You took all the steps to get your cleaning business up and running. You’ve been doing the work and building your client list. You’ve figured out the perfect price point for your cleaning services. Your business has grown to the point that you can’t do all the work by yourself while also managing your company.
You want to look at upgrading your cleaning supplies and even hiring a cleaning staff, but you’re not sure how or what to do. The whole process can certainly seem daunting. How do you know what to look for? How can you trust someone else to meet your expectations? How do you advertise for a job opening?
This article will help eliminate some of that stress. You’ll find tips on how to hire employees for a cleaning business, including the top qualities to look for and the steps to follow for your cleaning hiring process.
Traits to Look for When Hiring Cleaning Staff
First of all, you need to figure out what kind of employee you want. If you don’t know what you want before you start writing a job ad, you will be hiring the right people. Take into consideration what makes you good at what you do: friendliness, trustworthiness, experience, and hard work.
Here are some of the most important traits to look for when hiring cleaning staff:
- Friendliness. If they come into contact with your clients, you want to know that they are friendly and will not scare away the clients.
- Trustworthiness. Clients are entrusting you with their comfort zone. They will have a variety of items they consider valuable. You will want to know that you can trust anyone you send into someone else’s place. Depending on your clientele, you may even want to conduct a criminal background check.
- Previous cleaning experience. Working for a cleaning company is hard and intensive labor. Hiring cleaners with previous cleaning experience will ensure they know what is required of them. You can also consider people who have experience in any physically demanding job.
- Ability to solve problems. Chances are, even if there is a team in one location, each employee will have to work independently to cover more ground. Each employee should be independent and self-motivated enough to be able to solve minor issues without always finding someone else to do it. Problem-solving skills keep work flowing.
- Dedication. You need a team that will be there when scheduled, instead of continually calling off work or sweeping things under a rug (sometimes literally!).
How to Write a Cleaning Job Ad
When you are writing a job ad, you need to make sure your posting will be noticed. A job ad is typically the first contact someone will have with your company. The job seeker will want to see some information about your company and why they should apply to this job in particular.
The first thing someone will scan for is a job title, followed by the job description. Then the potential candidate will look to see what the ad says about the company, expected salary range, and possible benefits.
Since you are most likely starting as a small company, chances are you won’t be offering medical benefits. Substitute this with other perks, such as paid sick leave and vacation time.
Bullet points are overused and often skimmed over. Create an emotional draw to your job posting by writing sentences that capture the heart. Include real images of your company to add a human aspect to your job ad. Structure your ad with headings, so the reader can find the information they’re looking for.
Close your job advertisement with a call to action. Use expressions like ‘click here,’ ‘call this number,’ or ‘send resume to this email.’ The call to action motivates potential applicants to reach out once they’re done reading your ad.
How to Advertise Cleaning Jobs
In today’s technologically driven world, social media and Internet job boards are typically the first place people go to look for open jobs. If you want to hire cleaning staff, perhaps these popular posting sites can help guide you to a place to post your ad:
- Your website. Your website is an excellent tool for a potential employee to get to know who you are.
- LinkedIn. This professional networking site is a great place not only to meet potential clients, but you can review the profiles of people that submit to your job posting. However, there is a fee to post a job ad on this site.
- Facebook. You can post a job announcement through your Facebook Business Page for free for 30 days. You can always pay to boost the post if you want.
- Indeed. Indeed is a popular job posting board. You can post your job for free, and it is usually pretty easy to make a post.
- Monster. Monster is another job posting website that gets a lot of traffic. This website does have an access fee for posting jobs but tries to keep the process relatively simple.
- Craigslist. Craigslist is another free website to advertise a job opening.
If you are heavily active on other social media platforms, you can look into posting job announcements there as well. Here are some of the best social media platforms for sharing job postings:
- YouTube
The Hiring Process
The hiring process is a crucial step in finding the right people for your cleaning business. This process can take a while to get through as there are several steps: reviewing applications, calling people, the interview itself, background checks, reference checks, possibly a second interview, and then negotiating a salary. Before you start this process, make sure that you have calculated your payroll budget so you will know what you can afford.
Step 1 – Review Applications
It is possible to receive so many applications that you can’t read them all. It is recommended to set a specific time period for application submissions (like 30 days). However too short of a time frame may not get you many applications, while too long of a time frame can force people to move on to other potential jobs.
