The “Great Resignation” has caused labor shortages across the entire United States over the past year or so. This term was coined by Texas A&M associate professor Anthony Klotz who researches why employees quit and how their leaders deal with resignations. Klotz used the phrase to describe the decision of millions of workers to leave their jobs during the pandemic.
This wave of resignations affected a wide range of industry sectors, including janitorial cleaning services. As a result, businesses may struggle to fully staff their in-house cleaning crews. This is where professional, commercial cleaning contractors can help.
Why Janitorial Cleaning Services Vacancies are Hard to Fill
Janitorial cleaning services are utilized by businesses across all industry sectors. That is why it is hard to estimate just how many workers in the sector have resigned. According to statistics from the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, the leisure and hospitality industry has suffered the most.
Nationwide, nearly 4.5 million people left their jobs in November 2021. This equals 3% of all employment. December’s figures are very similar with more than 4.3 million workers leaving their jobs behind, equivalent to 2.9%.
According to leading economists, it is no surprise that janitorial cleaning services are affected by this wave of resignations. LinkedIn’s principal economist Guy Berger told Fortune that resignations were highest among workers without four-year college degrees and those in lower-wage roles.
Berger believes the reasons are two-fold. Those workers are generally frontline workers, many of whom had to deal with layoffs or working in uncertain conditions during the pandemic. The expert believes this group of workers currently had more bargaining power to secure a better job than they have had in decades.
Looking at the employment market in Texas, it is obvious that janitorial cleaning services are in demand. Recruitment websites are full of adverts searching for cleaners, janitors, and custodians. One site, ziprecruiter.com, is currently listing more than 28,000 commercial cleaning jobs in the Houston, TX area alone.
Related: Ensuring Healthier Environments with Carpet Extraction Cleaning Services
How the Labor Shortage May Affect your Business
No matter what the nature of your business, every company needs cleaning services. Clean premises are essential when it comes to making a great first impression on your customers, and cleanliness is equally important to your team and their daily working conditions, as well.
Difficulty Filling Vacancies
Under the current circumstances, countless businesses in the area are struggling to find good employees for their business, let alone janitorial cleaning services staff. Moreover, when it comes to qualified supervisors to manage your cleaning crews, the labor shortage can become even more apparent.
Your organization may not have access to enough qualified candidates despite offering a competitive package and excellent working conditions.
Professor Klotz believes that the labor shortage is continuing, even though the pandemic appears to be slowing. Among other reasons, he believes workers choose not to hunt for jobs because they are burnt out or re-evaluating their priorities.
Understanding the reasons behind the difficulty of filling janitorial cleaning services vacancies does not address your company’s cleaning demands. What can be done?
Trouble Meeting Specialty Cleaning Demands
In addition to the difficulty of simply filling janitorial positions, there’s also the issue of specialty cleaning requirements. These special requirements include new disinfecting and sanitizing standards, and they have become more important than ever as employees are returning to their offices.
Reopening a building that was left closed and unused requires additional care and special procedures. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have highlighted specific areas of concern.
Depending on the climate you operate in and the length of time your building was shut down, you may need to check for issues with stagnant water. Other hazards include common pests or mold growth.
It’s important to spot hidden problems before they can damage your business. Not all these issues are obvious, and not all will be recognized or addressed by your traditional janitorial staff.
Clean Workplaces Boost Staff Morale
Over the past two years, millions of American employees got used to the flexibility of working from home. Whilst the initial transition may have been hurried and sometimes uncoordinated, many now enjoy working remotely.
As a business owner or manager, you may be met with some reluctance or even resistance when asking your team to return to the office. Some may be afraid of becoming infected with Covid-19.
Having a clean and thoroughly sanitized workplace will help convince reluctant employees to return. It will also boost staff morale. Showing that you value the company premises also demonstrates that you care about the environment your employees spend a large part of their day in. Your team will feel valued and appreciated. According to a survey conducted by business consultancy McKinsey, more than 50% of respondents cited not feeling valued as their top reason for leaving.
H3: Related: Tips to Reopen: Commercial Window Cleaning and More
How Commercial Cleaning Services Can Help
So what’s the answer to this widespread dilemma? What can you do when you can’t find qualified staff or can’t afford to invest in an internal janitorial staff at today’s costs? Professional janitorial cleaning services can help your business overcome the effects of the labor shortage.
Getting Expert Help
It is easy to underestimate the skill and knowledge required for thorough, professional cleaning. Commercial cleaning crews are trained in techniques and protocols that help them clean your premises both more efficiently and more thoroughly than an untrained person would.
They understand which cleaning products and chemicals to use on specific surfaces to achieve the best result, and what dilution ratios are appropriate for the situation. They often receive ongoing training to stay updated on changing cleaning standards.
But there are other, non-technical, factors at work, too. Many professional cleaners have access to career progression opportunities and take pride in their work on your premises. Supervisors know how to motivate their teams and ensure individuals work together to create a seamless, streamlined customer experience.
By choosing professional janitorial services, your business is getting expert help. Especially if you are reopening your premises after a period of inactivity, expert cleaning crews will ensure you are up and running as fast as possible. Professionals understand how to streamline the cleaning process without cutting corners.
Gain Access to an Entire Cleaning Crew
As the saying goes, “teamwork makes the dream work.” Commercial cleaning contractors hire and train their teams for the long term. They consider cleaning and janitorial services as a career rather than a stop-gap.
When you are hiring commercial cleaning crews your business benefits from all those factors.
Give Employees Peace of Mind
Theoretically, you could ask your employees to clean their own workstations. You may even ask them to help clean other areas. But is that worth it?
By asking your employees to cover the lack of in-house cleaners, you are taking them away from the job they were hired to do. Productivity will drop as a consequence. Furthermore, remember your team members are not experts at cleaning and disinfecting.
They may miss cleaning critical high-traffic areas and high-touch surfaces. This would put your business at risk for spreading infection and illness. On the other hand, hiring a reputable contractor allows your employees to continue with the work they are good at. At the same time, the entire team gains the peace of mind that comes with working in a safe and clean environment.
How to Find a Reputable Cleaning Contractor
Before signing on the dotted line of a professional janitorial cleaning services contract, get to know the supplier. Reputable cleaning contractors will be happy to provide recommendations and share their track records with you.
At DTK, we pride ourselves on recruiting and developing our staff. Therefore, most members of our team have been with us for years. We truly believe in building and growing our team. This has helped us prevent problems like the “Great Resignation.” As a client, you will come to know “your” DTK cleaning crew, and they will become an extension of your team.We take our personalized approach seriously. Starting from the first time we visit your premises, you will notice a difference. Our team works hard to understand your exact needs and even harder to exceed your expectations. To learn more about how we can support your business through this period of labor shortage, contact us today.