How to Attract (and keep) Cleaning Employees

The following article is based on a talk given by Libby DeLucien at the 2022 Maid Summit, hosted and organized by ZenMaid.

About the presenter

Libby comes from a family business, so being an entrepreneur has always come naturally. She is the owner of Organize It, soon to be a 2-million dollar cleaning and professional organizing company. She is also Co-Founder of WootRecruit, helping companies who are hiring employees. WootRecruit currently serves over 250 companies in five different industries around the world. Libby is also a certified CBF coach helping other cleaning business owners grow and organize their cleaning company.

The cost of hiring the wrong employees
The Applicant Accelerator Playbook™

The cost of hiring the wrong employees

Before Libby DeLucien’s cleaning business grew to be the success it is today, she struggled with hiring cleaners. The demand for her services grew, and to meet the demand, she hired just about anyone she could find. But when we hire the wrong people out of urgency, it becomes the bottleneck of business. The wrong people for the job bring poor attitudes, don’t follow systems well, and ultimately lose revenue from unsatisfied customers. While it’s tempting to hire ‘just anyone’ because you need the help fast, remember the damage it can do to your cleaning company.

As dedicated cleaning business owners, we often strive to attract more clients to our services. Which makes sense because services + more clients = profits, right? How do you attract cleaning employees? This article summarizes the Applicant Accelerator Playbook™ from Libby DeLucien and breaks down the three key areas that will drive applicants’ desires to want to work for you! This will be your guide to improving your hiring process so you can recruit, hire and keep the right cleaning employees.

Trust us; you’re not going to want to skip this one, so let’s get started.

The Applicant Accelerator Playbook™

We’ve all heard small business owners say: “there are no good people to hire anymore!” But is this really true, or are you simply attracting the wrong people? Let’s debunk this outdated myth! There are great people for hire out there — you just need to know how to make them want to work for you. The Applicant Accelerator Playbook™ teaches three steps to attract great employees: captivate, differentiate, and supply the demand.

Captivate

To attract the right employees, you need to start by attracting great applicants. Not only attract them, but captivate them! What does it mean to captivate the right employees to your cleaning business? It means engaging the audience from the very beginning.

So, starting with your job description, you need to use language that will resonate with your ideal employee. (Similar to marketing for new clients, but in reverse!) In your job ad, consider what a great employee will be looking for in a job. Is it competitive pay? Rewarding work? A fun work environment? Upward mobility? Whatever it is that your business can offer — communicate it!

Next, share something powerful and thought-provoking. You don’t need to save all the important questions for the interview process. Meaningful questions should start with the initial application so you can get a feel for who you’re considering right from the beginning.

Sure, you can use general hiring platforms like Indeed.com, but Libby DeLucien has found the most success hiring new employees by posting on social media. Social media is effective at arousing potential candidates’ interest because it allows you to use videos, branding, and pictures in addition to written descriptions. It also offers more engagement opportunities than traditional online job boards or internet job boards that only let you use words. So, utilize Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and TikTok to potential captive employees and engage them from the start.

Not on social media yet? We’re here to tell you it’s time to get on there!! But we’re also here to help. Head over to this article if you need help getting started on social media marketing.

Differentiate

It’s true; the cleaning industry is a fast moving one. There are a lot of cleaning companies who are hiring all the time. And unfortunately, we can be a high turnover industry. That’s why it’s important to review your hiring process and differentiate your job opportunity. Here are a few ways this can look:

Offer something bigger than themselves: We mentioned this concept just a minute ago because it’s that crucial to the interest your posting can have on an employee. In order for your new employees to feel part of something bigger than themselves, your cleaning company needs to have an impact on the community… so does yours? A great example of this is joining an organization like Cleaning for a Reason. For Libby DeLucien’s cleaning business, this is the number one reason that draws applicants to apply.
Offer upward mobility: No one likes feeling “stuck” somewhere, no matter what industry. Does your company raise leaders up within? If so, share this in your job description.
Offer competitive wages: Cleaning is a physically demanding job with high burnout rates. If you started out as a cleaner in your business, you understand this more than anyone. Though it’s a higher cost upfront, offering competitive wages helps improve employee turnover, which pays itself off in the long run. If you offer competitive wages, make this very clear in the job description.
Develop a strong brand presence: Develop a company and employer brand. This is by far one of the most powerful things you can do to grow your cleaning business. If your brand is already recognized in your community, potential employees will feel connected to your job posting just by seeing something familiar. (Check out this video from cleaning industry expert Angela Brown on 13 Ways To Build Your Cleaning Company Brand)
Show that you care: Do you have health benefits for your employees? Do you have an annual holiday party that’s the highlight of the year? Do you offer vacation days and personal time off? (If you don’t have any of these, we recommend considering them!) Anything that shows you have a positive company culture that cares about your employees — include it in your job advertisement!

For more ideas on writing an enticing job posting, save this article to read next: How to have a steady flow of job applicants for your cleaning service

Supply the demand

The last piece of the Applicant Accelerator Playbook™ is to supply the demand. If you’re thinking, “ I can’t supply the demand — I can’t get enough people for the demand!” — that’s not what we’re talking about here. No, here we’re talking about filling the supply of what applicants want. What are you applicants demanding right now?

Learn what potential applicants want by taking notes during interviews and asking your current employees what drew them to work for you. Ask the following questions if you’re not sure where to start.

What made you apply for this job?
What do you like about your current role?
Why did you choose this job offer over another employer?
What’s something we can make better for your working environment?
What do you think potential applicants should know about working here?

Let’s recap:

In the wake of 2023, job seekers and employees are expected to have the upper hand when it comes to salaries and the job search. To help you stay ahead of the game, the Applicant Accelerator Playbook ™ helps you captivate, differentiate, and supply the demand of your potential applicants. Meaning your hiring process is set-up to help your cleaning business find success with qualified candidates who will be with you longterm.

Next steps

For more resources on how to grow and automate your cleaning business from cleaning industry experts:

Discover how much time you could be saving in your maid service. Get started with ZenMaid for free today.

The Applicant Accelerator Playbook™: How to attract cleaning employees

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