madeleine
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We've had the kids in tow, never drunk or wrong day.
Wrong time. With the reason that she had to get to her job after the interview so she wanted to get it over with.
This one also couldn't find the entry door even with an arrow pointing right at it.
white pine
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Come on up! I swear tho, some of them look like vapid cattle....or goats....one eye says "vacant" the other says "for rent"!I'm hired!white pine said:
Just kidding...I agree with you. I don't think we have this to choose from for housekeeping, unfortunately. I know, I was just at stuff -mart near the first of the month today when they all crawled out from under whatever rocks they dwell for their entitlement. I have never seen so many tattoos and pj bottoms in one place!
.
white pine
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OH! LOVE the one who couldn't find the door! Thanks, I needed that laugh!
Just hired a couple of people, fired one after 5 days because she kept mixing bleach and ammonia in the tubs = dangerous woman, here's what I've learned:
1 - Do they have reliable transportation of their own? One of the ladies was sharing a car with her boyfriend as her's died. Luckily she just got a new one after a couple weeks because she was having to hang out here until he was done at work and could come back to get her. Most times she was busy so it wasn't an issue, other times she was wandering about.
2 - Do they have common sense? Ask about a scenario like this and see what they say - "You're carrying your stuff into the room and drop the bottle of Clorox Cleanup on the floor from your cleaning bucket. What would you do?" Obviously they should say "Put down my stuff and pickup the Clorox spray bottle, see if any leaked and then continue into the room." Rather than what happened today with my new one - she left the bottle on the carpet, took the cleaning bucket down around into the bathroom and then went back for the spray bottle. Well the bottle had broken and the Clorox poured all over my green carpet and I now have a lovely big bleach stain on my green carpet in my $315 a night room. Great. (By the way, I found a great carpet cleaning kit online that removes bleach stains and I'll report if it really works later this week.)
3 - Ask "Do you like to clean" -- I always ask this and you'd be amazed at how many say "well sort of, it's not my favorite but I do it when I have to." Those people don't get hired. If they don't like to clean then they will leave and go elsewhere as soon as a non-cleaning position comes up and you'll have wasted your time on them.
4 - About how many days a year do you miss from work being sick? Amazed at how may say a lot more than I would imagine. Weed them out now or when you're busy they're going to be calling in sick and you'll be doing all the work.
5 - If they'll be interacting with guest, are they a people person? My last girl was afraid of the guests so she cleaned like crazy but when guests came up to her she got all nervous and came and got us even to answer a simple question.
6 - check them out on social media like Facebook. I had one girl apply over the phone and I looked her up and was shocked at the stuff I saw on her Facebook page. Also saw her pink hair, super low shirt with her chest hanging out in every photo - she didn't get an interview.
7 - Do they have school age kids that they'll need to bring along when school is cancelled or the kid is sick and they send them home? My own kids don't go into the guest common areas to hang out, a housekeeper's children aren't going to be hanging around here either or keeping their Mom from coming to work. Sounds harsh, but I need someone without tons of issues that will pop up.
Good luck, having employees can be worse than having PIA guests.
1 - Do they have reliable transportation of their own? One of the ladies was sharing a car with her boyfriend as her's died. Luckily she just got a new one after a couple weeks because she was having to hang out here until he was done at work and could come back to get her. Most times she was busy so it wasn't an issue, other times she was wandering about.
2 - Do they have common sense? Ask about a scenario like this and see what they say - "You're carrying your stuff into the room and drop the bottle of Clorox Cleanup on the floor from your cleaning bucket. What would you do?" Obviously they should say "Put down my stuff and pickup the Clorox spray bottle, see if any leaked and then continue into the room." Rather than what happened today with my new one - she left the bottle on the carpet, took the cleaning bucket down around into the bathroom and then went back for the spray bottle. Well the bottle had broken and the Clorox poured all over my green carpet and I now have a lovely big bleach stain on my green carpet in my $315 a night room. Great. (By the way, I found a great carpet cleaning kit online that removes bleach stains and I'll report if it really works later this week.)
