Finding the right cleaning staff can be one of the most substantial challenges you face in your business. There are many variables that impact the process, such as whether the individuals applying for the job know how to clean and whether they’re trustworthy or not. After all, just because someone says they know how to clean doesn’t mean they can.
Plus, turnover can be outrageously high. For example, the typical length that an employee works for a cleaning company averages somewhere around three to four months. Therefore, you must have strategies in place to motivate and encourage employee loyalty. However, you also just need to find the right people who will stay with you for a long time.
To help you find these individuals, we’ll show you how to hire employees for a cleaning business that will make the process as painless as possible.
Institute a formal process
Having a formal hiring process can go a long way toward making sure things go smoothly. By having a uniform process that all applicants have to go through, you can ensure fairness. You can also attract higher-caliber employees while repelling bad ones.
When putting together your hiring process, focus on these steps:
- Define the position that needs to be filled and list all the duties you expect the employee to perform
- Market your open position and begin accepting applicants
- Select the applicants you want to review and then start interviews
- Follow up with candidates who have the necessary skills and present a job offer
Are they hard workers?
When it comes to your cleaning team, it’s better that they have a strong work ethic than it is for them to have winning personalities. Of course, you’ll want to hire people who know how to be polite. Remember though that they usually won’t have much contact with your clients. You need them to be able to handle all the cleanings for which they’re scheduled.
Do a background check
Before hiring anyone, you’ll also want to perform a background check. You may feel like you have an excellent sense of who a person is and what they’ll be like on the job following your interview with them. However, before you make a final decision, it’s wise to make sure that you really are hiring an honest, ethical person and who will care about the job they’re doing. Asking for references and looking into their past work history can help you minimize any risk involved in hiring them.
Time for orientation and training
After you’ve chosen the candidates you feel are worth training, it’s time to hire them. It’s a best practice to set up a probationary period just to see if they’re a good fit for you and vice versa. That way, you can see whether your initial impressions of them pan out or not before you integrate them more fully into your company.
The first phase of the probationary period is orientation, and it’s here that you need to ensure that your new employees understand precisely what your expectations are. They also need to know about any specific rules or regulations they must follow while on the job. Additionally, you should also let them know how they’re going to be paid. Creating an employee manual and having a written set of rules and duties for your employees to reference can also be a benefit to have.
Final thoughts
We mentioned doing background checks and asking for references previously. However, it bears repeating that these should be nonnegotiable. Remember that your reputation is on the line, and you, therefore, want to make sure that anyone you hire isn’t going to be rifling through your customer’s valuables. In addition, you should never hire someone just because you feel desperate and need a body to fill the vacant position.
You should also ensure that your workers’ compensation insurance is up-to-date. Additionally, talk with your insurance agent to see if you should update your surety bond liability. You should have this kind of insurance just in case one or more of your workers don’t complete tasks, and a client contract is put in jeopardy.
Remember that when it comes to employee retention, many care about far more than money. For example, in addition to financial compensation, many people are concerned about health benefits and a chance for promotion within the companies they join.
Finally, don’t rush the process. Sometimes, finding the right people takes a while. However, promote the position while being methodical and meticulous, and the right individuals will eventually present themselves.
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