Let’s face it. Finding new employees is hard right now. This is true across the entire spectrum of businesses from high-salaried tech employees to part-time fast-food workers. And cleaning businesses are no exception. In 2020 during the height of the COVID pandemic, many businesses were forced to lay off employees. In 2021, there have been more employee resignations than at any other time in recorded U.S. labor history. The phenomenon has even been called The Great Resignation. The combined effect? A labor shortage.
The Conflict
Per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the U.S. unemployment rate as of 10/31/2021 was 4.6%. That’s good. The unemployment rate is dropping. The same study also found that Employment in services industries increased by 33,000 jobs in the month of October. Again, that’s good news for the cleaning industry. However, that’s still roughly 169,000 jobs below the February 2020 employment level for services industries. We still have a long way to go to return to pre-COVID employment levels.
Creating Solutions
Both Residential and Commercial cleaning businesses have a few unique components that may help attract new employees faster than other business segments.
- Flexibility of work hours – this may be particularly attractive to parents who need to work while children are in school or work at night when their partner is home to stay with the kids. Work-Life balance is very important to employees. Highlight this built-in perk of working in the cleaning industry.
- Franchisee opportunities – some people have resigned their current jobs primarily so that they can start their own businesses. They may not have thought of a cleaning business, but that’s where your genius marketing skills can open their eyes to the opportunities available
Tips and Tricks
- Boomerang employees – Stay in touch with former employees. This is simple with social media platforms. Let them know the positions and opportunities available in your organization. They may think the grass is greener elsewhere, but often they discover that is not the case. It’s possible they may be glad for the chance to return.
- Don’t forget about college students. They often need part time jobs that are flexible and work around their class schedules.
- Involve your current employees in recruiting. This can be as simple as a gift card for every candidate they refer that gets hired.
- Use the internet to your advantage. Your potential employees who aren’t currently working are still scrolling social media. Highlight the perks of working for your business in a few social media posts. Don’t limit yourself to Facebook. Twitter and Instagram stretch your reach to a broader audience. And if you’re super creative, don’t forget about TikTok!
- Do your research on the prevailing wage in your area. It has probably changed recently as all businesses are facing a labor shortage. If a potentially great employee can secure another part-time job locally for $2/hour more than what you are offering, they’ll probably take the other job.
- Listen to your current employees. This will help in retaining your current staff, but also will help in understanding what they like about working for your business. And then advertise those things. Chances are good they will appeal to potential employees as well.
- Lastly, if you receive negative feedback from current employees, be sure to respond in a way that makes them feel heard and appreciated. If there’s a way to fix it, fix it. If there’s not a way to fix it, empathize with your employees and clearly explain why it can’t be changed. Keeping your current employees is just as important as finding new ones. Go out of your way to value their input.
