How do you keep good employees from leaving?
I had my cleaning company for 17 years now. I have had my fair share of good employees. My longest serving couple has been 12 years. Then I had some team members for 4+ years. While I do not want them to leave as it is hard to find good team members with our core values, I find that they do run their course due to the nature of the job. What have you implemented that helped your business to keep and engage long term good employees? TIADo You Train Your Team to Think or Just Work?
Every Monday, we hold a short training session with our team. We train on communication. leadership. & mindset. The reason being most tradespeople aren’t struggling because they can’t do the work. They’re struggling because they were never taught how to: Speak with clarity Handle conflict Lead a crew Represent the business professionally These tend to be the issues I see bottling up, either from our exit interviews or customer feed back or when things are misunderstood. Thats why I'm curious: Do you train soft skills with your crew?Upsides and downsides of hiring a summer helper?
I am thinking about hiring someone to help me in the busy season and the idea of a high school kid as a summer job sounds like a promising idea. I wouldn't have to pay them a crazy salary, they are like sponges with information and they are typically more physically full of energy. I wouldn't be able to send them on their own, but they could help me get a few more jobs done in a day. I am wondering if anyone has tried this and what would be the pros and cons of doing it?
How do you handle unreliable employees in a home service business?
Hello! I run a Home Remodeling & Handyman business, and we're excited to share that we've recently expanded to include a Cleaning Division. We've noticed that in our area, many folks are eager for jobs but sometimes lack the commitment to follow through. How do you navigate this challenge? We've already offered competitive pay, which is quite high for our area, yet issues like poor communication, missed appointments, and subpar work still pop up. I'm curious to hear how others have managed similar situations and what strategies you've found effective—whether it's offering career growth opportunities, enforcing strict communication policies, or even increasing wages further. Any advice or ideas would be greatly appreciated!How do you reduce employee turnover in a cleaning company?
For reference, we have a team of 20 technicians and our average employee lifecycle is just over 1 year. We offer PTO, ETO, and 401k with flexible hours for scheduling. We pay competitive wages and they’re solely through commission. Our culture is protected by the senior techs and leadership team and the feedback we receive is that former employees feel like it’s a big family. Thoughts?What’s one thing you do to make your employees feel valued?
What’s something you do that makes your employees feel respected, supported, and appreciated? And want to stay with your company? In this episode of Masters of Home Service, Savannah Revis and KellyGuerrero talk about what happens when more women step into leadership roles in the trades. They share: Why empathy doesn't mean lowering standards, it builds loyalty How respect inside your company snowballs into better client experiences Why strong work culture (not just pay) is what keeps employees long-term Never miss an episode of Masters of Home Service. Subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
What hiring tactic has made the biggest difference in building your team?
Here I am 17 years in and still working on my hiring strategy, process etc. I am often reminded that you need "the one thing/idea/process/strategy" to be successful at something. What is your one thing with regards to hiring that really worked for you?
How do you help employees collect tips?
We run a cleaning company, and in our industry, tips are a regular occurrence. However, Jobber doesn't support tip collection on the mobile app or on an emailed invoice. Tips can only be collected from a credit card payment in the client hub. Consequently, our staff rarely get tips. Are any of you using other software to assist in tip collection for your employees? Any ideas on how to overcome this issue?
