If you're in the cleaning business then you've probably experienced high employee turnover. And the increased unemployment rates around the country isn't helping. A cleaning business owner recently shared the following employee turnover problem:
I have been in business for a little over a year now, and I have an employment record of
16 fired
2 quit
8 still employed
The only problem is, half of the employees still working I would not keep if I could find someone better.
I have tried hiring experienced janitorial employees, trained and certified employees and rookies with no experience, and you can see the track record. I knew that the turn over rate was bad when I started the business, but is there any advice anyone can give that has helped them in the long run?
I pay above average for my area, most companies pay $7-$9 per hour I pay $9-$10. We train, I am always open to my employees and I do not yell, I approach every situation as a learning situation. I am just at a bit of a loss.
Another cleaning business owner offered the following comments:
You're definitely not alone with having a high turnover. I hope my answer doesn't offend you, but I've been exactly where you are. I don't know you, or your exact situation, but experience tells me that turnover issues start at the top - with you.
If only two people have quit, you probably pay well and are easy to work with. But firing 16 people tells me that you're probably hiring the wrong people to begin with. Take a look at some of the reasons you've fired people and see if there are any similarities there.
I fired my fair share of people and I almost gave up. I kept blaming the people that were working with me, but once I looked closer, it all came back to me. It was either I didn't make my expectations clear, or I didn't give them what they needed to get the job done properly, or I made a bad hiring decision from the beginning. Either way, it all started with me.
Hiring and keeping good people will probably always be a challenge in this industry, but it really does start with hiring the right people from the start. Once you hire the right people, be sure they know exactly what you expect of them, show them exactly how to do their job, give them everything they need to get the job done, give them feedback often, give them plenty of praise, and thank them whenever possible!
















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