How To Reduce Staff Turnover In The Cleaning Industry

In business operations, staff turnover is a topic of critical importance. This holds a particular significance in the cleaning industry which includes businesses like airport cleaning services and commercial cleaning. Staff turnover is a metric that quantifies the percentage of employees departing from an organisation within a specific timeframe. Typically, measurement occurs on an annual basis, although larger organisations may opt for quarterly assessments. 

Understanding staff turnover involves delving into who is leaving a business, their performance levels, and the underlying reasons for their departures. High or low turnover rates can be indicative of underlying issues within the organisation, especially those related to employee engagement. A healthy turnover rate for a business is often considered to be around 10% per annum. However, it’s important to note that exceptionally high or low turnover rates can have different implications, and certain industries, especially those with project-based or temporary work, have different measures of success concerning staffing metrics. 

An essential aspect of analysing staff turnover and how to reduce staff turnover is in differentiating between voluntary and involuntary turnover. Voluntary turnover occurs when employees make choices to leave the organisation, such as retiring or pursuing opportunities elsewhere. In contrast, involuntary turnover happens when employees are let go or made redundant. Categorising turnover in this manner allows for a more insightful examination of the organisation’s dynamics and can serve as a valuable tool for business improvement and employee development. 

In this blog, we will delve into strategies on how to reduce staff turnover within the cleaning industry. Our focus will be on enhancing the talent pool within the industry, fostering greater staff engagement, and ultimately delivering superior results for our clients. By addressing staff turnover effectively, we aim to create a work environment that encourages career progression and satisfaction among our cleaning professionals. 

The importance of reducing staff turnover 

A robust and healthy staff turnover rate serves as a reflection of the core values embraced within a business. It signifies that employees tend to be content, motivated, and committed to their roles and the business, creating a positive work environment. A happy and motivated workforce often takes immense pride in their contributions, resulting in a ripple effect that benefits clients through consistently excellent service from an engaged team. 

About how to reduce staff turnover, it is imperative to understand why businesses should strive to improve their turnover rates. The positive attributes of reducing staff turnover are manifold: 

• Company Profitability: A lower turnover rate directly contributes to enhanced profitability as the costs associated with recruitment, training, and the onboarding of new employees are minimised. Reducing staff turnover translates to substantial savings in recruitment expenses. 
• Employee Morale: High turnover can be demoralising for remaining staff who may need to shoulder additional work and may be privy to issues within the department. Proactively reducing turnover preserves the morale and enthusiasm of employees, fostering a more harmonious workplace. 
• Boosts Productivity: A stable workforce typically exhibits higher productivity. Reduced turnover leads to increased efficiency, consistency, and enhanced service quality. 
• Facilitates Talent Acquisition: Lower staff turnover can make it easier for a company to attract and retain top talent. Job seekers are often drawn to companies with a reputation for employee stability. 

 The cleaning industry is frequently characterised by lower compensation levels, primarily because cleaning operatives are often considered unskilled labour. At Samsic we challenge this perception and understand that offering competitive compensation to Cleaning Operatives is essential to fostering loyalty. When employees are tempted by better compensation or benefits elsewhere, it can lead to increased turnover. To counteract this industry trend, we emphasise employee engagement, professional development, and the creation of an inclusive and respectful workplace, all of which are crucial to reducing staff turnover and enhancing overall job satisfaction. 

Considerations for reducing staff turnover 

Put lots of time and effort into the recruiting process 

If you’ve ever wondered how to reduce staff turnover, recruiting the right employees is the first and fundamental step in reducing staff turnover. Conducting thorough interviews and gaining a deep understanding of candidates before hiring is paramount. This approach ensures that individuals with the right cleaning abilities and a strong cultural fit are appointed. 

 When recruiting a Cleaning Operative, the recruiter should be aim to understand: 

• Why the candidate wants to work for their company in particular 
• What their career aspirations and values are 

Appointing the right individuals and gaining a deep understanding of them early in the process enables the business to comprehend what motivates the candidate and whether they will fit within the existing team and structure. By considering staff turnover early in the staffing process, businesses can make informed decisions on how to reduce staff turnover and decisions regarding personnel and management methods. 

