Position: Assistant Housekeeping Manager
Hours: 35 hours per week – 8 weeks
Start Date: Beginning May, 2022
Job Review: At the end of first month
Reporting to: Utpala Pittman, Hospitality Manager
Rate of pay: $15.75 per hour
Contact: For more information or to apply, email hr@yasodhara.org
Summary
Yasodhara Ashram is a yoga retreat and study centre that has been supporting the development of personal and professional potential through year-round yoga programs for over fifty years. Spanning 115 acres of land, which includes both wild and managed forests and intensively managed gardens and grounds. This position will be appropriate for a student in hotel and resort management or other related fields of study
Tasks and Responsibilities of the Hospitality Associate
- The person in this position is expected to perform all duties as assigned, using the following guidelines:
- Provide excellent service and care
- Bring quality, care and harmony to the workplace
- Communicate effectively and professionally with guests, volunteers, staff and Ashram managers
- Demonstrate flexibility and steadiness in handling changing and challenging circumstances
- Meets Ashram Covid protocols
Key Tasks and responsibilities will include, but not be limited to:
- Organize and provide daily leadership for volunteer teams working in Hospitality
- Plan and prioritize cleaning tasks; coordinate to ensure availability of an appropriate workforce with Ashram Work Coordinators
- Oversee and participate in daily and seasonal Hospitality projects and care of Ashram buildings and guest facilities, ensuring relevant procedures and checklists are prepared and fulfilled; ensure guest rooms are cleaned and ready prior to guest arrival.
- Communicate effectively and professionally with Hospitality Manager, Welcome Centre staff, volunteers, guests, staff and other Ashram manager
- Coordinate and communicate daily with the Hospitality Manager and Registrations staff concerning arrivals and departures and room readiness status
- Utilize Resort Suite software and participate in research projects, eg Hospitality wiki
- Train volunteers and staff in use of Hospitality equipment and cleaning materials
- Assist Hospitality Manager to liaise with Repair and Maintenance staff to ensure buildings are well maintained
- Help to maintain inventory and ensure stocking of Hospitality supplies in Ashram facilities
- Cooperate with Hospitality Manager to solve problems, work out difficulties and differences in an open and constructive manner.
- Give special attention to vulnerable populations within the Ashram, for example seniors and persons with disabilities. This includes the delivery of necessities and/or assistance when needed
- Take on ‘special projects’ in related work areas to apply skills in inventory management
Supervision
The Hospitality Manager is direct supervisor of all hospitality activities and is the direct supervisor of the Hospitality Associate. The Hospitality Manager works directly with the Hospitality Associate in all day-to-day Hospitality activities and both work collaboratively to ensure all Ashram buildings are appropriately prepared and maintained for guests and residents. The Hospitality Manager, with the support of the Registrations staff in the Ashram’s Welcome Centre, trains and supports the Hospitality Associate, demonstrating procedures where appropriate.
Orientation
The Hospitality Associate is introduced to the purpose of Yasodhara Ashram and introduced to partners and staff. This includes a tour of the site and location of tools, workstations, and first aid stations. A period of two weeks will be allotted to ensure the candidate has proper introduction to tools, techniques and processes for all tasks.
The Hospitality Associate will be leading ongoing teams of volunteers in housekeeping and room preparation tasks after they are trained and comfortable with the tasks. Wherever possible, the Associate will be given opportunities for a broader understanding of overall Ashram operations.
Mentoring
The Ashram’s Hospitality Associate position is set up to support the long-term career development of the student. In the pre-employment period, a clear plan will be put in place specific to the professional and career development goals of the student employee, including appropriate research opportunities. The initial orientation period (first two weeks) will partner the youth employee with experienced staff to develop the basic skills of client service, care of residential facilities, and digital skills related to the Ashram’s Hospitality online file server. Weekly communication and mentoring meetings will be held with the Hospitality Manager to review progress in skill development and particularly to provide support for relationships with other Ashram teams. Development of decision-making and conflict management skills will also be reviewed. The youth will be encouraged to read appropriate and relevant equipment manuals and ask questions when they are unclear about operations and safety.
The skills and experience gained from employment as a Hospitality Associate will provide the competencies for a Coordinator or entry level Supervisor in the hospitality or related sectors.