How to hire a housekeeper, cleaning, cooking

How to hire a housekeeper, cleaning, cooking, step by step

Here's a step-by-step housekeeper, cleaning, cooking hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a housekeeper, cleaning, cooking job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new housekeeper, cleaning, cooking
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a housekeeper, cleaning, cooking, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect housekeeper, cleaning, cooking also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   This list shows salaries for various types of housekeepers, cleaning cooking.

   Type of Housekeeper, Cleaning, Cooking	Description	Hourly rate
   Housekeeper, Cleaning, Cooking		$10-17
   Maid	Maids are individuals who perform domestic chores like ironing, grocery shopping, cleaning, and laundry. Primarily, maids oversee the maintenance of wardrobes, serve meals, and lay out clothes... Show more	$9-16
   Attendant	An attendant is responsible for ensuring excellent customer service by assisting customers with their needs and inquiries, managing complaints, and providing timely actions. Attendants duties include maintaining the cleanliness and orderliness of operational areas, monitoring product inventories and requesting necessary stocks and equipment, performing administrative tasks as needed, escalating concerns to the management for immediate resolution, and conducting maintenance services... Show more	$9-17

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Cleanliness
   • Kids
   • Developmental Disabilities
   • Fold Laundry
   • Meal Preparation
   • Cooking Equipment
   • Clean Kitchen
   • Clean Rooms
   • Groceries
   • Safety Standards
   • Companionship
   • Patient Rooms
   • Kitchen Appliances
   • Doctor Appointments

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Train and manage several maids and achieve significant improvements in their productivity.
   • Assist elderly couple in cleaning, purchasing groceries, and household chores
   • Maintain the cleanliness of the kitchen and assist with stock maintenance and organization.
   • Purchase or order groceries and household supplies to keep kitchens stock, and record expenditures.
   • Maintain superior cleanliness as a housekeeper.
   • General maintenance and OSHA requirements perform to maintain sanitary conditions in an outpatient facility.

   More housekeeper, cleaning, cooking duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your housekeeper, cleaning, cooking job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A housekeeper, cleaning, cooking salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a housekeeper, cleaning, cooking in Alabama may be lower than in Alaska, and an entry-level housekeeper, cleaning, cooking usually earns less than a senior-level housekeeper, cleaning, cooking. Additionally, a housekeeper, cleaning, cooking with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average housekeeper, cleaning, cooking salary

   $13.76hourly

   $28,616 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level housekeeper, cleaning, cooking salary

   $21,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 14, 2025

   Average housekeeper, cleaning, cooking salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New York	$36,473	$18
   2	Connecticut	$35,043	$17
   3	California	$34,672	$17
   4	Michigan	$30,386	$15
   5	New Jersey	$27,603	$13
   6	Florida	$21,810	$10

   Average housekeeper, cleaning, cooking salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Christ House	$34,062	$16.38	1
   2	Pacific Ridge School	$32,621	$15.68
   3	Marriott International	$30,909	$14.86	345
   4	L & W, Inc.	$29,805	$14.33
   5	Go! Retail Group	$29,335	$14.10	9
   6	Developmental Disabilities Institute, Inc.	$28,868	$13.88	5
   7	Pediatric Partners, now a member of the Sevita family	$28,746	$13.82	3
   8	The Resource Connection of Amador and Calaveras Counties	$28,709	$13.80
   9	YAI	$27,216	$13.08	3
   10	KinderCare Education	$27,115	$13.04	3

4. Writing a housekeeper, cleaning, cooking job description

   A housekeeper, cleaning, cooking job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a housekeeper, cleaning, cooking job description:

   Housekeeper, cleaning, cooking job description example

   NeuroRestorative, a member of the Sevita family, provides rehabilitation services for people of all ages with brain, spinal cord and medically complex injuries, illnesses and other challenges. In a variety of locations and community-based settings, we offer a range of programs, including vocational and therapy programs, day treatments, and specialized services for infants, children, adolescents, Military Service Members and Veterans.
   Cook/Facilities Housekeeper
   
   + Santa Ana, CA
   
   + Santa Ana NeuroRestorative facility located on E. 17th Street
   
   + Fulltime
   
   + 7am-5pm
   
   + 10-hour shifts w/overtime after 8th hour
   
   + Full benefits (medical, dental, vision, 401k w/company match, life insurance, and more!)
   