Once you start receiving them, sort through all the applications and arrange them in order of very interested, somewhat interested, and not-at-all pile. From there, you can move on to the next step.
Step 2 – Set up Initial Interviews or Screening
As part of your cleaning staffing process, you can conduct a quick phone interview as an initial screening. Ask the person if now is a good time for an initial phone interview, or if they have a preferred date and time. A quick discussion can give you an idea of what kind of employee they would be.
Step 3 – The Interview
The in-person interview can tell you a lot about an applicant’s personality. It also gives the person a chance to discuss their strengths and background. Determine what questions you want to ask before your first interview.
Questions can be about anything from previous jobs they’ve held, why they are interested in working for you, and where they see themselves in a couple of years. But be careful not to ask illegal questions, such as age and religious preference.
Step 4 – Background Checks
Once you have picked out a few candidates, you can have some background checks conducted to find out about any criminal offenses. The candidates have to give their consent to perform this, but it is a form easily found online. Most background-checking websites will charge a fee for this service.
Step 5 – Check References
Checking references can provide you with information on what other people and previous bosses think of the candidate. While it is possible to receive only references that the candidate knows will give a useful review, they are still worth checking.
Optional Step – Second Interview
A second interview is not always necessary, but it can help you determine who you like best out of all the candidates who have made it this far. You can also ask other questions that you didn’t think to ask in the first interview.
Step 6 – Job Offer
By this point, you should already know what you are willing to pay your employees and if you are going to offer benefits. While some people will take the offer as given, some will want to negotiate. Do not go outside of your budget for what you can afford. You can also set up a probationary period and give your new employee a raise if they meet your expectations.
Word of caution: Do not hire someone just because they applied. A bad fit for the job will not stick around, and you will have to go through the hiring process again.
Reasons Why Employees Stay
Understanding the factors that result in happy and engaged employees will reduce turnover. This information can save you time and save your company money. And surprisingly, money is not usually the first reason someone gives for leaving a job.
If you have not considered getting health insurance as an employee incentive, now would be a good time to do so. People are serious about applying for a job that offers health benefits. There are plenty of insurance companies that can help small businesses find something that is affordable. In addition to health benefits, paid sick leave and paid vacation leave are other benefits that people love and will work hard to keep.
A positive company culture will nurture not only the company but also the people who work in it. Incorporating the healthy and engaging atmosphere you want into your company philosophy will help create a positive culture.
Amazing bosses inspire employees. Think about the last fantastic boss you had. That person encouraged you and acknowledged your hard work, and she was just a wonderful person to be around. Because of them, you worked hard and loved your job.
Employees are an investment in your company and your future. Employees who don’t feel valued will become disengaged and stop caring about their work. The more you treat your employees with respect and encourage them, the more dedicated they will become. Pay them for their hard work and dedication, and they will pay you back.
Reasons Why Employees Leave
Being aware of the most common reasons why employees leave is just as important as understanding the factors that motivate them to stay. While you can control some of these factors, others like an employee’s private life will be beyond your influence.
Employees will notice if you don’t trust them. If an employee feels that you don’t trust them, they will wonder why you hired them in the first place. The same goes for not feeling appreciated. Acknowledging a job well done will go a long way. If you are micromanaging your employees, they will get the impression that you don’t trust their judgment and don’t appreciate them.
A bad boss will not only drive away employees, but they can also drive away potential clients. Think about the worst boss you ever had. Think about what they did and how it made you feel. You ended up hating that person, and that job, didn’t you? And what did you think of the company because of that lousy boss?
A lack of health insurance and other benefits can drive employees away. Providing health insurance ensures that your employees remain healthy and miss fewer days of work besides offering an additional incentive to stay.
Empowering Your Staff
Empower your cleaning staff. It shows that you trust their judgment. After all, you hired them for a reason. The employees are the representatives of the company. Give them the tools to help you gain more clients. Communicate about your company philosophy and create concrete guidelines they can follow to apply that philosophy on the job. It makes people feel more engaged and valued as an employee.
Final Thoughts
Once you’ve gotten your cleaning business up and running and have gained more clients than you can handle yourself, the logical step is to hire cleaners and take your company to the next level. You want to make sure you hire cleaning staff that will represent the best of your company.
It is hard work, but it can also be rewarding. Your company fills a particular need to make your clients’ lives better. Building a company with a positive culture and offering benefits will ensure that you have people applying for your job opening. Take your time to find the employees that fit your philosophy. It will be worth it!
