How competent are your cleaning technicians?

MyHouseCleaningBiz.com

From the moment we are born, we start to learn and develop skills and behaviors. As we grow, we are all exposed to a much wider array of stimulus that helps us develop the appropriate skills and behaviors we need to survive and thrive as adults, or most of us do anyway. One such behavior is called competence.

Competence is the ability of an individual to do a job properly. A competency is a set of defined behaviors that provide a structured guide enabling the identification, evaluation and development of the behaviors in individual employees, according to Wikipedia. Psychologists refer to competence as a learning model and denote four different stages associated with competence, which starts with incompetence and evolves into competence.

Determining what level of competence your employees are at will help you determine what types and how much training they will need to successfully acquire the skills they will need to complete assigned duties competently and proficiently.

How to determine and develop the competency level of an employee

Here are the four levels of competency to help you determine your employees' level:

1. Unconsciously Incompetent

This means the employee is doing a poor job and IS NOT aware of it – they may even think they're doing a good job but fail to recognize it. When dealing with this type of employee, do not confront them with the fact that they are doing a poor job. They may get defensive and annoyed. Instead, start asking questions as to why they are doing something a certain way and coach them on ways they can improve their performance or productivity.

2. Consciously Incompetent

This means the employee is doing a poor job and IS aware of it. They may ask for help or more training. This employee wants to learn and is open to training so spend the time to make sure they are thoroughly trained and understands what to do.

3. Consciously Competent

This means the employee is competent but lacks concentration. They may be a good employee, know and understand the tasks at hand, but work slowly. They need more training or more practice before they feel proficient and productive. Be sure to give plenty of feedback to this employee.

4. Unconsciously Competent

This means the employee is able to do just about anything you throw at them, and do it well. They are proficient multitaskers and enjoy the challenge. They are your go-to person for any job and are proficient enough to train others.

This is typically not a problem employee unless you take advantage of their expertise and ability to work with little supervision and training. If they feel they are being taken advantage of, they may start slacking on the job or find another employer that will treat them with more respect.

Conclusion:

As a business owner, it is imperative that you understand the level of competency of all your employees. By properly identifying your employees' current knowledge and skill levels, you can provide the appropriate type and amount of training needed for them to succeed, and reward those who have achieved it. Competent, well trained employees will help guarantee that your company achieves its goals.

Are you looking for more efficient ways to train your cleaning staff?

The Residential Cleaning to Perfection Training Program 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.