The cleaning business is busy in Jacksonville and we are hiring!
While it helps to have great cleaning skills, those can be taught to most people. There are some skills and personality traits that I ook for in new hires. I expect everyone to have the basics of being reliable and honest and hard working. But beyond that, there are some skills that will make a working relationship much more enjoyable!
First on the list is good communication skills. Effective communication skills is crucial in this position. The cleaning staff are often the ones the clients see most and it's important that they represent the company well. I also prefer working with people who text by spelling out a complete word. Part of this means a cleaner needs to listen to what the client is saying. Sometimes I will go into a home and meet with a young woman who is a new mother, a wife, a pet owner and a Navy Petty Officer. I see the house as pretty clean but she is clearly overwhelmed. While her actual cleaning needs may not be so great, she needs some help in feeling more in control of her environment. By listening carefully, we can figure out.... she really needs help with the laundry or organizing the baby's room. Many clients are very specific about what they want and I expect cleaners to listen and take note!
The second most important skill is flexability/adapatability. Our day changes constantly. Clients may cancel at the last minute or forget to leave a key. They may have a sick child. The cleaner may have a sick child. Equipment may break down and you might have to meet another cleaner somewhere or work as a team at the last minute. There are many variables and it helps to have employees who can roll with the flow. I prefer working with people who are flexible in their approach to cleaning. You may have used vinegar to clean with all your life but you will not be able to do so with us. I try to remain flexible, too, and let you work in your own style. Many experienced cleaners say that it's most efficient to work top to bottom and left to right. Some people are just not wired that way....I recall my first real employee who was frustrated saying to me.....Meri, I'm just NOT a linear thinker!" At the end of the day, if the house is clean, feel free to go right to left and bounce around a little. Some cleaners finish a single room at a time and I, personally, work in quadrants. Either way, it benefits us all try to have an open mind and a flexible approach to work.
The third trait I look for is strong interpersonal skills. This includes verbal and non-verbal communication, listening, negotiation, problem solving, decision making and assertiveness. There are probably more but these are big ones. If a cleaner shows up on time and can communicate effectively in speech but walks around with a smirk, then that is not pleasant for anyone who has to work with this person. It's uncomfortable and many are put off by it. It's okay to be neutral at times as I don't expect you walk around with a frozen smile on your face! But if your face and gestures show that you are in a foul mood, clients see that. If you present yourself in a positive way, generally you feel better yourself. If you have a headache, take Tylenol before coming to work. If your feet hurt, try different shoes. Do what you can to make sure you are presenting your best self! If a client is asking you to do something unreasonable or outside the agreed scope of work, speak up. Or speak up to me. Many cleaners are natural people pleasers and it can be hard to say "no." Some clients will take advantage of this....we may not be getting paid to clean a guest suite but the client may say..."oh, just this once...my mom is coming into town." A cleaner with strong skills will say "let me check with my boss about this" or "yes, I will do it if you want to add an additional 35.00 to cover the time." While we want to make the client happy, we are not able to work for free.
Lastly, I look for a person who can be a team player and also work independently. While you will often work alone, there are some houses that are too big for just one cleaner. We may be cleaning a commercial space that requires all of us to work together. Sometimes teamwork is just that you offer to cover for someone who is not feeling well or who has a sick child. It's about support and a willingness to help execute the plan for the day, a common goal, which is to make sure each client gets a clean house to come home to! Ideally, if you are part of a team you will communicate with each other and adjust to each others strengths. One cleaner may prefer dusting over cleaning bathrooms. One may be able to crawl around to wipe baseboards better than the other.
This is a hard job and not to be taken lightly. Because it's our primary source of income we take it seriously. In the end, we hope that it all works out good for all of us....the cleaners and the clients!
While it helps to have great cleaning skills, those can be taught to most people. There are some skills and personality traits that I ook for in new hires. I expect everyone to have the basics of being reliable and honest and hard working. But beyond that, there are some skills that will make a working relationship much more enjoyable!
First on the list is good communication skills. Effective communication skills is crucial in this position. The cleaning staff are often the ones the clients see most and it's important that they represent the company well. I also prefer working with people who text by spelling out a complete word. Part of this means a cleaner needs to listen to what the client is saying. Sometimes I will go into a home and meet with a young woman who is a new mother, a wife, a pet owner and a Navy Petty Officer. I see the house as pretty clean but she is clearly overwhelmed. While her actual cleaning needs may not be so great, she needs some help in feeling more in control of her environment. By listening carefully, we can figure out.... she really needs help with the laundry or organizing the baby's room. Many clients are very specific about what they want and I expect cleaners to listen and take note!
The second most important skill is flexability/adapatability. Our day changes constantly. Clients may cancel at the last minute or forget to leave a key. They may have a sick child. The cleaner may have a sick child. Equipment may break down and you might have to meet another cleaner somewhere or work as a team at the last minute. There are many variables and it helps to have employees who can roll with the flow. I prefer working with people who are flexible in their approach to cleaning. You may have used vinegar to clean with all your life but you will not be able to do so with us. I try to remain flexible, too, and let you work in your own style. Many experienced cleaners say that it's most efficient to work top to bottom and left to right. Some people are just not wired that way....I recall my first real employee who was frustrated saying to me.....Meri, I'm just NOT a linear thinker!" At the end of the day, if the house is clean, feel free to go right to left and bounce around a little. Some cleaners finish a single room at a time and I, personally, work in quadrants. Either way, it benefits us all try to have an open mind and a flexible approach to work.
The third trait I look for is strong interpersonal skills. This includes verbal and non-verbal communication, listening, negotiation, problem solving, decision making and assertiveness. There are probably more but these are big ones. If a cleaner shows up on time and can communicate effectively in speech but walks around with a smirk, then that is not pleasant for anyone who has to work with this person. It's uncomfortable and many are put off by it. It's okay to be neutral at times as I don't expect you walk around with a frozen smile on your face! But if your face and gestures show that you are in a foul mood, clients see that. If you present yourself in a positive way, generally you feel better yourself. If you have a headache, take Tylenol before coming to work. If your feet hurt, try different shoes. Do what you can to make sure you are presenting your best self! If a client is asking you to do something unreasonable or outside the agreed scope of work, speak up. Or speak up to me. Many cleaners are natural people pleasers and it can be hard to say "no." Some clients will take advantage of this....we may not be getting paid to clean a guest suite but the client may say..."oh, just this once...my mom is coming into town." A cleaner with strong skills will say "let me check with my boss about this" or "yes, I will do it if you want to add an additional 35.00 to cover the time." While we want to make the client happy, we are not able to work for free.
Lastly, I look for a person who can be a team player and also work independently. While you will often work alone, there are some houses that are too big for just one cleaner. We may be cleaning a commercial space that requires all of us to work together. Sometimes teamwork is just that you offer to cover for someone who is not feeling well or who has a sick child. It's about support and a willingness to help execute the plan for the day, a common goal, which is to make sure each client gets a clean house to come home to! Ideally, if you are part of a team you will communicate with each other and adjust to each others strengths. One cleaner may prefer dusting over cleaning bathrooms. One may be able to crawl around to wipe baseboards better than the other.
This is a hard job and not to be taken lightly. Because it's our primary source of income we take it seriously. In the end, we hope that it all works out good for all of us....the cleaners and the clients!