5 Key Elements of an Effective Training System for Cleaning Companies

In an industry where turnover rates can be incredibly high and average tenures as low as a few months, losing employees that quickly is tough—and costly.

It's not surprising that many workers bail so soon. The work is physically demanding. Plus, it can feel unrewarding if an employee gains little sense of pride, engagement, or personal autonomy in his or her role in the company.

So, how can you keep your employees longer? One powerful way is to increase their skill sets and give them a sense of purpose and value. Easier said than done, perhaps, but a well-conceived, systematic on-boarding and training program can rapidly move things in the right direction.

Advantages of a Good Training System

Well-trained employees are great for business. When someone feels more competent and capable in their job, they're also more likely to feel motivated and satisfied. That translates into staying with their employer longer and potentially seeking opportunities for advancement within the company.

Effective training is great for business owners and management as well, as frequent turnover and the associated costs, are drastically reduced. This includes all that extra time and money spent interviewing, screening, and training new hires, as well as the burden of covering shifts for suddenly vacated positions.

Quality training also improves record-keeping for your cleaning business. You'll know exactly what each employee has learned and each employee's strengths and weaknesses in every area. It also reduces employee errors and accidents that can result in injury, property damage, workman's compensation or insurance claims.

Of course, not all training is created equal. What sets a good program apart from one that's less likely to create these positive results? Quality training programs are systematic and well-documented.

Key Elements of Effective Training

1. Know Who You're Training 

What knowledge do your employees already possess? Are they new cleaners or seasoned professionals? Beginners offer a blank slate for learning new skills, but their training can be time-consuming. Experienced workers, on the other hand, can bring both valuable skills as well as occasional poor work habits, so it's good to know the situation early on.

2. Get Clear on Obstacles and Learning Styles

Do some of your employees have language or reading barriers? Special needs or impairments that must be addressed for effective training? Structure your training system to be thorough yet flexible in accommodating different learning styles and capabilities. A combination of observation, explanation, and hands-on practice will give most employees what they need to succeed.

Customize your training to the setting and individuals involved. Give written and online training and testing when appropriate. An online learning management system (LMS) is useful for in-depth training on topics that include procedural training and safety training. MyHouseCleaningBiz.com offers online training through Premium Membership and access Clean Smart University.

Use good visual aids, including pictographs, for instruction. Most people like a combination of verbal and visual training and those with language or reading barriers will especially benefit from visual and hands-on training to learn most effectively.

Key Elements of an Effective Training System for Cleaning Companies

3. Prepare Yourself to Train

If you're well-prepared, your training will provide a sense of structure and discipline for your employees and establish you as a capable leader. Prepare training material and supplies in advance and have extras on hand in case of spills, malfunctions, or equipment failure.

Practice demonstrating and describing the procedure, so it feels natural. Teaching a skill is different than doing it. Try speaking in front of a mirror or recording yourself on a webcam to see how you come across and any adjustments in style or tone you might want to make.

Be positive and encouraging when training and anticipate both simple and advanced questions if you have employees with varying degrees of experience. Offer clarification and correction with an attitude of respect and be mindful to convey patience and encouragement with your tone of voice, facial expressions, and body language.

Welcome all questions and don't assume a lack of specific knowledge in any area indicates a lack of intelligence. Thoughtful, observant training gives you the opportunity to learn more about employees' possible knowledge gaps and provide useful instruction and growth opportunities.

4. Make it Real

Consider offering training at a residential site (this could be your own home if you're not comfortable doing this in a client's home). Or you can have “training homes”, where you offer a reduced price to special clients who understand you're using their home to train new employees. Having employees clean alongside you or your training supervisor will show you a lot about their style, strengths, and specific areas requiring improvement.

Allow them to work both with and without supervision knowing their performance will be evaluated. Inspect their work in different environments to ensure they can adapt to changing customer circumstances.

Provide a checklist for required tasks and use it to inspect their work. Introduce tools that measure sanitation levels, such as ATP meters, black lights and telescoping mirrors in bathrooms and kitchens to show employees areas that are commonly missed in cleaning.

Correct your employees gently and provide specific suggestions for improvement. Let them check each other's work as well as yours and welcome their suggestions. Those with experience may have great cleaning tips to offer.

Record your testing and inspecting results and look for patterns such as frequently missed steps and most effective cleaning techniques to share with your team.

5. Never Stop

Recognize that employee training is an ongoing process with both success and occasional difficulties and setbacks. Learn all you can and move forward with optimism and confidence as you implement your training system.

As a trainer and employer, strive to develop a committed team who enjoy working and growing together, building strong relationships with customers, and increasing your business success by reducing the waste and costs of frequent turnovers.

Remember, you are more than a trainer or business owner.  You are a storyteller.  You instill company pride, dedication, and a reputation for excellence among your employees and within the community. Help your employees fulfill their success stories and they will find ongoing reward and purpose working for you.

Residential "Cleaning to Perfection" Training Program (PDF Download) In addition to using the Team Cleaning concept, MyHouseCleaningBiz.com has a variety of training programs available for your residential cleaning business. The Residential Cleaning to Perfection Training Program (PDF Download) is a 99 page document that gives you proven systems to make your cleaning staff more productive and efficient. Results come through proper training, which the manual guides you through, step-by-step.