After all the years of working, I am still amazed at the looks on people’s faces when I tell them what I do. Not that I am a consultant, but that I am affiliated with the Cleaning Industry. I can almost hear them thinking “It is too bad that Ron has no other skills that would allow him to get a good job!”.
The perception of the Cleaning industry although changing, is not what it should be. The people we provide service for view the cleaning staff as the invisible people! We leave at night and the next day we have a clean workspace. When they do recognize the staff, it is usually because something was not cleaned to their satisfaction or something was missing.
If you are a manager or owner, do you view your cleaning staff as invisible? When was the last time you walked a building, just to thank the cleaner? How many do you know by name, or how many children they have? We talk all the time about how we are in a People Business, but how many times do we recognize the people who are the hearts of our organizations…The Cleaning Staff.
I can understand why some of the people we serve do not provide more positive feedback to the cleaning staff. In many cases, it is because they have a limited understanding of how a clean facility affects productivity, absenteeism, and the marketing of their organization. With the Green Cleaning Programs that we have implemented, we are now able to wave our flag, by explaining the benefits other than traditional services that we provide.
I challenge you all to wave your flag, tell your story, and recognize the achievements of your staff. We have many achievements that our industry and organizations have attained, but if we do not sound the message who will? Exert all energies to shine the light on those who are called “The Invisible People”.
Cleaning Workers Wave Your Flag:
- Write a newsletter and distribute
- Announce Training Programs and mention those who have completed
- Recognize individual achievements in their personal and professional lives
Ron Segura is president of Segura Associates. His company works with large organizations to streamline their cleaning and building operations as well as promote sustainability and healthier cleaning strategies so that facilities function more effectively and efficiently and realize a cost savings. He can be reached through his company website at https://www.seguraassociates.com.