3 - Ask "Do you like to clean" -- I always ask this and you'd be amazed at how many say "well sort of, it's not my favorite but I do it when I have to." Those people don't get hired. If they don't like to clean then they will leave and go elsewhere as soon as a non-cleaning position comes up and you'll have wasted your time on them.
4 - About how many days a year do you miss from work being sick? Amazed at how may say a lot more than I would imagine. Weed them out now or when you're busy they're going to be calling in sick and you'll be doing all the work.
5 - If they'll be interacting with guest, are they a people person? My last girl was afraid of the guests so she cleaned like crazy but when guests came up to her she got all nervous and came and got us even to answer a simple question.
6 - check them out on social media like Facebook. I had one girl apply over the phone and I looked her up and was shocked at the stuff I saw on her Facebook page. Also saw her pink hair, super low shirt with her chest hanging out in every photo - she didn't get an interview.
7 - Do they have school age kids that they'll need to bring along when school is cancelled or the kid is sick and they send them home? My own kids don't go into the guest common areas to hang out, a housekeeper's children aren't going to be hanging around here either or keeping their Mom from coming to work. Sounds harsh, but I need someone without tons of issues that will pop up.
Good luck, having employees can be worse than having PIA guests.
Madeleine
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I'm amazed how many tell me they love to clean. I wonder if they say similar elsewhere. I love to stock shelves! I love to clean up dog poop!
I hate to clean so I'm always suspicious! ;-)
Dh checks the cars. 'Is that yours? How do you like it?'
One person quit because she couldn't afford gas for her big ass pickup.
I'm calling all the references this time.
This thread is making my day. I SERIOUSLY thought I was the only one that had all these problems. I can't even believe how hard it is to get a competent, common sense, dependable cleaning person here. I have given up, and am back to doing it myself. Here we are, at the beginning of the busy season, looking at 80% occupancy for the next four months, and I'm doing it all. I need a nap just thinking about it.
happykeeper
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I hope you only have one or two rooms. Otherwise, "that's crazy talk"
I'm ready for a nap just thinking about it too!
Madeleine
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We did it all ourselves last summer. You can always tell when we're on our own... It's when we get bad reviews. I just can't take one more nit picky guest complaint when I am knee deep in dirty laundry, someone spilled wine all over the bed, the doorbell is ringing at 10 am for check-in, I just lose it.
Hoping for better results this year as I ain't no spring chicken!
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1 - Do they have reliable transportation of their own? One of the ladies was sharing a car with her boyfriend as her's died. Luckily she just got a new one after a couple weeks because she was having to hang out here until he was done at work and could come back to get her. Most times she was busy so it wasn't an issue, other times she was wandering about.
Legally this question and a question about marital status, children, child care are ALL illegal for you to ask. All of these are their problem, not yours (yeah, I know, until they all interfere with you getting the work done). Employers are ham-strung for weeding out the crowd seen at "stuff-mart" who work only long enough to go back on the dole. One of the biggest reasons I am glad I am so small is that I do not have to hire help. The high school kid earns less than $600 a year from me, so that is legal - and I only hire her because I know she is supporting her family (disabled Mom & sister).
white pine
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Slightly off topic, but I am getting nowhere fast...do you advertise on your FB page? My big plan to get in the teachers newsletter went down, they stopped putting it out! They did put a notice in their electronic version. Now it is just CL. Going to contact universities today.
Looking at inn sitters, and finding that to be an expensive option too. ARGH. Any lurking aspirings out there with a summer off please let me know!
Looking at inn sitters, and finding that to be an expensive option too. ARGH. Any lurking aspirings out there with a summer off please let me know!
Penelope
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Put it on your FB page and I'll share it with my family/friends up there!white pine said:
If you want to post it here with job description and requirements then someone may know someone. If you just comment then you aren't going to get any bites.white pine said:
Just wanted to say that WhiteP. Start a thread on its own and put in the info (you don't have to put the inn name, have them use the forum contact feature if they want more details). There may be a few innsitters/ex innkeepers here on this forum who would enjoy your location. Put the info out there!
Madeleine
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I did put an ad on my fb page and the chamber page. Got a few shares but no calls.
