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Any custodian can go through the motions and be satisfied with an adequate day’s work. An exceptional employee takes initiative, not only with effort on daily tasks, but in the way they interact with both fellow custodians and facility occupants. Initially hired as a temporary worker for University of California, Riverside (UCR), it didn’t take long for Irma Andrade to prove those qualities as an exceptional employee.
Andrade was promoted to full time as a senior custodian for the university’s academic building within three-and-a-half years, and with her attention to detail, it comes as little surprise. When Andrade was assigned a new building on campus in 2019, her first order of business was conducting a thorough walkthrough of the facility and identifying the specific cleaning needs for each room. From there, she was able to optimize workloading and exceed the expectations of occupants.
“She also made it a point to communicate with the building occupants to provide immediate solutions to any of their concerns,” says Aaron Uresti, assistant director of custodial and housekeeping services at UCR. “Her proactive nature and outstanding customer service increased the quality and standard of cleanliness in a very short amount of time.”
Always eager to learn new training such as floor care, Andrade has taken the lead on several key projects, as well. Picking up on a variety of techniques early on, Andrade now efficiently completes work orders for floor stripping, waxing, carpet encapsulation and extraction.
Not only does Andrade have a keen attention to detail, she learns quickly and her willingness to be a team player sets her apart, especially when staff are shorthanded. For Andrade, a shift is never over just because her own tasks are accounted for.
“She is very flexible and willing to clean multiple areas throughout the course of her shift, in addition to completing her own responsibilities,” says Uresti. “We are very grateful to have Irma on our team and look forward to watching her grow and develop within our operation.”