While doing some research for another post I came across this statistic 👇
Cleaner turnover is 75% - 375% annually!
That seems pretty crazy, I know. But after the pandemic, stimulus checks, and other industries bumping up their pay, there's no wonder why this is a big topic in the CleanWork Facebook group.
The best way to offset this is by hiring the best possible employee you can.
Here’s how:
✍️Writing a good job listing
With employee turnover being a big issue in the janitorial industry, having a well-written job listing can land you a long-lasting employee. So what makes a good job listing?
A good description - A good description can go a long way, but if not written well It could deter good potential employees from applying. When writing the job description you want to give the potential employee as much information as possible, so when they apply they already what to expect. Like what their position is. Where their work will take place. How many hours they will be working each day. How much they will be paid. Etc, etc.
Clear responsibilities/requirements - This is probably the most important part of your job listing. Here is where you want to be crystal clear on what will be expected from them as an employee, as well as any and all requirements they must meet to work for you.
Company Culture - Make sure your job listing also includes a sprinkle of company culture.
You want to give the applicant an idea of who you are, your company’s mission, your values, ethics, and goals. Do so will help you stand out from the rest of the dull job listings that are looking for a new cleaner.
📢Referrals/Word of Mouth
Family, friends, and current employees are another great resource for hiring new employees.
The more people you have advertising your job opening, the bigger the pool of potential employees, the more likely you will find the perfect one for your business.
👍Perfect fit for the Position
The first person who applies might not be the perfect fit for the position you have available.
But if you keep looking you will eventually find someone that is almost perfect that you can then train and mold to be perfect for the position.
Whatever you do, don't hire someone you know isn't a good fit.
It ends up being a waste of time.
The more you hire, the better at it you will get.
You will learn how to read people and get a better understanding of how they are and if they will make a good employee for your company.
The Proof
Here are two job listings from some years ago before the pandemic. I wanted to take two job listings before all this happened because of the high unemployment rate.
I figured it wouldn’t give accurate results either because people are not looking for work because they are making more than they would be working or are so desperate for work that there would be a flood of applicants for both.
I also had to take a listing from 2017 because after that we were putting out really good job listings.
Results:
Bad job listing
Good job listing
As you can see with the good job listing we got almost double the clicks with 27.7% fewer impressions (number of times the job was shown).
Which resulted in a 14.9% click-through rate (8.7% higher than the bad listing).
It gets better.
With more clicks per impression, the cost per apply is $1.40 less than the bad job listing.
As well as the cost per click, which is 32 cents less than the bad listing’s.
So across the board the good listing not only brought in more applicants, but it even cost less.
Do yourself a favor the next time you make a job listing, make it great.
It pays off in more ways than one.
The other side of the coin would be ways to keep the employees you have. I am in the process of writing a post on that but until then here are 5 ways.
- Improve communication and accept/give feedback
- Recognize and reward good performance
- Provide opportunities for growth and advancement
- Address and resolve conflicts quickly
- Create a positive work culture
In conclusion, employee turnover can be a significant problem for any business, but it can be prevented by taking the necessary steps to create a positive and supportive work environment.
Additionally, it's important to regularly review and update your hiring and onboarding processes to ensure that the right candidates are being brought into the organization.
It's also important to remember that employee turnover is not always bad, and sometimes it's necessary for the growth and development of the company.
You're not going to be able to keep every employee you hire. So make sure you have a solid plan in place for replacing employees that do leave, to ensure that there is minimal disruption to the business.
Best,
Jerome