10 Interview Questions Every Cleaning Business Owner Should Ask Every Candidate
Employee turnover is more than a headache for a residential cleaning business owner. It can also be extremely costly.
Some employment specialists estimate the cost of turnover can be $500 to $2,000 per employee. The Dept of Labor reports it's as high as 30% of an employee's yearly salary. This includes the costs for recruiting, interviewing, on-boarding, training and lost productivity time getting a new employee up to speed.
How does that affect your bottom line? With turnover rates as high as 300% in this industry, you may need to hire three employees for every one you keep. So, to maintain a staff of 10, you may need to hire and train 30 people. Losing 20 people would cost you $10,000 (20 people x $500).
Not a pretty picture. To improve these discouraging figures, you want to make sure you're hiring the right people from the start. Identifying motivated, hardworking, committed people well-suited to your company and its culture isn't easy.
Using these 10 interview questions can help you find those perfect fits.
1. Tell me about your very first job.
Candidates expect to be asked about their most recent job, so they may be caught off guard. Ask them to tell you three things they learned from this experience. Even if they flipped burgers or washed cars, you'll see what habits and values they formed. Did they enjoy helping customers, earning their own pay check? Like demanding work, being part of a team? Did they gain a sense of independence or increased stamina? Did they take pride in adhering to a daily routine?
2. Do you see yourself as an honest person?
Most people will of course say yes, so ask for examples of their trustworthiness. Ask about their former employer's rules and how they applied these to their own decision making. Candidates should be able to distinguish between a strict company policy and a more general guideline that allows for individual interpretation. Ask when they were honest about making a mistake and taking responsibility for it. Also, did they admit when they lacked qualifications or training or ask for help or guidance when they needed it? This is important for avoiding dangers or mishaps on the job.
3. Describe the best manager you ever had.
Why was this person their ideal boss? Instead of qualities like easygoing or fun to work for, look for answers like tough but fair, or I learned from them. This shows the qualities the candidate values and whether they're a good fit for your management style. Are they versatile, able to work well with different personality types? Do they speak well of their past boss, emphasizing admirable qualities they'd like to emulate? Focusing on negative traits could be a warning sign.
4. We all have days when we are disappointed in our performance. Describe a time when this happened to you and how you handled it.
Were they eager to learn a positive lesson from the disappointment? Did they take responsibility and try to improve, or did they blame someone else? How did they handle adversity? Are they resilient, able to change their behavior and gain new knowledge for a better future outcome? Do they rebound with a positive attitude, or do they seem stuck in negative feelings about the experience?
5. Which three of your accomplishments bring you the most pride?
Is the candidate a high achiever? What do they value most in life? Are these values and character traits a good match for your business? Did they overcome challenges in their achievements? Did they gain insight or valuable experience? How did they apply this experience elsewhere in life or in their previous employment? Seeing where candidates apply greatest efforts and focus can indicate where their strengths and weaknesses will lie as an employee.
6. You answer the phone and there's an angry customer on the other end saying you didn't clean the toilet in the master bath. What do you do in this situation?
This scene shows the candidate's empathy, problem-solving skills, and willingness to take ownership to find a solution. Does she show empathy and try to calm the customer? Reassure the customer that she desires to help solve the problem? Or does she defend herself and the company or place blame or responsibility back onto the customer? Does she take initiative to solve the issue or find someone who can do so? Can she think on her feet and put herself in the customer's position? The answer can shed light on how she'll interact with your clients.
7. Tell me about a time you had a difficult situation with a co-worker or supervisor. How did you handle it?
Like question 6, this addresses empathy and the ability to take ownership and find solutions. Did the candidate look at her own role and her ability to improve? Did she ask questions to clarify the expectations involved? Did she immediately assume it was the other person's fault? Employees should be assertive in seeking clarification, offering help and admitting mistakes, and should be open to advice from co-workers and correction from management.
8. Describe a time when you had to work well under pressure.
How does the candidate perceive pressure? As a motivator or an obstacle? Does she thrive under pressure or tend to lose focus or become agitated? Has working under pressure been a problem in her past? If so, what strategies has she used to overcome it? What improvements has she made, such as prioritizing the most important work? Pressure can be difficult for any employee, so she needs to have coping strategies and a positive outlook for dealing with it effectively and the ability to ask for appropriate assistance when needed.
9. What do you need from our company to help you do high-quality work that will make customers happy?
What work environment does the employee value and thrive in? This question gets her buy-in and shows you value her suggestions and feedback for improvement. It helps you see possible sources of dissatisfaction, such as poor internal communication, sudden schedule changes, or frequent overtime requests. What problems did she have with previous employers and what did she do to try to improve the situation? Your thoughtful consideration of her concerns will increase her commitment and work ethic from the start.
10. What are your pay and benefit expectations?
If pay is set for the position, make sure the candidate is satisfied with the amount and knows when to expect performance reviews and possible increases. If the pay is flexible, know the candidate's expectations and offer a competitive salary based on their experience and the industry standard for your geographic region. Paying slightly above average for your area, and offering good benefits, can encourage employee longevity. Research competitive pay for similar roles with employment surveys from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. If you use websites such as Indeed or Salary.com for pay statistics, make sure the information has been updated recently.
Would you like to learn some of the secrets that Pro Recruiters use to recruit great employees?
Top recruiting expert Patty DeDominic shares her best recruiting tips in this one-hour webinar for cleaning business owners. Patty has years of experience as the owner of one of California's top recruiting companies.
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