The most exciting part of growing a commercial cleaning and facilities maintenance business is winning new business. Then you have the pleasure of cementing a solid working relationship with your new client and making sure they get all the attention you promised. But, at some point, you will find yourself faced with janitorial staff turnover.

Employee burn-out and dissatisfaction can be a constant in the industry. But it doesn’t have to be that way for your company. As with any growth plan, the solution requires some investment. But the ROI can be many times more than what it takes to find and retain the best available personnel.

Better employees mean better service and happier clients. This can generate the referrals and references that will grow your business. It can also have a network effect in attracting more dedicated employees to serve your expanding business.

According to an Economist Impact study, 70% of U.S. workers would be willing to switch jobs for better benefits. That number may be even higher in lower wage professions. Depending on your company’s size and structure, your staff may include account representatives, administration, and scheduling. But no matter your size, you will always need janitorial staff, the representatives of your company who visit your clients every day and whose work most reflects on the quality of your company.

So, let’s focus on the benefits you can offer them.

Why Benefits Matter to Janitorial Staff

Depending on how you got into the business, you may know what it’s like on the front lines of cleaning and facilities maintenance. The late, dark hours. The sometimes-long drives between locations. The sense of disconnection from your actual clients and even your managers.

Because your staff are not the owners of the business, they feel even less empowered to change any conditions they find unsatisfactory. If they’re not happy, their only remedy is to change employers. And often the best, most highly motivated employees are the first to go… unless you give them more reasons to stay.

One obvious solution is higher pay. But there are limits on what you can pay, and the competitive environment will ultimately determine the wages you can offer just as it limits what you can charge. Offering benefits on top of wages can ultimately be less expensive than constantly churning staff and allows you to compete for the best janitorial staff on more than just cash terms.

Customer service and productivity

The very fact that you offer benefits says a lot about your commitment to your employees. Good employees – the kind you want to attract and keep – recognize this commitment and are more likely to want to work for your company, not just for your paycheck. They are also likelier to do the best work possible, which your clients will see more often than you do.

When you provide more benefits to your employees, you can expect greater flexibility in how you employ them. The fairness of a total compensation package that includes benefits sets the tone for your scheduling operations and the scope of work required. Employees who feel you care about them are more adaptable and productive. Providing benefits shows them you care.

Reduced financial stress

While providing employee benefits is definitely an added expense, it can still be less expensive than increasing wages. It definitely costs less than finding and training new employees.

The benefits you provide cover costs that otherwise would fall entirely on the employee. Knowing they are protected from that kind of a financial hit gives employees and their families more peace of mind than a few more dollars on payday ever can.

Should they ever have to draw on the benefits, the appreciation runs incredibly deep. In the meantime, it’s good to provide regular reminders of the benefits the company provides, so employees remember the coverage when they need it and even when they don’t.

Attracting and retaining qualified workers

According to CMM’s 2024 In-House/Facility Management Benchmarking Survey, 26% of respondents listed employee retention as their biggest concern. That figure can be even higher for independent contract services providers.

While base pay will always be the first consideration for most hourly workers, a suitable benefits package in a job listing says something more about the hiring company. It tells candidates that you are looking for a longer-term commitment and want applicants who will be as dedicated as you are. It also tells candidates your organization cares about its people. This, in turn, appeals to people who care for themselves and their families.

Once employed, these workers are likelier to stay longer. And – provided your company actually is a good place to work – employees are likely to assist in recruiting like-minded individuals when opportunities open up. Referrals from great employees almost always yield more great employees.

6 Key Employee Benefits for Your Janitorial Staff

While turnover can be high and the competition for qualified staff can be even higher, the benefits you should offer to attract and retain them don’t have to be extraordinary. A solid program of conventional benefits can put you ahead of many other employers in the industry.

These benefits include:

1. Medical insurance: Basic ACA-type coverage – even if your company has fewer than the regulatory minimum of 50 employees – can be a game-changer for many employees and their families.
2. Dental and vision coverage: These policies can be surprisingly affordable, but may feel like a welcome luxury to some candidates.
3. Paid time off: This is especially attractive to hourly personnel. And, because they accrue more PTO the longer they’re with the company, it’s a powerful incentive to foster loyalty.
4. Retirement savings plan: This is an even longer-term play. But if you’re serious about growing your business and giving employees a career path, programs like a 401(k) demonstrate that commitment and give your best people one more reason to stay.
5. Long-term disability: Given the physical nature of the job, subsidizing this insurance signals that you have plans in place to take care of your people.
6. Flexible scheduling options: Flexible start/end times or shortened workweeks are particularly attractive to workers with family care responsibilities like children or elderly members. Best of all, this doesn’t need to cost anything more than some extra effort in scheduling.

Performance and holiday bonuses can also make a major contribution to a positive company culture while engendering employee loyalty. They will certainly be counted among the benefits of working for your company.  

How to Build a Competitive Benefits Package

If you’re building a benefits package for the first time, congratulations! That means you’re ready to grow your business. To get the maximum return on that investment, you want to approach it strategically.

Here’s how to do that:

• Determine what you can afford. Set a target budget number based on your financial projections. Use this in conversations with brokers, consultants, or whoever you will be working with to build your program.
• Develop some options. This will let you guide the conversations and manage expectations during the next step in the process.
• Find out what your employees need. This can be as easy as talking to them. Don’t be afraid to share the fact that you are planning to implement a benefits package of some kind. This conversation may be the thing that keeps your best people around even before your program is in place.
• Finalize the package and communicate it. Your benefits providers will probably have the necessary materials and may even be able to supply representatives to explain the programs and answer employee questions.
• Check in with employees to see how it’s working. Even if you’ve made yourself available to address any concerns your people have, it’s always good to demonstrate proactive engagement, especially with a new program.

You may be surprised by how transformative a benefits program can be for employee morale and overall business performance. Suddenly, your janitorial staff’s relationship will be much deeper than just reporting for their shifts and collecting their paychecks.

You may also be surprised by how empowered you feel knowing that your crews have fresh initiative. It’s the kind of energy you can take with you to new business meetings. In fact, a benefits program for your janitorial staff can be a major selling point. It tells your prospects that you’re building a business for the long term and everyone you send into their space is part of the mission.  

Elevate your Benefits Strategy with VensureHR

If you don’t yet have a consultative resource for structuring your benefits program, you need to connect with VensureHR. VensureHR is an expert in providing HR-related services for businesses of all sizes, including those in the cleaning and facilities maintenance sector.

Learn more about VensureHR’s benefits program.

As part of the nation’s largest privately-held employer solutions company, VensureHR can bundle your janitorial staff into programs with hundreds of thousands of other employees to enjoy economies of scale, lower rates, and greater resources.