   + See schedule below under Qualifications
   
   Do you have culinary skills and a desire to work for a company that actively improves the lives of the individuals it serves? As a Cook, you will help in our commitment to serve others by coordinating menus and preparing food for the individuals receiving our services.
   
   + Prepare three meals a day for up to 15 residents.
   
   + Prepare meals according to planned menus, standardized recipes, and offer appropriate substitutions, if necessary.
   
   + Review menus to identify all food required for therapeutic diets before preparing meals.
   
   + Knowledgeable about various dietary restrictions, including diabetic, gluten free, and other nutritional
   
   + Modify food textures using blender and thickener as needed.
   
   + Control portions per Therapeutic Diet Manual.
   
   + Prepare meals for service using correct tray set up.
   
   + Serve food at required temperatures.
   
   + Maintain and document required refrigerator and freezer temperatures daily.
   
   + Post menus in areas easily accessible to residents.
   
   + Maintain a 96 hour supply of food and water to be used for disaster situations.
   
   + Store leftover food per NeuroRestorative Policy and Procedure.
   
   + Date all food items upon delivery and prior to storing in appropriate location.
   
   + Maintain a kitchen and equipment cleaning schedule according to NeuroRestorative Policy and Procedure.
   
   + Use dishwasher for washing and drying dishes. When dishwasher is in operable, follow NeuroRestorative Policy and Procedure for manual dishwashing.
   
   + Prepare grocery lists and product amounts based on standardized menu on a bi-weekly schedule.
   
   + Able to use simple math to determine recipe ingredient quantities and dilution of cleaning solutions.
   
   + Maintain updated resident profiles.
   
   + Report any hazardous conditions, equipment, accidents and incidents to supervisor.
   
   + Attend monthly staff meetings.
   
   + Participate in Performance Improvement and Safety Programs as assigned.
   
   + Able to work on a 2-week rotation schedule that includes working every other weekend.
   
   Qualifications:
   
   + High School diploma or equivalent.
   
   + Valid Food Handler's Certificate
   
   + Six months of related experience
   
   + Strong attention to detail, organizational skills, and the ability to multi-task to meet deadlines
   
   + Effective communication skills to manage relationships
   
   + Self-motivated and collaborative; a team player
   
   + Strong culinary knowledge and a commitment to excellent customer service
   
   Why Join Us?
   
   + Full compensation/benefits package for employees working
   
   + 30+ hours/week
   
   + 401(k) with company match
   
   + Paid time off and holiday pay
   
   + Complex work adding value to the organization's mission alongside a great team of coworkers
   
   + Enjoy job security with nationwide career development and advancement opportunities
   
   We have meaningful work for you - come join our team - Apply Today!
   
   Sevita is a leading provider of home and community-based specialized health care. We believe that everyone deserves to live a full, more independent life. We provide people with quality services and individualized supports that lead to growth and independence, regardless of the physical, intellectual, or behavioral challenges they face. We've made this our mission for more than 50 years. And today, our 40,000 team members continue to innovate and enhance care for the 50,000 individuals we serve. Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability/vets
   
   The Mentor Network is pleased to be an equal employment employer Women/Minorities/Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right housekeeper, cleaning, cooking for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with housekeepers, cleaning cooking they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit housekeepers, cleaning cooking who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your housekeeper, cleaning, cooking job on Zippia to find and recruit housekeeper, cleaning, cooking candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting housekeepers, cleaning cooking requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new housekeeper, cleaning, cooking

   Once you've decided on a perfect housekeeper, cleaning, cooking candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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