In New York, Boston, Chicago, Atlanta and Austin, Texas, thousands of businessmen and women lined up to audition for a spot in the second season of NBC’s hit show, “The Apprentice,” where contestants compete to be president of one of Donald Trump’s companies. Translation? These people are willing to quit their job just for a slim chance to work for The Donald.

However, in the cleaning industry, the allure does not have to be quite so dazzling to get employees to jump ship. While high turnover can’t be pinpointed to a single source, a few common reasons are at the forefront: poor treatment by a supervisor, lack of training, or, like the masses mentioned above, a better opportunity comes along elsewhere.

Building service contractors need to find ways to curb an employee’s lust to search for a better job. Hiring and training new recruits is a costly process and no BSC wants to invest the time and money to provide skills to someone who is willing to take them elsewhere, says Susan Bock, owner, Susan Bock Solutions, a human-resources consulting firm in Huntington Beach, Calif.

Blame game
Experts agree that the main reason janitors leave their job is poor managers or supervisors. If employees don’t feel they are in good hands, they walk.

John Ezzo, CBSE, president of New Image Building Services Inc., Mount Clemons, Mich., measures turnover at each job site and those numbers are attributed to the supervisors. High turnover indicates faulty management at that site.

The problem with managers is so few of them are people oriented. Most of them only care that the employees are checking in on time, says Mark Williams, director of contract services for Worktec, a community rehabilitation program for NISH in Jonesboro, Ga. If a problem arises, managers don’t always know how to relate it to the employees without ruffling some feathers.

“Someone who has just come to work after a full-time job doesn’t want to hear how he messed up one trashcan,” says Ezzo.

But, people skills can be tough to teach. Williams recommends sending managers to Toastmasters, an organization devoted to communication, to improve their speaking skills. This can help improve the way they conduct themselves at meetings and how they interact with employees.

On the other hand, sometimes the simplest communication works the best.

“Tell them to apply the skills that they use in everyday life,” says Williams. “The way you interact in your community is no different than at work. Dealing with employees is no different than the way we deal with everyone else.”

Knowledge is power
Managers and supervisors are not the only employees who need the proper training to succeed. New hires need to feel that they can handle the workload. Otherwise, they’ll become frustrated and possibly leave.

Ezzo aims to stop this chain of events even before he hires the potential employee by holding a pre-hire orientation. The applicant hears from a manager, supervisor and custodian about the work he would be getting into. He also gets to see the equipment, what the work is like and how it’s performed. The orientation usually is held at a customer facility, so the applicant can see the work environment as well, says Ezzo.

“Employees think they know what they’re getting into, but really don’t. They work a few days, then quit … The pre-hire orientation is a way to make a better informed decision,” says Ezzo.

Matching the right employee to the organization in the beginning can reduce turnover problems down the line.

“When you start hiring bodies instead of finding a match, that’s generally a factor of high turnover,” says Williams.

Once recruits have made the decision to come aboard, training needs to be constant.

“You can’t just train once and forget about them. You have to train, let them practice, and then go over training again. Maybe adjust the bar a little,” says Williams.

Teaching employees new skills allows them to grow, which will encourage employees to stay on board.

“Everyone wants to grow. Everyone wants to feel like they can grow and have a opportunity to learn,” says Matt Sullivan, president, Coastal Building Maintenance, Miami.

It’s especially important to continue training when promoting employees up the company ladder; particularly from the frontlines to managerial, says Bock.

“It’s the ‘Peter Principle:’ Just because they’re good in their current position, doesn’t mean they will be in the new one,” says Bock.

The carrot and the stick
It’s no secret that the cleaning industry doesn’t offer the highest wages. BSCs are at a disadvantage when it comes to retaining employees. There’s a lot competition with fast food restaurants, lawn services and other jobs at similar salaries.

Therefore, BSCs need to brainstorm for ideas that will help make their employees feel like they’re part of a family, not just an expense.

“Make them feel a part of a first-class organization,” says Sullivan. “Get them to feel like they belong so they don’t jump ship for 50 cents more an hour.”

“Employees are the most valuable resource to any organization and should be treated accordingly,” adds Bock.

Incentives are an effective means to rewarding quality work. Employees appreciate the fact that their effort is being noticed.

“The incentive program is worthwhile. Compensation has a direct correlation to performance,” says Bock. “It’s demoralizing for someone who is working hard to see someone who isn’t and makes the same amount of money.”

It’s the little things like incentives that make the difference between an employee who is happy at his job and one who is constantly searching for a new place to work, says Sullivan. Raises on anniversaries, bonuses around holidays and recognition such as employee of the month — all these can make a difference, Sullivan continues.

More money is a popular incentive choice, but may not always be the answer, or even feasible. Ezzo finds it hard to give raises due to the economy. Instead, he awards with recognition. Supervisors nominate employees for their quality of work, attendance or care of equipment, amongst other criteria. Winners receive items such as gift cards or movie passes, which cost less than raises, but still have a big impact.

“Have something tangible so they can buy something with it. When they see it or use it, it will remind them they got it for doing a good job at work,” says Ezzo.

Coastal Building Maintenance’s Thanksgiving-time bonus item is based on length of time with the company. The longer the worker’s been employed, the nicer the gift. The incentive not only rewards current work, but also encourages quality in the future.

“They’re happy to get what they got for being here two years, but then they see the what the three years are getting and want that,” says Sullivan. “It gives them something to shoot for [next] year.”

Bock agrees that a tiered program works. She also suggests offering a choice of incentives. This way, employees can choose what is most beneficial to them and get the most out of their achievement.

Not everyone agrees, however, that incentives are the answer to high turnover. If an employer awards bonuses for holidays or exceptional service, employees begin to expect them. The first year they don’t get one, they can become upset and discouraged, warns Williams.

The rewards
Having a stable staff will help a company retain an account. Workers get to know a building’s quirks — which areas get the most traffic or what bathrooms get trashed the most, says Ezzo.

Sullivan agrees.

“Being familiar with the account helps your company to stay there,” he says.

Over time, the cleaning crew knows more about the building than its own occupants, Sullivan adds.




POSTED ON: 5/1/2004