As promised in last week’s post on un-stereotyping of jobs, I want to take a deeper dive into one profession - the Guest Room Attendant or GRA. The GRA position has traditionally been filled with Mexican females. Why? I am not certain. My best guess is that it was considered, or branded, an unglamorous job that did not pay well and was not appealing to the average person. And the Hispanic woman was targeted as an easy demographic to attract to the profession. Right, or wrong - that is more than likely what happened.
Today, the employment market is much different. The GRA position is still not a very glamorous job, but the pay has changed. Today a GRA can make $12-15 per hour depending on where he or she works. This is not bad pay. All things considered, it is great pay when you do not have a job. On top of the hourly wage, GRAs typically get full health care benefits - something many working class are not afforded or offered anymore. Although being a GRA is still grueling work, it is still a gateway into other professions within a hotel or casino. Hotels and casinos do a great job of promoting from within. It just requires 6 months of employment before one can apply.
Considering 20 percent of all positions within a casino or hotel are in the housekeeping department, there is more of a chance for a jobseeker to get this position than most others (especially the glamorous cocktail waitress, bartender or valet parking job that most want).
However, housekeeping positions are considered to be one of the most challenging recruitments for any casino or hotel. Each new property struggles to fill these positions and there has been a shortage as far back as I can recall. Why? Again - because it is not a glamorous job and the public perception is that these jobs are only for Hispanic women.
So, how do we change this? Marketing, awareness and most important - education. We must un-stereotype the position, demonstrate a promising career path in or beyond housekeeping and market the job as an entry-level job that will ‘get a foot in the door’ of some of the best companies to work for in Las Vegas and Nevada.
So how does that get done? We will figure that out in the months to come. I will begin to blog on this topic regularly as Recruiting Nevada takes on this challenge. If you have any feedback along the way, please provide it. I value all that I have learned from our clients, both past and present, on this critical workforce shortage. And it is from your willingness to share your knowledge that we will solve this shortage.
Stay tuned!!!!
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This is merely the demographic that we are seeing now if the hotel boom had happened in the 1910-30 era then the demo graphic would have been Irish or Germanic. If the Boom would have happened in the 1950 - 1970 era it would have been a stronger African American influence from the southern and Rust belt states. Immigrants take those jobs in Urban areas that are available. That is why they migrate. You can see they migrants in the predominant cultures across time in the Taxi cab drivers in NYC and Boston. As a new wave comes in they permeate the dominate.
Within the Culinary Union they need to break the the Si Se Puede they have engendered within their Latina GRA’s mentality that feels exclusionary to any other culture that might want to be in the same shop with them it is very pervasive and destructive.
Great observation Mike. Thanks for the feedback/comment.
Doug,
Great article! A great GRA can make or break a guest’s experience, so management should see this position as a guest service position, not as someone who merely cleans room. GRAs give directions & information, report emergencies and report broken items that need to be fixed. They communicate this information with a smile while managing to make an average of 30 beds a DAY. Can you imagine making 30 beds a day? That is only a few minutes of their job. Dusting every surface, wiping mirrors, scrubbing showers/baths, etc….. In my opinion, these are 5 star employees who make a daily contribution to the hotel’s bottom line. There is even a housekeeping Olympics on August 5th where they compete in various events like bedmaking. Come see for yourself! More information at http://www.iehanevada.com