Getting hired as a housekeeper cook requires impeccable cleaning skills, top-notch cooking abilities, and the competency to handle any question thrown your way during the interview process.
When interviewing for this dual role position, you can expect to face questions that touch on everything from your technical housekeeping expertise to your culinary skills and experience. The interview will also likely address your ability to multitask and handle the day-to-day duties required of professional housekeeper cooks.
To help you prepare for your upcoming interview, here are some of the most commonly asked housekeeper cook interview questions along with tips for crafting winning answers:
General Interview Questions
Tell me about yourself
This open-ended question is frequently used by interviewers to start off the interview process When answering, focus on highlighting your housekeeping and cooking qualifications Provide a quick overview of your relevant skills and experience.
Example “I am a dedicated housekeeper cook with over 5 years of experience. I am meticulous when it comes to cleaning and maintaining homes using industry best practices and I am highly skilled in preparing healthy homecooked meals for families and individuals with dietary restrictions. My favorite part of this job is…”
What are your interests outside of work?
With this question, the interviewer aims to get to know you better while determining your interests and hobbies outside of your professional life. Focus on interests that align with the role.
Example: “In my free time, I enjoy experimenting with new recipes, keeping up with the latest cleaning trends, and reading interior design blogs for inspiration.”
How would you describe yourself in three words?
Succinctly summarize your top qualities in three words. Focus on adjectives that highlight your reliability, work ethic, skills, and personality.
Example: “Reliable, meticulous, and caring.”
Why are you interested in housekeeping?
Discuss what draws you to a career in housekeeping. Highlight your passion for the profession.
Example: “Ever since I was young, I’ve had a knack for tidying, organizing, and thoroughly cleaning homes. The sense of satisfaction I get from transforming messy, cluttered spaces into clean, welcoming environments for families is unmatched.”
How did you get into this career?
Briefly explain how you entered the housekeeping profession. Did you always know it was your calling? Did you start out doing informal housekeeping work before transitioning into professional work?
Example: “I first got into housekeeping in my early 20s when I worked as an assistant for a housecleaning company during my college years. I immediately fell in love with the meticulous, detail-oriented nature of the job and pursued it as a full-time career after graduating.”
What is your favorite housekeeping task?
Discuss an aspect of housekeeping you especially enjoy. Demonstrate your passion.
Example: “My favorite housekeeping task is decluttering. I love sorting through belongings, organizing items, and creating peaceful, tidy spaces.”
What is your least favorite housekeeping task?
Be honest, but put a positive spin on your least favorite task. Demonstrate that no job is beneath you.
Example: “Although window cleaning can be tedious at times, I appreciate the shine and sparkle cleaning windows adds to a home.”
Experience and Skills
What specific housekeeping experience do you have?
Highlight your hands-on housekeeping experience. Quantify your experience in years and mention the types of homes/facilities you’ve worked in.
Example: “I have over 7 years of professional housekeeping experience working in both residential homes and corporate offices. My day-to-day housekeeping duties have included…”
How would you describe your housekeeping style and process?
Discuss your approach to cleaning a home from start to finish. Highlight your attention to detail.
Example: “I begin by working from the top floor down, tackling any deep cleaning tasks first. I clean methodically room-by-room, paying close attention to surfaces, floors, windows, and appliances.”
What housekeeping skills are you particularly strong in?
Discuss 2-3 specific housekeeping skills that make you stand out. Provide examples of when you’ve applied these skills successfully.
Example: “I excel at deep cleaning bathrooms and kitchens. For example, at my last job I completely disinfected and restored a bathroom that had significant soap scum build up and mildew.”
Do you have experience with cooking professionally?
Provide details on any professional cooking experience you have. Mention any roles where cooking was one of your job duties.
Example: “Yes, I have over 5 years of experience cooking in both restaurant and private home settings. For the last 3 years I worked as a line cook at a popular local restaurant where I prepared entrees for over 100 covers per night.”
What types of cuisine are you experienced in preparing?
Highlight your culinary versatility by listing various types of cuisine you cook well. Emphasize any cuisine preferences mentioned in the job ad.
Example: “I am highly skilled in preparing Italian, Indian, and American cuisine. I am also comfortable following recipes for just about any cultural cuisine.”
How would you handle preparing specialty meals for clients with dietary restrictions?
Highlight your ability to adapt recipes and cook customized meals for individual needs and restrictions. Provide examples if possible.
Example: “I am extremely attentive to clients’ dietary restrictions and always prepare customized meals to safely meet their needs. For example, I once created an entire week’s menu for a gluten-intolerant family.”
Are you comfortable planning weekly meal calendars for families?
