It’s no secret that turnover is a major concern in the commercial cleaning and facilities management industry. That is one lesson I learned while working on this month’s issue of Cleaning and Maintenance Management (CMM).
Depending on who you ask or what article you read, the rate of turnover in the industry can vary. However, regardless of the statistic you choose to reference, at the end of the day, high turnover rates can have a tremendous impact on company profitability and service delivery. Overall, there is a reason it’s at the top of many managers’ minds.
About two-thirds of respondents who completed CMM’s 2015 In-House/Facility Management Benchmarking Survey said reducing employee turnover was important to them; about 38 percent said it was “very important.”
So while recent statistics gathered from CMM’s audience reiterate the obvious—that keeping employees on board for the long haul is a challenge—how do we actually mitigate the problem? This month’s issue of CMM should help both in-house facility managers and building service contractors to address this challenge head on.
This month’s cover story, “Elevating the Vital Role of the Custodian,” highlights training and recognition as key elements that can have a direct impact on an employee’s company loyalty and dedication to his/her profession. Even the simplest forms of praise, such as complimenting a custodian for completing a task well, can impact how much that cleaning professional values his or her work.
“When it comes to cleaning, people usually don’t notice the job until something isn’t done right, or when there’s an outbreak of an infection or illness,” our cover story author says on page 16. “Taking the time to notice when the job’s being done well will pay huge dividends in lifting employee morale and keeping folks around longer.”
Simultaneously, knowing why employees leave a company can have just as large of an impact as knowing what will help them to stay. You can learn more about how to stop employees from jumping ship on page 20 before picking up even more retention tips in this month’s Contractor Success column.
Training and employee retention have been hot-button topics for CMM in 2015. However, as we ease into summer and start making plans for 2016, our team also recognizes other challenges and responsibilities our readers may be facing during this time and in the months ahead, such as exterior facility maintenance and routine budget considerations.
I hope this issue of CMM offers a variety of valuable takeaways that you can bring back to your organization and share with your team. Happy reading
Kelly F. Zimmerman has experience managing industry-specific content for print and digital formats. She holds a master of science in journalism from Northwestern University. She can be reached at [email protected].
