Hire Train Reward Retain words on a speedometer to illustrate human resources best practices processes for new employees 3d rendering

Contributed by Kaivac, Inc. 

Many cleaning contractors have reported problems finding new workers. And when they do find them, new workers often move on in a relatively short period of time.

This has been an ongoing challenge in the professional cleaning industry for years. 

However, a new study published in July 2021 has powerful implications for cleaning contractors.

The study, by the Manufacturing Institute’s Center for Manufacturing Research and the American Psychological Association, involved 42 senior leaders and midlevel managers working in 14 manufacturing companies. It also included a follow-up survey of 578 employees from five of the participating companies.

Among the key findings are the following:

• Eight in 10 workers said they stay with their employer because they enjoy the work.

• Nearly 7 in 10 employees (69 percent) under the age of 25 indicate they stay with their current employer because of training and development programs offered.

• While competitive pay and benefits are important, work that increases positive experiences on the job improves worker retention.

• Ensuring every employee understands how their efforts are linked to the company’s overall success is one of the most successful worker-retention strategies.

• Employees who feel valued are much more likely to be engaged with their work, less likely to feel stressed during the workday, and less likely to leave their jobs.

As to how this applies to the professional cleaning industry, Matt Morrison, an industry veteran and communications manager at Kaivac, offers the following four suggestions:

1.    To help employees enjoy their work, stress the importance of their work: they are keeping people healthy.

2.    To keep younger workers on the job, turn to new technologies such as onboard training technologies. Some are placed directly on cleaning equipment, allowing new staffers to learn and practice cleaning tasks at their own pace.

3.    Promote from within. It helps your staff feel they are valued and that they have a future working for your firm.

4.    Start an employee recognition program. Recognizing staffers for doing something exceptional can significantly improve the worker retention of all staffers.

For more employee retention tips, click here.