Staffing and turnover have plagued the cleaning industry for decades, and there are two main reasons for it. First, the work of frontline cleaners is physically demanding and often goes unnoticed and under appreciated. Second, salary restrictions have prospects second-guessing whether cleaning can be a career. With that in mind, it should come as no surprise that cleaning is among the lowest rated jobs and tasks by significant margins, according to Pew Research. 

Bottom line, cleaning is an industry that struggles with attracting new hires. Even for those executives who are able to recruit, retention quickly becomes an issue as turnover rates continue to climb. 

This turnover is more than just a headache for building service contractors, it packs a punch with budgets. According to a 2019 Gallup poll, the cost of replacing an individual employee can range from one-half to two times the employee's annual salary. In 2023, Forbes reported that the replacement costs are actually closer to three to four times an annual salary. 

This is bad news in an industry that, prior to 2020, was reporting anywhere between 100 and 400 percent annual turnover — an estimated 3.6 times higher than the national average. It's a bit more palatable knowing that, today, those turnover rates are more of an exception than they are a rule. 

In an effort to get to the bottom of some of the biggest labor issues in the industry, Contracting Profits and the Building Service Contractors Association International (BSCAI) joined together to survey BSCs. The results of that survey, as well as extensive research into human resource trends, can be found in the new “Building Service Contractor Frontline Labor Report”. 

This research outlines and analyzes actual industry turnover rates; tried-and-true recruitment techniques, including evaluating applications, screening, and onboarding; salary averages for both frontline workers and supervisors, and how they impact turnover; retention strategies that can be easily implemented; and so much more. Cleaning professionals can use this data to compare themselves to their peers, implement recruitment and retention strategies that work, and stop wasting money on turnover.  

Click here for more information and to purchase this report.  




POSTED ON: 3/25/2024