Study Results Show Resilience of Facility Cleaning Managers 

Being a manager can be extremely rewarding. You see a need, identify a solution, and implement it. You recognize a stand-out team member and reward them for their hard work. A new role opens, and you have the pleasure of promoting an emerging leader. Oh, and this is a good one — you win a budget fight. 

Some days, it's definitely great to be a manager. Others, well, life has a way of keeping you grounded. These are the days when there's a big project on deadline and your equipment breaks down, or key members of the team call in sick. It's tough when budget cuts come out of nowhere, or hiring for that management role loses steam.  

Fortunately, most managers hover somewhere in the middle, tackling the ebbs and flows as they come — a trait that only experience can provide. According to this year's “Facility Cleaning Decisions Management Study,” 63 percent of readers have been in a management role for more than 15 years, giving them the wisdom to know what to prioritize versus what can wait.  

For example, contrary to general industry staffing trends, retention in cleaning departments is strong. The average cleaning team has not only grown in recent years, but their tenure is hovering at almost a decade. This is a testament to managers for their retention strategies and recognition programs. 

Another win is the push to improve procedures and cleaning efficiencies, which has the added benefit of keeping the competition at bay. An impressive 86 percent of managers feel these initiatives have kept their department safe from any outsourcing threat, despite tightened budgets and the idea that contracted cleaning saves money.  

These experienced managers are also making smart purchasing decisions, despite budget uncertainty. Although low price points drove many purchases in years past, that's less of a priority for seasoned managers in 2025. Instead, the majority of managers are prioritizing purchases that improve performance, quality, and provide labor savings. A strong percentage of respondents also require support and dependability from their distribution partners, including delivery, training, and maintenance offerings — stretching budgets as much as possible. 

Whether you’ve been a manager for one year or 30 years, no one is immune to the occasional hurdle. What sets successful managers apart from the rest is how they approach and overcome challenges. Click here to learn more.