Having confidence in an outsourced professional cleaning team is imperative. After all, this team is responsible for first impressions, employees' and visitors' health, the overall working environment, and more. In the cleaning world, techniques and operations are adopted to properly train team members and uphold industry standards. These are obtained through continued training and specific guidelines that the cleaning trade must uphold.
Professional cleaning companies should ensure team members are motivated, long-term, goal-oriented employees providing superior service. Every team member is key to delivering quality service. When researching professional cleaning companies, here are some things to consider:
Employee Screening Process for Commercial Cleaners
Does the cleaning company have a screening process? See if they have developed a comprehensive screening process to ensure that all their employees are safe, reliable, and professional. This is important, especially since these employees usually clean your workspace after hours when no one else is present.
Find out if they are required to provide references, complete a background check, and do a drug test before starting their employment. Not all cleaning companies require these steps. However, your company may want this peace of mind. When interviewing a professional cleaning company, it is also your right to know these factors.
Training a Commercial Cleaning Team
What training program(s) does the cleaning company require of their employees? Make sure their employees are given the training they need to perform janitorial services safely and successfully. Some examples of training include:
New Hires:
Classroom training
Safety training
Site-specific rules and regulations
Policies and procedures
Cleaning methods
Written test
Field Training (on-site before employees work independently)
Supervisors concentrate on site-specific tasks
Supervisors demonstrate step-by-step tasks
Guidance and feedback are provided to the employees
To maintain quality standards, supervisors follow up with employees regularly
Does Your Commercial Cleaning Company Conduct Employee Reviews?
Just as important as training are employee reviews. To maintain the integrity of its employees and management, a cleaning company should perform regular reviews. An example would be to provide employee reviews after 90 days of employment and then annually after that.
Reviews help to establish developmental plans and schedule retraining if necessary. Goals are set for the following review by supervisors and employees. This not only helps to maintain proper training goals but helps to recognize outstanding employee talent for future promotions.
How Does Your Professional Cleaning Company Ensure Employee Retention?
How does a professional cleaning company retain its employees? When reviewing a cleaning company's proposal, see what benefits program they offer their employees. This helps to determine an employee's commitment to the company and, in turn, to the customers.
Benefits could include:
Health, Dental, and Vision insurance
Life insurance
Paid vacation
Paid holidays
401K
Profit-sharing
EAP – Employee Assistance Program
Tuition reimbursement
Another way to encourage employee retention is to support employees as they grow in their careers. Explore the company's culture regarding communication between employees and management in developing a career path. Find out their policy on promoting within the company based on performance or whether they prefer to hire outside the company.
Does Your Cleaning Company Use a Quality Assurance Program?
Now you know how the company screens, trains, and supports its employees; now what? Next, determine how the company maintains its desired level of quality service. A truly professional cleaning company will implement a Quality Assurance Program to ensure a high standard of services while providing peace of mind.
This program allows the company to focus on more than just the day-to-day operations and provide a higher level of services. It ensures you have a trained cleaning staff from the start and they are instructed the same way as the previous. There are set standards that all employees and managers uphold, and the same metrics are used across the board. Therefore, there is no need to second guess any of the services!
A Quality Assurance Program:
Defines cleaning service requirements
Outlines how work performance will be measured
Contains methods for soliciting customer feedback and making continual improvements
Assigns an Account Manager
Schedules on-site visitations to maintain quality control
Establishes a recruiting and training program
The most successful professional cleaning companies have a structured Quality Assurance Program in place. This provides high-quality standards and sets your business up for success. Check out Why Your Cleaning Company Should Utilize a Quality Assurance Program for other benefits.
Backup Coverage, Special Projects, Flexibility and Other Benefits
How could there be more benefits than what we already discussed? Well, there are! You should be worry-free when outsourcing cleaning needs to a professional cleaning company. Not only should they provide well-trained employees, but they should have floater cleaners for unexpected callouts or emergencies. These employees provide unexpected coverage. They are especially important in after-hours and overnight situations when available staff is limited.
A good professional cleaning company also offers day porter services, which handle the burden of a clean and sanitized workplace by taking care of cleaning and maintenance throughout the day. These individuals are there the entire day, cleaning up as needed and without disrupting operations. Day porters keep up the office's daily needs with the foot traffic level it sees. Instead of waiting for the after-hours cleaning service to do a massive cleaning at night, a day porter can maintain things throughout the day.
So many benefits and we haven't even discussed them all, but we'd love to! Feel free to call us today to find out what we can do for you and your business.
Cleantec aims to offer helpful information to our clients and friends. We currently serve all of New York, including the Syracuse, Ithaca, Manhattan, Rochester, Utica, and Buffalo regions. We also have operations in Palo Alto, CA; Denver, CO; Muscle Shoals, AL; Tampa, FL; and Sanford, NC. Give our sales professionals a call at (877) 469-0543 for a free consultation and quote regarding janitorial services. Learn how we can help your business achieve your cleaning needs.
Cleantec ensures all staff members are thoroughly vetted, conducting background checks and drug testing. In addition to providing professional cleaning services, we are also a supplier of specialized cleaning products and green chemicals. Please call (877) 469-0543 to place an order.
