Ask Questions to Enhance Employee Engagement

Key Takeaways:
• Professional cleaning managers can maximize operational outcomes by instilling professional pride and a clear sense of purpose in daily cleaning tasks.
• Conducting formal and informal surveys allows commercial cleaning leaders to uncover what frontline teams need to ensure a successful, high-performance workday.
• Active leadership can directly boost employee commitment and minimize turnover.

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How do you feel as you prepare yourself for work? Are you energized by what you hope to accomplish, or are you bracing yourself for a monotonous routine or difficult day? These are important questions leaders of cleaning organizations can ask of themselves and the people they manage.

I remember days when I dreaded a specific meeting, struggled with a complex problem, or conversed with someone I had already labeled as difficult. Over time, I learned that my attitude, emotions, and behavior were strongly shaped by how I viewed my work.

Focusing on the purpose and goals of the department, I made it my mission to help people do their best and feel proud of the work they do every day.

The first step is to ask questions—both informally and formally. Leaders should find out what frontline teams and individuals need in order to have a successful day at work, as well as what would leave them feeling poorly. These two questions provided insight into employee motivation. It is a given that employees are driven to earn a paycheck and benefits to support themselves and their families. Discovering what could elevate performance beyond wages enhances the job.

Over the years, I learned that I could either encourage, discourage, or have no effect on the motivation and commitment of my frontline workers. I was determined to be a leader who encouraged others daily, giving employees a sense of purpose and making them feel good about the cleaning tasks they attend to.

Here is what I learned from asking staff members what makes for a successful day:

1) Positive Interpersonal Relationships
Almost everyone wants to have good relationships with their coworkers. A high value is placed on friendship and supportive relationships. Leaders can foster these connections by coaching, supporting cooperation, and setting expectations.

2) Pride in Cleaning
Providing quality customer service and avoiding occupant complaints is a strong motivator for any cleaning crew. When employees can clean to high standards without the burden of an unrealistic workload, they develop pride in their work. Leaders must focus on ongoing training and create manageable work assignments.

3) Receiving Recognition
Cleaning workers want their efforts to be acknowledged and appreciated by their leadership. That means leaders must be present and spend time with them so meaningful and authentic feedback can be provided.

4) Connecting the Mission
Frontline teams should understand how their work supports an organization’s broader mission. Leaders can reinforce this by showing how a clean, healthy environment benefits staff, students, patients, and the public.

Take a few moments at the end of the work shift to discover what makes your team feel good—not just because it's the end of the shift and they're leaving, but because they know they contributed to the larger good of the institution.

Gene Woodard, R.E.H., spent more than 45 years in the cleaning industry, retiring as the director of building services at the University of Washington, before which he spent almost a decade at Emanuel Hospital in Portland, Oregon. Gene was also a founding member of the Healthy Green Schools & Colleges Steering Committee, and served for many years as an advisory board member of Facility Cleaning Decisions magazine.