Illustrate your meal planning abilities. Highlight any experience creating grocery lists, shopping for ingredients, and planning varied, nutritious meals.
Example: “Yes, I am very comfortable planning weekly meal calendars tailored to clients’ dietary needs and preferences. I have experience planning diverse, nutritious meals for several families.”
Work Ethic & Habits
How do you stay organized while balancing housekeeping and cooking tasks?
Show off your time management abilities and discuss techniques you use to juggle and prioritize your varied daily tasks.
Example: “I create detailed daily checklists to stay on top of all my housekeeping and cooking responsibilities. I also multitask efficiently, tackling quick cleaning tasks in between cooking projects.”
How do you ensure consistency and follow through with cleaning and cooking tasks?
Highlight your dedication, persistence, and accountability. Use specific examples.
Example: “I hold myself to extremely high standards and always follow detailed cleaning checklists to ensure consistency. I also diligently track grocery lists and recipes to guarantee excellent execution every time I cook.”
How do you handle stressful or unexpected circumstances on the job?
Discuss your ability to adapt and problem solve on the fly. Stay calm under pressure.
Example: “I handle stressful situations very well and calmly come up with solutions. For example, if a last minute dinner guest is added, I maintain my cool and whip up an additional serving.”
Do you work well independently and without supervision?
As a housekeeper cook you will often work independently. Highlight your self-motivation and reliability.
Example: “I am an extremely self-driven individual. I take initiative on tasks and require very little oversight to achieve excellent results.”
What would you do if a client wasn’t satisfied with your work?
Show you aim to provide 5-star service and satisfy. Demonstrate your conflict resolution skills.
Example: “If a client was unsatisfied, I would apologize and immediately find out how I can improve. I would go the extra mile to ensure the client is completely happy.”
Behavioral Questions
Tell me about a time you faced a significant obstacle while cooking professionally. How did you handle it?
Discuss a real cooking challenge you faced. Demonstrate problem solving, adaptability, and grace under pressure.
Example: “While catering a large wedding, the cooking equipment we traveled with malfunctioned. I quickly problem solved using the limited tools available to us onsite and found creative ways to overcome the obstacles and still execute the menu successfully.”
Describe a time you went above and beyond expectations while housekeeping.
Share a story highlighting your dedication, work ethic, and commitment to excellence as a housekeeper.
Example: “When housekeeping for a home with three young kids, I noticed clutter was an ongoing issue for the family. One day, I took it upon myself to completely reorganize and label the kids’ playroom closets. The family was blown away by the transformation.”
Have you ever made a mistake while cooking professionally? How did you handle it?
Be honest. Discuss a past mistake, the actions you took to address it, and what you learned.
Example: *”Early in my cooking career, I once undercooked a batch of chicken breasts for a client
Question #1: Why Do You Want to Work as a Housekeeper?
This is one of the most common housekeeping job interview questions. Before deciding to hire you, employers want to know how enthusiastic you are about your job. This may seem like a simple question, but it’s easy to mess up if you don’t have an answer ready. When devising an answer to why you want this job, consider the following criteria:
- Do your skills match the job?
- What qualities will you bring to the job?
- What do you like about housekeeping jobs?
“Ive always had a good eye for tidiness. I previously worked at a multi-office building where I cleaned offices after business hours. I always planned my days well and made the most of my time to clean every room, office, and bathroom. I also made sure that the trash and recycling bins were emptied and bathrooms were fully stocked. I feel that my skills and qualities could easily translate to a housekeeping job. One thing I love about housekeeping is how good it feels to clean a room. “.
Learn how to develop smart answers to interview questions for housekeeping positions.
If you want to work as a housekeeper, you could do it for private homes or businesses like offices, hotels, casinos, and healthcare facilities. Housekeeping jobs involve keeping places clean and free of germs, but employers want more than just the ability to do laundry and clean carpets when they hire people. They look for job candidates who are trustworthy, detail oriented, organized, and customer friendly. They will ask you a series of housekeeping interview questions to see if your skills, personality, and morals are a good fit for the job before they hire you.
Your interview is your chance to show potential employers how they can benefit from hiring you. Heres Monsters guide to what to say in a housekeeping interview, with commonly asked questions and answers below.
- Why Do You Want to Work as a Housekeeper?
- What Cleaning Chemicals Are You Familiar With?
- Can you do more than one thing around the house in one day?
- Tell Us About a Time You Benefited From Constructive Criticism.
- Describe what you would do if a client wasn’t happy with your work.
- What Makes a Good Housekeeper?
HOUSEKEEPING Interview Questions And Answers! (How To PASS a Housekeeper Interview)
FAQ
Why should we hire you as a housekeeper?
How do you introduce yourself in a housekeeping interview?
What are your three weaknesses?
