The first 30 days for a new cleaner: how to keep the people you hire
Everybody knows it’s hard to find good cleaners, and sometimes harder to keep them. If you have a problem with staff turnover, then let’s be honest: your company may be playing a part in it. Usually that’s unconscious. Nobody wants to spend time and money attracting someone, training them and kitting them out, only for them to leave in the first month. It’s bad for business, and it earns you a reputation as “that company” nobody wants to work for.
In my experience, most companies lose people in the first month because of a lack of clarity, combined with too little support in those first few weeks. It’s like being the new kid at school. Nobody told you where to hang your bag, where to eat your lunch, or who to sit with. It’s confusing.
How common is it?
Nobody can tell you exactly. The published numbers vary widely, and almost all of them come from companies that sell software or services, so take them as a guide, not gospel:
- Trade press has reported annual turnover in contract cleaning anywhere from a few tens of percent to several hundred percent (CleanLink, citing BSCAI and Contracting Profits).
- A 2019 report by two software vendors, TEAM Software and Kwantek, said nearly 60% of janitorial candidates did not last 30 days. That was their own applicant data.
- Replacing an employee can cost half to two times their annual salary, according to Gallup, as quoted by CleanLink. That figure is general, not specific to cleaning.
The exact numbers matter less than the pattern: a lot of people are lost early, and in my experience the reasons are mostly things a manager can control. The rest of this guide is a plain plan for a manager with a small crew: what a new cleaner needs to know before the first shift, what the first shift should look like, and how to keep them past day thirty.
Before day one: answer the questions in their head
Your new cleaner isn’t turning up because they want to hang out with you, your manager or the rest of the team. They have very real financial concerns, and it’s not just about the hourly rate. The money side matters a great deal, and there is a lot going on in their head:
- When does my first pay go into my bank, and how often am I paid?
- Do I need my own mobile phone for work, and if so, do you help with the cost?
- What about travel if I have to work at remote sites?
- Is there a uniform, and do I get more than one?
- Who is showing me what to do, and what standard is expected?
- What if I make a mistake?
- Is this company going to support me while I get going?
Answer them before they have to ask.
Talk them through the agreement
If you have a written agreement or offer, has someone actually gone through it with them? Don’t toss it across the desk and ask them to sign. Ask whether they need anything clarified, and make sure they understand:
- Their hours of work and any shift requirements.
- The pay rate.
- What happens if they’re sick, and who to call.
- Any key-holder responsibilities.
- The standards you expect, and what behavior isn’t acceptable. Be clear about your standards.
Rules on pay, paid sick leave and expenses differ by state and city, so check what applies where you work.
Day one: the first shift at a new site
Introducing a new cleaner to a new site is the new-kid-at-school problem again. Walk the area with them, and answer these before they ask:
- Equipment. If I’m bringing it, what do I need? If it’s already on site, where is it?
- Supplies. What’s required, where are they, and what do I do if I run out?
- The areas. Walk the whole area together, and point out anything that needs special care.
- Time. How long am I expected to take?
- Problems. What do I do if something goes wrong, and who do I call?
- Security. Key cupboards, alarms and codes.
- Recording time. Is there an attendance book, or do we use something digital, like a mobile phone?
Pair them, then step back
If the new cleaner is new to the industry, the expectation is that they pair with an experienced cleaner or trainer for the first few days. If an experienced cleaner is coming over from another company, the manager will most likely review their work once or twice and then let them get on with it.
Week one: check in, almost daily
Good managers check in with new cleaners almost daily for the first week or so, and they don’t always announce they are coming. After that they move to periodic site inspections to make sure standards are maintained.
The first pay
The first pay is important. Cleaners are generally paid at the lower end of the scale, so being paid on time and regularly is how they keep their heads above water. If pay is irregular, they will leave quickly and find new work. Disputes over incorrect time on site are common, and they lead to cleaners feeling underpaid. Then they leave.
So tell them the pay day and stick to it, and look at the first pay before it goes out. If there’s a question about their hours, settle it before the next shift. This is also why handwriting on timesheets matters: see what paper timesheets really cost a cleaning company.
A pattern I have seen many times
Over the years I have seen many cleaners leave because they were in constant conflict with their manager about the times they were paid, or weren’t paid, for the work they did. Here is how it usually goes. A cleaner hands in a paper timesheet that consistently matches their work schedule, but the standard of the clean doesn’t measure up to what the manager expects. The manager reads that as the cleaner not having done a “full” clean, and queries it. The cleaner is upset at the criticism, and leaves.
Two different conversations got mixed together: the hours, and the standard. Keep them apart. Pay for the hours worked. Talk about the standard separately, against the expectations you gave on day one. A timesheet that matches the schedule doesn’t prove a poor clean, and a poor clean doesn’t prove padded hours.
When time is recorded by a phone check-in rather than a handwritten sheet, the “are those hours right?” argument mostly disappears, and you can talk about the standard instead. A check-in doesn’t tell you how well the work was done, so clear standards and regular inspections still matter.
Make the welcome work for everyone
Many cleaners are immigrants, or have English as a second language. Which languages your crew speaks depends on where you work, but in many parts of the US, Spanish is widely spoken. If your crew has a high proportion of workers like this, having your introductory documents available in Spanish helps a great deal. So does having someone in management or admin who speaks a second language.
One team, casual or full-time
Casuals often fill in for full-time workers who are unavailable, so they are part of the team. Whether someone is casual or full-time, make them feel part of it. A feeling of “us and them” is counterproductive. It can lead to more people leaving, particularly in the first 30 days, if the new cleaner feels like a second-class citizen.
What good managers do
Cleaning is a people business. Cleaners often work long and inhospitable hours, and they want human contact with their company whenever they can. A great manager makes work fun, and also has the ability to enforce company standards and make the hard calls when necessary. They are clear and supportive, and a shoulder to cry on if required, but firm enough to make sure their customers get a great clean.
In my experience, these three things send people out the door:
- Not paying them on time.
- Not paying them for the hours they worked.
- Not giving them clear standards and expectations.
A 30-day checklist
- Before day oneThe first pay date and how often they are paid. Who covers phone, travel and uniform. The agreement talked through. Who to call if they are sick or late. Your standards, in writing.
- Day oneWalk the site. Equipment, supplies, who to call, keys and alarms, and how to record time.
- The first few daysIf they are new to the industry, pair them with an experienced cleaner.
- Week oneCheck in almost daily.
- Weeks two and threeTell them what is going well and one thing to improve. Make sure the first pay is right and on time.
Where accurate timesheets matter - Day thirtyA proper catch-up: how is it going, what is unclear, what would make you stay?
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