Posted / 2nd January 2020
As a business, you’re only as good as your employees! So highly trained and efficient employees are like gold dust. But, what do they need to know?
Training up your team is about more than just good cleaning skills – they need the whole package!
Speed cleaning
This is the art of cleaning well, but quickly. New hires might not be aware of how to efficiently and safely speed clean and experienced cleaners can always benefit from a reminder. Offer regular training top ups, share tips in a staff newsletter or encourage team members to share their cleaning-hacks at staff meetings.
Learn more about speed cleaning here
Utilise your current staff
If you have awesome staff with great skills, give them some responsibility for training your newbies! Not only will they feel recognised for their prowess, but it takes a job off your shoulders too. Be sure to check in and even give your experienced cleaner a plan to follow, to help them along the way.
Health & Safety
It might not be the most exciting thing to talk about, but it will save you from staff accidents, legal action or damages. Most professional cleaning courses will address an element of health and safety – from slips, trips and falls to appropriately using ladders and hop-ups – lone working and infection control are protocols are also important to understand and practise. It’s essential that these trainings are delivered regularly.
Soft skills
Being a great cleaner isn’t just about the cleaning itself. Soft skills are things such as social skills, communication and good manners. It might seem as if you’re teaching people to suck eggs – but instigating your expectations from them when they’re client facing ensures that everyone is representing the company well.
Presentation
This goes for both the home and the individual. Presentation in the job includes folding towels, leaving curtains neatly pulled back, putting items back in their place and arranging towels etc. Presentation in terms of your staff includes ironed and smart uniforms, clean equipment, a presentable vehicle and tidy hair/make up etc.
Again, these might seem obvious – but familiarity breeds contempt, so a reminder wouldn’t go amiss every now and then.
Organisation
Whether or not you’re providing a diary of jobs, a timesheet or a digital schedule, organisation is highly important for the smooth running of your business. Remind employees to keep their uniforms clean and ironed, with a spare in the car. Offer check ins throughout the week to keep up to date with schedules and to make any necessary amends. If employees struggle with being on time, help support them and add buffers into their days.
Here are more cleaning skills to learn about
To make training your staff easier, have a set of trainings that all new-starters must complete, then follow a schedule of top-up trainings that you deliver throughout the year.
Perhaps you could pair up training days with staff meals, or provide a takeaway lunch whilst you present to them. There are many ways to keep employees engaged in their own training – but they’ll usually be very receptive and appreciate the investment you’ve made to them and their careers.