Make hard choices 

A business must be prepared to make tough decisions, including deciding when to terminate staff when necessary. 

Terminating an employee’s contract, although seemingly counterproductive to reducing staff turnover, can be a necessary step when all other resources to improve relations or employee capabilities have been exhausted. Effective communication between management and employees is imperative for understanding and resolving issues. This is of paramount importance at Samsic, where we prioritise employee relations and client communications. 

Effective communication is essential for addressing performance or conduct issues promptly and proactively. By doing so, the quality of cleaning services is preserved, the company maintains a positive brand image, and the needs of the team are met. If communication and problem resolution have not yielded positive results, parting ways with certain team members can make room for new staff who align better with the team’s values and the business’s goals. Terminating poorly suited employees, while difficult, can be a necessary step in reducing staff turnover and preventing further employee loss. 

Consistently create a positive attitude in your team 

Cultivating a positive attitude within your team is vital in how to reduce staff turnover. Many individuals consider their team a major factor in their job satisfaction, and by creating a positive work environment, you not only ensure a happier and more motivated staff but also increase employee retention. 

At Samsic, we know it is common to wonder how to reduce staff turnover, therefore it is important to prioritise the well-being of our colleagues and treat them with respect and integrity. Our employees receive both professional and personal support, which they greatly appreciate. 

For example, Carmelo LaVaccara, a Cleaning Services Supervisor at Samsic, shared his experience: “I joined Samsic as a Waste and Cleaning Operative, and after only 7 months within the role, I applied to become the Industrial Cleaning Supervisor when the role became available. Jason Coppard, General Services Manager, felt that even though I had been in the business for a short time, I should be given a chance to succeed, and he really believed in my abilities.” 

A positive work environment encourages employees to stay with the company for the long term, fostering a sense of family, camaraderie, and friendship at their workplace and reducing staff turnover. 

Reward employees 

Implementing a comprehensive, strategic employee recognition program is essential. By acknowledging and rewarding good work, you align your company’s values with your employees’ efforts, motivating them to perform at their best. 

Offering more than just a salary is crucial when exploring how to reduce staff turnover, as it provides staff with a sense of recognition and appreciation. At Samsic, we utilise several initiatives as part of our employee recognition program, including “Thank Your Cleaner Day,” “Outstanding Service Contribution Recognition (OSCR),” and various vouchers and gifts. 

Rewards, recognition, and offering added value to your employees often set your business apart from competitors when looking at how to reduce staff turnover. 

Offer a good work-life balance 

Maintaining a good work-life balance is vital in sustaining employee satisfaction. Flexible working options that accommodate individual needs can significantly boost morale and productivity among cleaning staff. 

At Samsic, we focus on people, believing that if we prioritise their well-being, everything else will fall into place. We have committed to being a living wage employer, providing our employees with fair compensation. Fair and competitive compensation is crucial when aiming to reduce staff turnover. 

We also offer flexible shift patterns to suit the lifestyles of our team. Matching our team to the shift patterns they require is vital when crafting a strategy on how to reduce staff turnover, as it ensures they are working at a time that suits their commitments. 

Moreover, once shift quotas are met, we endeavour to be efficient in mapping the cleaning areas, creating a bespoke methodology for working at each site. This enables our teams to complete their duties efficiently, ensuring they can leave on time as their shifts dictate. 

Track and reflect on employee engagement  

Monitoring and reflecting on employee engagement helps you understand your employees’ working habits and needs better. This insight allows you to implement more effective work schedules and strategies, which can enhance staff retention. Employee engagement is built by how managers consult with staff and enforce the values of the business and is pivotal when exploring how to reduce staff turnover within your business. 

For example, Samsic’s values drive employee engagement as we put them into action daily across the business. They play an integral role in how we reduce staff turnover within our own company: 

Our People: Prioritising and working alongside our employees in partnership maximizes employee engagement. We hold regular one-on-one sessions with our employees to understand their needs and support them with any issues they are facing. We also encourage training, development, and open communication to enhance our team’s experience within the company. 

Quality: Alongside training, development, and innovations to encourage quality, we also monitor quality using our EeCAT auditing tool. ECAT allows us to provide real-time, accurate, consistent, and comparable performance data. All audits are supported by photos and are time-stamped to evidence areas of improvement and ensure accountability. With ECAT we can resolve issues quickly and enable staff training where required. 

