How to Optimize Labor Without Lowering Work Performance 

By David Green

Labor is the largest line item in most cleaning operations—healthcare EVS, hospitality housekeeping, education, and commercial janitorial alike. When budgets tighten, the instinct is often to “do more with less.” Unfortunately, blunt labor cuts usually surface quickly as missed high-touch points, inconsistent presentation, slower response times, and rising customer complaints. 

The better approach is labor optimization: redesigning work so that each paid minute produces more validated outcomes—without lowering standards. High-performing cleaning leaders across sectors consistently apply the same principles. They define quality clearly, remove waste before removing people, standardize best practices, and coach in real time. The result is greater efficiency and stronger quality outcomes. Below are good, strong practices that lead to better labor optimization and what they entail. 

Start With Standards 

You cannot optimize what you cannot define. “Clean” is subjective unless your team has clear, observable standards for appearance, high-touch points, restocking, and presentation—supported by a consistent inspection and coaching process. 

When teams debate whether a room “passes,” the issue is rarely labor. It is almost always unclear standards. 

Practical approach: The 10-Point Quality Snapshot 

Identify eight to 10 non-negotiable items for your environment (e.g., mirrors, faucet, toilet base, floors/edges, high-touch points, trash cans, supplies, odor). 

• Define “pass” in one clear sentence for each. 
• Train to these standards consistently for several weeks before adjusting staffing. 
• Clear standards protect quality and create a stable baseline for efficiency improvements. 

Validate Quality 

Any time workflows are streamlined, leaders need confidence that quality is not slipping. Visual checks alone often miss what matters most. Objective validation—used as coaching, not punishment—creates that confidence. 

Simple tools such as fluorescent markers, ATP testing, or structured audits allow leaders to verify cleaning effectiveness and spot trends early. Even light-touch validation dramatically improves consistency. 

High-Touch Challenge 

• Select eight to 12 high-touch points in a small sample of rooms or areas. 
• Audit after cleaning. 
• Share results transparently as learning opportunities. 
• Track trend lines weekly rather than focusing on individual failures. 
• Objective data enables smarter labor decisions without fear of hidden quality erosion. 

Build Staffing 

One of the biggest hidden labor drains is legacy staffing—assignments that exist simply because “this is how we’ve always done it.” High-performing leaders rebuild staffing models from real demand drivers, such as: 

• Occupancy or discharge volume 
• Square footage and room mix 
• Hours of operation or event schedules 

When staffing is anchored to workload logic rather than habit, discussions shift from emotion to solutions. This principle applies equally to hospitals, hotels, and commercial facilities. 

Remove Waste First 

Lean thinking is particularly powerful in cleaning because so much time is lost to motion, searching, and rework. A common culprit is poor organization of carts, closets, linen rooms, and supply areas. 

The 5S Cart Reset 

• Sort: Eliminate any tools or supplies that aren’t required for daily tasks. 
• Set in Order: Assign clearly labeled, designated locations for every item. 
• Shine: Clean and inspect the cart daily so issues are visible and standards stay high. 
• Standardize: Use a photo-based “cart blueprint” so every cart is set up the same way, every shift. 
• Sustain: Close each shift with a two-minute reset checklist to lock in consistency. 

When a cleaning team spends 10 minutes per shift searching for supplies, the problem isn’t labor—it’s a breakdown in process and discipline. 

Redesign the Flow 

Cleaning is mobile work. Distance equals time, and time equals labor. Travel inefficiencies quietly inflate labor costs without adding value. 

Smart zoning, geographic clustering, supply staging closer to demand, and clear task sequencing dramatically reduces wasted movement. 

Spaghetti Mapping 

• Take one real assignment. 
• Trace the employee’s walking path on a simple floor plan. 
• Identify backtracking caused by missing supplies or poor sequencing. 
• Redesign the route and test again. 

Small travel reductions compound quickly across teams and shifts—saving just a minute or two per task can translate into dozens of recovered labor hours when multiplied across 365 days a year. 

Standard Work Protects 

When every employee uses a different method, quality varies—and leaders compensate with more inspection and rework. Standard work creates consistency without turning people into robots. 

Effective standard work includes: 

• A best-practice sequence (top-to-bottom, clean-to-dirty). 
• Defined chemical dwell times and tool selection. 
• A clear finish standard (what the space looks and smells like). 
• A quick self-check before signing off. 
• Consistency is the bridge between efficiency and high-end presentation. 

Coach in Real Time 

Optimization sticks when leaders coach early and visibly. Waiting for failed inspections or customer complaints is costly and demoralizing. 

3-Minute Coaching Huddles 

• Focus on one micro-skill per day (edges, mirrors, high-touch sequence). 
• Demonstrate once, observe one repetition, reinforce one improvement. 
• Track one simple metric weekly (pass rate, defects per inspection, response time). 
• Short, frequent coaching builds craftsmanship and speed simultaneously. 

Use Tech, Work Smarter 

Modern tools can amplify these fundamentals when used intentionally: 

• Mobile checklists and site details reduce guesswork. 
• Digital inspections catch issues before clients do. 
• Time-tracking data highlights bottlenecks and training needs. 
• Inventory systems prevent supply-related downtime. 
• Technology should support clarity and consistency—not replace leadership presence. 

Empower the Team 

Frontline employees often see inefficiencies leaders miss. Creating channels for feedback and recognizing ideas builds engagement and reduces turnover—one of the most expensive hidden labor costs in the industry. 

Incentives should reward both productivity and quality—reinforcing that speed without standards is not success. 

The Bottom Line 

Labor optimization without compromising quality is not only possible—it is repeatable. The path is clear: 

• Define and validate quality. 
• Remove waste before cutting labor. 
• Align staffing to real demand. 
• Standardize best practices. 
• Coach continuously and visibly. 

Efficiency and quality are not competing priorities. When done correctly, they reinforce each other. The organizations that thrive will be those that design smarter work, protect standards, and treat labor optimization as a leadership discipline—not a cost-cutting exercise. 

David Green is the founder and CEO of Rediscover Clean, a national consulting and training firm serving luxury hotels and healthcare systems. He specializes in leadership development, cleaning program assessments, and building teams that clean with elegance, empathy, and excellence.