How to Build a Commercial Cleaning Company Culture that Attracts and Retains the Best Associates!

You may remember the very beginning of The Office where Michael Scott looked into the camera and proclaimed, “People tell me I am the best boss.” He did many things wrong over the years, but he did get a couple of things right. His employees knew that he considered them to be more than simply people who worked in an office with him.

We're not advocating for a Michael Scott leadership style from you (perish the thought!), but he did create a workplace culture that encouraged his employees to stay. Every company needs a culture that attracts and retains employees.

As the owner/operator of a commercial cleaning company, you may have spent a few sleepless nights worrying about attracting and retaining staff, especially after the circumstances of the past two years and the ubiquitous headlines warning of “The Great Resignation.”

According to Cleaning Business Today, the employee turnover rate in the janitorial industry ranges from 75% to more than 375%. Having to constantly hire and train new employees is a waste of time and money. One study reports that it costs an average of $1,500 to hire a new hourly employee.

Company culture is something that many people may not be able to define exactly but can recognize when they see it. There are myriad of definitions for company culture, such as:

• “The shared ethos of an organization” – Built In
• “The sum of your formal and informal systems and values, all of which create an experience for your employees and customers.” –  Great Place to Work
• “Shared beliefs and values established by leaders and then communicated and reinforced through various methods, ultimately shaping employee perceptions, behaviors, and understanding.” – Society for Human Resource Management
• “...expresses goals through values and beliefs and guides activity through shared assumptions and group norms.” – Harvard Business Review
• “...the values, practices, and beliefs shared internally by employees and management, and reflected externally to clients, customers, vendors, and others.” – The Janitorial Store
  
  

How can you create a strong company culture?

Well, it takes more than Michael Scott-style birthday cakes – although birthday cakes are always welcome! A positive culture exists when your employees feel valued and listened to, when they feel proud of the work they do each day, and when they take ownership over the success of the company as a whole.

• Begin with recruitment. When you advertise a position and interview a candidate, be transparent about what the job entails. People are far more likely to stick it out if they feel that you have been upfront with them from the beginning.
  
  
• Don't just rely on verbally explaining your company's ethics and business practices. This should all be written into your business plan. New employees deserve to know your mission statement, and to see that your company's positive culture is more than a promise – it's a guarantee.
  
  
• One practice that many janitorial companies follow is to have a current cleaning technician sit in on interviews. That way any description of the job will come “straight from the horse's mouth.” The new hire will also be able to ask specific questions and catch a glimpse of a company culture where it is evident that employees are trusted and integral contributors to the company.
  
  
• New hires are trained on job procedures as part of their onboarding process, but they would also benefit from having a mentor to shadow and work alongside for the first few weeks. Training should never be a one-time event – a mere something to cross off the list. Training includes retraining and should be an ongoing process for everyone.
  
  
• You could be the jolliest and kindest commercial cleaning company in the world, but if you pay less than other cleaning companies in your area, you will not be the first choice of the best candidates. Yes, you need to be profitable, but you must be competitive with your pay scale and incentives. You can't be profitable if you have to cancel contracts because you don't have enough workers.
  
  
• That being said, there are plenty of benefits that can make an average hourly wage look more attractive. For example, flexible hours, paid sick days, health insurance, paid training, provided uniforms, generous breaks, and opportunities for advancement are all persuasive motivators.
  
  
• Keep an open-door policy, along with some sort of system to collect employee suggestions. People tend to buy into a culture where they know that their feedback is valued.
  
  
• Do kind things for your employees. For example, consider providing water, soda, or energy drinks once a week. Every once in a while, buy pizza or sandwiches for a cleaning crew.
  
  
• Recognize when employees perform well. Everyone likes to be praised (when the praise is genuine).
  
  
• Once in a while, work a shift yourself (especially a night shift) so that your employees can see that you haven't forgotten what it's like to be in the trenches.
  
  
• Celebrate successes as a company. Maybe your associates would like a bowling night, a potluck dinner, or a karaoke evening. (Maybe not, though; never require social activities!). Remember to go all out for National Custodian Day every October 2nd. Recognize birthdays, hiring anniversaries, new babies - whatever is important to your employees.

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