Responsibility: Our belief in a more inclusive and sustainable world has led us to become part of the Global Compact, placing us among the top 8% of companies worldwide that demonstrate corporate and environmental sustainability. We are leading the industry with our flagship Sustainable Development project, “Samsic Planet 2030,” which focuses on providing our employees and those working for our clients with safer, cleaner, more welcoming, and more stimulating eco-citizen working environments, and provides our clients with eco-responsible service solutions. 

Innovation: With innovation, we can make the work of our people more impactful, safer, and achieve greater levels of sustainability. Innovations such as our Toucan chemical-free disinfectant spray are multi-purpose, safer for our employees, and enable superior results for our team.  

Diversity: We are a disability-aware employer, prioritise equal access to opportunities, and are committed to preventing modern slavery. Our employees come from all over the world, bringing a wealth of experience and knowledge to our business. 

Integrity: We uphold our promises to our clients, provide real-time access to live data for the duration of their contract through our client portal, and host regular meetings with our clients to update them on KPI and mobilisation plan progress.

Make career progression possible 

In the cleaning industry, reducing staff turnover is a critical goal for maintaining operational efficiency and service quality. Career development is often crucial to implement when people are wondering how to reduce staff turnover. Therefore, it is essential to retain staff, as it not only motivates employees but also ensures that the investment in cleaning training is not constantly diluted by the recruitment of new staff.  

Within Samsic we offer clear paths for career progression, creating a workforce that is not only highly skilled but also deeply committed. This approach keeps employees engaged and is crucial when researching how to reduce staff turnover. We offer career progression opportunities in the following ways: 

• Hiring Internally: We make new vacancies visible to all staff across the business. 
• Training: We provide training for our Cleaning Operatives within our BICSc-accredited in-house training centre, enabling them to become fully trained in the BICSc Cleaning Professionals Skills Suite. 
• NVQ Qualifications: We offer apprenticeships and further education courses accessible to staff. 
• English Language Classes: We assist those with English as a second language. 
• Learning Management System (LMS): Our LMS supports over 4,000 colleagues with free learning resources across hundreds of topics. 

Ensure your performance reviews are effective 

Effective performance reviews should be collaborative and dynamic, focusing on tangible goals and metrics. This approach enables employees to improve their cleaning duties and contributes to their job satisfaction. 

Leaders within Samsic encourage an ‘open door’ policy for their teams, which has been remarkably successful in reducing staff turnover. Employees can provide feedback through their appraisals, one-on-one sessions, employee engagement surveys, and specific departmental surveys. These surveys are used throughout the business to improve processes and working conditions for our teams, helping to reduce staff turnover

Be inclusive 

Promoting inclusivity in the workplace fosters a sense of belonging among employees. An inclusive environment motivates employees and encourages positive interactions, which is vital when seeking how to reduce staff turnover. 

Our experience in mixed-use estates shows that there’s an increasing need for an emotional understanding of disabilities and impairments. Our recommendations on how to reduce staff turnover, conducted in many of our sites, include: 

• Training: We train the team in sign language and Disability Awareness. 
• English Lessons: We offer optional English lessons to our cleaning teams if required, helping them interact more confidently with customers and colleagues to deliver the best service. 
• Work Placement Programs: We invest in work placement programs for young offenders or rehabilitation. 

Cultivate respect 

When researching ‘how to reduce staff turnover’, within any cleaning service, working as a team is crucial, and respect should flow in both directions, from employers to employees and vice versa. A respectful environment fosters a positive workspace, boosting morale and commitment among cleaning staff. 

 The key five areas to focus on when seeking how to reduce staff turnover are:  

• Open Communication: Fostering transparent and open communication, actively listening to and addressing employee feedback and concerns. 
• Professional Development: Investing in employees’ growth through training, advancement opportunities, and fair compensation to demonstrate your commitment to their career development. 
• Recognition and Appreciation: Acknowledging and rewarding employees for their hard work and accomplishments regularly. 
• Work-Life Balance: Encouraging a healthy work-life balance, supporting personal goals, and ensuring fair and consistent treatment of employees. 

