Across the country, many businesses are struggling to bring in adequate staffing to handle their current needs. In the commercial janitorial industry alone, for example, there are around 5.5% fewer employees than in February 2020.
Is the labor shortage driving up the cost of commercial janitorial services? Take a look at how the labor shortage may impact your ability to handle the cleaning and janitorial needs of your business.
Understanding the Labor Shortage
The current labor shortage has left businesses across multiple industries struggling to find and retain the employees they need to fill vital roles. Some industries are struggling more than others: food service, transportation, and service industries, for example, are struggling to retain employees.
Employees have chosen to leave their current places of employment for a number of reasons. The pandemic has caused an increase in the desire for work/life balance for many employees, who no longer want to work excessive hours for inadequate pay. In addition, many employees are using employment and labor shortages as an opportunity to seek better pay, benefits, or opportunities.
During the “Great Resignation,” record numbers of workers have left their jobs. The average unemployment rate, on the other hand, has dropped substantially due to overall high demand: unemployment has, throughout much of 2022, hovered around 3.6%, after reaching a record low in February.
Employers continue to struggle to find adequate staffing to fill their open positions—and some industries continue to struggle harder to find and retain good employees than others.
Is the Labor Shortage Driving Up the Cost of Janitorial Services?
Related: Why Professional Disinfecting Services in 2022 are More Important Than Ever
Revenue for contract cleaning services is on the rise and has been since 2021. However, cleaning and janitorial services have also faced staffing challenges since well before the pandemic. An aging workforce and high overall turnover in janitorial services, in general, have contributed to the difficulty of retaining talent.
Are you paying more for janitorial services? According to one source, commercial cleaning services can vary widely depending on your geographic location and the size of your business. While prices may have risen somewhat since 2019, there are other factors you may need to take into consideration when determining whether the cost of janitorial services is unexpectedly high for your business.
The Cost of In-House Teams: Higher Than Commercial Services
The cost of hiring an in-house team to take care of your commercial cleaning needs may be considerably higher than the cost of hiring professional janitorial services—and, comparatively, you may find yourself fighting staffing shortages and cost increases more stringently.
Finding Employees
Not only will it cost more to find employees, but you may also find that you need to pay more once you do bring them onboard. Today’s employees are demanding higher pay rates and better benefits than they did pre-pandemic, and they expect your business to deliver if you want to bring them in. Furthermore, you may end up spending more simply finding those employees, who may not come to you as readily as they would have before the Great Resignation.
Retaining Employees
Retaining employees can prove just as expensive as hiring them in the first place. Employees are looking for incentives that will keep them with your business, including flexibility, bonuses, and benefits.
Struggles While You Hire
Often, you will find it difficult to find and hire a comprehensive team that can take care of your commercial cleaning needs. In the meantime, you may have to do something about keeping your office clean and everything moving smoothly. You may need to bring in part-time cleaners or shift other employees’ responsibilities, ultimately leading to decreased revenue across your business.
Training Costs and Time
Once you hire employees to fill your commercial cleaning role, you’ll need to train them. Not only does that mean basic training in the cleaning tasks they need to complete, but you also need to keep your employees updated with training for Covid-19 level cleaning and disinfecting. You will likely need to provide ongoing training and support to your employees. Of course, you will also have to consider normal payroll and insurance costs once you get your employees on board.
All that said, the Great Resignation isn’t slowing. In fact, many of the trends associated with the Great Resignation look set to continue for quite some time in the future. Unfortunately, that may mean ongoing training needs and challenges for your business.
How Commercial Janitorial Services are Different
Related: Why Outsource Cleaning Services? Pros and Cons Compared to Hiring In-House
Bringing cleaners into your business on your own can be an immense challenge. Commercial janitorial services, on the other hand, may offer a number of benefits that can help make your life easier.
Professional, Career Cleaners
A professional janitorial service often employs cleaners who have made a career in janitorial services. As a result, they are already proficient in many of the tasks at hand, from basic cleaning tasks to Covid-19 cleaning procedures.
As a result, you won’t have to worry about providing training; you can simply indicate the areas that need to be cleaned and let the cleaners take on that vital task. Furthermore, if any further training is needed as knowledge about Covid-19-related standards continues to evolve, the janitorial service will take care of that training for you.
Avoid Hiring Woes
When you contract a professional janitorial service, you can rely on that service to take care of staffing and make sure that you have cleaners in your office when you need them. You won’t have to worry about hiring, staffing, covering vacations, or any of the other challenges that might arise. Instead, you can focus on your business’s needs while the janitorial service takes care of those tasks.
What Can You Expect from a Commercial Janitorial Service?
When you hire a professional janitorial service to take care of your cleaning needs, you can expect a high level of attention to detail as well as help with all the cleaning tasks that often take up your day.
A professional janitorial service can take care of daily cleaning and maintenance or manage the other bigger cleaning tasks on your list, from carpet shampooing and window cleaning to floor cleaning, pressure washing, and more.
A commercial janitorial service can come in during working hours or during your off hours to make sure that the building always looks its best. Choose a schedule and customized cleaning plan that works for your unique needs.
Contact a Professional Janitorial Service to Keep Your Building Looking Its Best
Whether you have an office, a church or school, or a grocery store you need to keep clean, professional janitorial services can help keep your building looking its best. While janitorial costs, like most other services, may have risen, a professional janitorial service can help keep your cleaning costs low and make it easier for you to achieve all of your goals. Contact DTK Facility Services today to learn more.