Survey Finds Worker Retention Remains a Top Concern for the Cleaning Industry

Although there is a debate over whether the Great Resignation is over, labor shortages are still a reality, including in the cleaning industry.

According to respondents in CMM’s 2023 In-House/Facility Management Benchmarking Survey, employee retention is the largest staffing concern (35%), followed by employee health and safety (31%), employee training (23%), and employees using cleaning products properly (12%).

Most respondents (30%) reported the average tenure of their cleaning employees at four to seven years, followed by one to three years (27%), more than 10 years (22%), eight to 10 years (19%), and less than one year (2%).

Of course, the biggest attractant to job seekers is salary. CMM’s survey respondents reported that the average salary they pay to entry-level workers (under a year of experience) is US$14.00 to $16.99 an hour (33%). They reported the average salary for experienced workers (more than a year of experience) at more than $20 an hour (27%).

Almost a quarter (24%) of survey respondents spend 31% to 40% of their budget on labor, followed 19% spending 51% to 50% of their budget on labor, 18% spending 1% to 30%, 15% spending 61% to 70%, 13% spending 41% to 50%, and 11% spending 70% or more.

Benefits are another way to attract workers. Survey respondents offer the following benefits to employees: paid time off (87% offer this benefit), paid holidays (82%), health insurance (82%), sick days (77%), company uniforms (75%), maternity/paternity leave (74%), dental insurance (73%), life insurance (73%), retirement plans (73%), and disability insurance (68%).

Check out Encouraging Employee Retention Despite Labor Shortages for ideas on how to get workers to remain with your company.