Company culture needs to be a vital part of your labour management strategy. Not only does a positive culture help you hold on to long-term employees, reducing turnover and training costs, but it is also a draw for new top talent. Facility cleaning and maintenance does not just mean performing all required duties, it includes creating an environment where employees can thrive, grow, and perform their best.
“Workplace culture is not just about sticking a list of values on a wall in the break room and then going about your day,” says Michael McCarthy, an instructor at Harvard DCE Professional & Executive Development and host of the “Happy at Work” podcast. “It’s a commitment that every person in the organization, including senior leadership, will model their behaviour to support those values.”
It is estimated that we spend about one-third of our lives at work, and it is important for businesses to do their best to create an environment where employees feel supported, motivated, and valued.
Focusing on engagement
Studies show that companies with engaged employees are 18 per cent more productive and 23 per cent more profitable. Keeping your teams engaged also leads to more motivation, better customer service, and less employee turnover. Soliciting feedback is one way to keep teams engaged, showing that you care about their opinions and are striving to improve your workplace. Activities like team building, hosting company events, and participating in charitable endeavours can help build relationships and foster an inclusive, positive community for your staff.
Prioritizing well-being
According to the American Psychology Association’s 2023 Work in America Survey, 57 per cent of workers are experiencing work-related stress associated with burnout, including emotional exhaustion, irritability, and anger.
Caring about your employees means creating an environment where they can be their best, physically and mentally. Making work-life balance a priority, providing access to healthcare, encouraging healthy practices, and offering support for mental health all show your teams that you care about their well-being.
At the same time, a healthy team is a well-performing team with greater focus, better results, and reduced absenteeism. Invest in the health of your employees to help provide a positive workplace and keep them at the top of their game.
Promoting growth
Encouraging your team to grow and improve is a win-win: they move up the ladder and you retain talented team members. Invest in training and develop programs to help build team skills, grow your business, and improve your customer experience. This approach sends a message to your teams that you are interested and invested in their long-term success, and endeavours like mentorships and continuous learning support your team’s goals while improving their skills.
Recognizing excellence
It’s important to remember that your team is the heart of your business. Globally, only one-in-four employees “strongly agree” that they have been recognized for good work or improvement in the last week, however, studies show that if that number were doubled, businesses could experience nine per cent higher productivity and 22 per cent less absenteeism. Rewarding excellence, celebrating employee milestones, and encouraging peer recognition are all ways you can create a positive and supportive company culture.
Train leaders
A positive company culture requires support from your management team to execute your strategy and communicate with the rest of the teams. Train your leadership on the importance of company culture, your mission and values, and how to support the goals you’ve created. Be sure to focus on engagement, well-being, growth, and recognition with your leadership teams, too, so they understand the process, pass it on, and enjoy the company culture you’ve created.
Only 20 per cent of senior leaders say that recognition is a major part of their strategic planning, so making this part of your company practices can also give you a leg up on the competition.
Moving forward
Research by The Society of Human Resource Management shows that employees with a strong sense of belonging at their workplace were 2.5 times less likely to feel burned out from their work. Similarly, employees who feel they can be their authentic selves at work are 2.5 times less likely to feel emotionally drained.
Creating a positive company culture with engagement, well-being, growth, excellence, and training can help your cleaning and maintenance employees thrive and your business grow.