• Inclusivity: Promoting diversity and inclusion in the workplace to make all employees feel valued and respected regardless of their background. 

 By focusing on these five areas, you can build a respectful environment and a positive workspace, which will help your business reduce staff turnover. 

Focus on onboarding 

Effective onboarding is critical, especially in the cleaning sector, for reducing staff turnover. Proper training not only ensures employees are well-prepared for their roles but also increases their sense of belonging and value within the company. When employees feel valued and well-prepared for their roles, they are more likely to stay with the organisation, reducing turnover and associated recruitment costs.  

Additionally, for the cleaning industry, ensuring that employees understand the cleaning standards, procedures, and safety protocols of the business means that results will be consistent and high-quality, which are essential for client satisfaction and retention. Maintaining health and safety standards will minimise the risk of accidents. 

Onboarding that includes team-building and cultural integration, such as mentoring, can improve team morale. Employees who feel connected to their colleagues and the company are more likely to be engaged and motivated. 

Forms of onboarding, when seeking how to reduce staff turnover, include:  

• Orientation: Welcome the new employee, introduce them to the company culture, and provide an overview of their role. 
• Safety Training: Prioritise safety by teaching them the safe use of cleaning chemicals and equipment. 
• Job Specifics: Explain their cleaning tasks and responsibilities, including protocols and standards. 
• Equipment Training: Familiarise them with cleaning tools and machines through hands-on training. 
• Workplace Policies: Review company policies and reporting procedures. 
• Quality Assurance: Highlight the importance of high-quality service and reporting issues. 
• Feedback and Support: Encourage open communication and provide guidance. 
• Mentoring: Pair them with a mentor or buddy for additional support. 
• Evaluation: Assess their progress and address any training or support needs. 

Be transparent 

Effective communication plays a pivotal role in reducing staff turnover. It fosters a positive work environment, enhances employee satisfaction, and strengthens their commitment to the organisation. Clear and open communication is key to addressing issues, building trust, and promoting a sense of belonging. When employees feel heard and valued, they are more likely to stay with the company. 

Regular and transparent communication allows employees to understand their roles, expectations, and the company’s vision. It provides a platform for them to voice concerns, ask questions, and seek guidance. By addressing issues promptly, employers can resolve problems and improve job satisfaction, ultimately reducing staff turnover. Furthermore, communication enables employers to gather feedback, identify areas for improvement, and implement changes that align with employee needs, directly contributing to reducing staff turnover. In conclusion, effective communication is a powerful tool in how to reduce staff turnover, creating a harmonious workplace, and enhancing employee engagement and satisfaction. 

Make competitive benefits 

In reducing staff turnover, it is essential to stand out from competitors, offering competitive benefits, such as higher salaries and better rewards. Competitive benefits help reduce turnover rates by attracting and retaining top talent. 

As a Living Wage employer, we aim to offer all our employees fair wages that are competitive within the current market. However, other offerings which Samsic incorporates, are as follows:  

• Refer A Friend Scheme: Samsic employees receive up to £100 for referring a friend 
• Mental Health Support: Mental Health First Aiders and Company Counselling Service 
• Cycle to Work and Tech to Work initiatives: saving our employees 26-40% on a bike and accessories, and money on technology 
• Staff Treats: Exclusive savings on multiple brands and retailers 
• Wagestream: Employees can access up to 50% of their accrued wages ahead of payday, and have access to a free financial advisor to empower them financially 
• English Language Classes: for those with English as a second, or even third, language 
• Learning Management System (LMS): Free and accessible training platform supporting over 4000 colleagues 
• Samsic One App: A fast track into the world of Samsic  in a cloud-based knowledge resource 
• NVQ Qualifications, apprenticeships, and further education: Offering our employees the opportunity to grow and develop. 

By offering higher salaries or better rewards, your turnover rate will be as low as possible. When searching for how to reduce staff turnover, it is essential to ensure you are offering your staff as many motivations as possible to retain their interest and loyalty to the company. 

Reducing staff turnover in the cleaning industry requires a holistic approach that focuses on employee satisfaction, professional development, and effective management practices. By implementing these strategies, your cleaning company can create a more stable and motivated workforce, ultimately leading to improved customer satisfaction and company success.