Get rid of the weak links in your business

Get Rid of the Weak Links in Your Home Cleaning Business

Weak links can cost your company more than just money. They can poison the work atmosphere and demoralize other employees. Sure, they may show up to work every day, but they may also be undermining your efforts at every turn. You know the ones…

• they do just enough work to get by
• other employees complain about the "slacker" on their team
• they always seem to have a bad attitude.

Many employers put up with poor performers much too long in the hopes that they'll change. They may tell themselves, "she's just going through a rough time - she'll get better in a couple weeks". But a couple weeks come and go and the employee hasn't improved. In the meantime, her co-workers are starting to complain and the clients have noticed a difference too. Isn't it time to do something about it?

Getting Rid of Weak Links Begins With Recognizing Who They Are

Do you know how to recognize a poor performer? Start by asking yourself the following questions:

• Does the employee need to be reminded regularly of their responsibilities?
• Does the employee frequently receive complaints from clients?
• Does the employee fail to perform tasks on a regular basis?
• Does the team leader have to re-do work not completed or completed incorrectly?
• Does the employee regularly go over on time allowed?
• Does the employee put off performing certain duties they don't like doing and constantly have to be reminded?
• Does the employee refuse to help out where needed or complain when asked?
• Does the employee get along well with co-workers?
• Does the employee frequently make wrong decisions?
• Has the employee ever been warned about failing to comply with any company policy?
• Does the employee have poor attendance?

If you answered yes to several of the above questions, you may have a “weak link” in your home cleaning business.

You Have Recognized a Weak Link – Now What?

It is recommended that an Employee Performance Appraisal be conducted on a regular basis for all your employees. If they score poorly at first, they may be struggling with their work duties and the fast demanding pace of residential cleaning. With more training, guidance, and goal setting, you sometimes can bring poor performing work standards up to par. Employees, who consistently score poorly on all your appraisals, even after all efforts have failed, are likely employees that need to go.

Unfortunately, in most instances where we encountered a weak link, there was no form of rehabilitation that could magically transform them into productive employees. The only alternative was to fire them.

Weak links are kind of like a dull toothache that doesn't go away. But once you take that dreaded step of going to the dentist to get it fixed, it feels like such a relief! You'll have that same feeling of relief when you let go of the weak links in your business. In fact, you may even be surprised to get a thank you from your other employees for taking that much needed step!

Keep your fingers on the pulse of all your employees, including your team leaders. Sometimes team leaders may hesitate of write up or bring a problem employee to your attention. Perhaps they want to avoid the confrontation or they feel empathy for the person. The sooner you start documenting the issues and concerns with problem employees, the better off everyone will be, including the employee, when it comes time to dismiss them. You don't want a firing to come as a surprise to anyone.

A Word of Caution

Never fire an employee without proper documentation. If you have an employee who is a weak link, keep notes on all incidents. Have written counseling reports and employee performance appraisals in their employee file, and warnings as to the consequences of their actions, including termination. If your weak link has an attitude problem and their behavior is detrimental to your company and team, then make sure you note that on their counseling report, referring to the code of conduct in your Cleaning Company Policy Manual and Employee Handbook for Residential Cleaning Companies.

If the employee has been given every possible opportunity to succeed yet they still have not come around, it's time to terminate. But do so in a professional manner, without demoralizing them, and treat their departure with the upmost respect, regardless of the circumstances.

Members of MyHouseCleaningBiz.com: If you want to download the forms referred to in this article, just click on the links below:

Employee Performance Appraisal

Written counseling report

Comprehensive Counseling Report

For more information on this topic, check out the recorded call on Managing Unacceptable Behavior in Your Cleaning Business.

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