cleanthoughts Publisher Matt Gallinger [email protected] Associate Publisher Micah Ogburn [email protected] Editorial Director Rich DiPaolo [email protected] Managing Editor Aaron Baunee [email protected] ext. 3159 ext. 3179 (516) 404-4532 ext. 3157 Are our hiring practices to blame for the amount of employee turnover? Assistant Editor Amanda Martini-Hughes [email protected] Account Executives Susan Pierce [email protected] Pat Harrington [email protected] Art Director Marty Harris [email protected] ext. 3154 W While I am no Generation-Y hipster who will never know the wonders of listening to an album on vinyl — my parents once called these audio artifacts records — I am technologically adept and feel plenty comfortable perusing the Internet. While recently looking to barter for an exchange of services on my local Craigslist webpage, I stumbled upon the part-time job listings. I was astounded by the sheer volume of posts seeking individuals to fill positions ranging from day porter and custodial supervisor to nighttime janitor and evening housekeeper. Curiosity led me to look through some of the older job postings — and I was taken aback. As far back as my mouse could click, there were dozens of janitorial job postings each day — thousands in total. I even unearthed a few franchise oppor-tunities that guaranteed “six-figure income within the first 18 months of operation.” Turnover: A Product Of Our Practices? I have long known that turnover is a major issue in the JanSan industry — and with reason. Unless you are a full-time employee with many years’ tenure, the chances are good that your position is not very lucrative. And, regardless of how altruistic you may be, survival is next to impossible with-out money. Despite the fact that some do climb the corporate ladder from frontline custodian to manager or supervisor, a vast majority do not. So, what we are left with is a pool of potential employees that we know will not remain on the payroll for very long — less than one year in many instances. What I am left wondering is, can part of the turnover issue be traced back to our subpar hiring practices? If we want employees in whom we can invest time and resources to properly train and continually educate, then why are we actively seeking bottom rung prospects? I surmise that “playing the numbers game” with workers who have little to no intention of long-term employment does more damage to the image of the industry than it does help. Yes, janitorial work is undervalued and unappreciated. It is also often said that the professional-ism of the industry needs to be raised if we are to be compensated at a rate deemed worthy and livable. But, janitorial work will never be seen as glamorous or even noble if the very folks performing the tasks are seeking alterna-tive employment every couple of months. Moreover, employers are reluctant to invest in employees they know will not last. (256) 715-0342 ext. 3153 Director of Business Operations Michael Perkins [email protected] ext. 3133 Ad Materials Manager Rebecca Wilson [email protected] CMI ® Administrative Manager Sharon Hillis [email protected] ext. 3137 ext. 3165 Editorial, Advertising & Publishing Offices NTP Media, division of 19BritishAmericanBlvdWest•Latham,NY12110-6405 (518) 783-1281 FAX: (518) 783-1386 Subscription Questions or Inquiries Toll Free (866) 721-4807 Outside U.S. (847) 763-1867 or e-mail [email protected] Subscribe / Renew / Change of Address: http://www.CMMOnline.com/Subscribe Canada Post: Publications Mail Agreement #40612608 Canada Returns to be sent to: Bleuchip International, P.O. Box 25542, London, ON N6C 6B2 Corporate General Manager Barry Lovette [email protected] Your Turn To Talk Have you had any successes or failures using Craigslist as a hiring forum? What is the longest a prospect from Craigslist has retained employment with your company or organization? Sound off at www.CMMOnline.com/ Community. CM Vice President of Operations [email protected] Brent Kizzire Chief Marketing Officer, Publishing Services Group [email protected] Hank Brown Vice President of Business Publishing [email protected] Tracy Aston-Martin Vice President of Finance [email protected] Brad Youngblood Director of Circulation & Fulfillment [email protected] Delicia Poole Circulation Manager Stacie Tubb Circulation Analyst Anna Hicks [email protected] [email protected] Editorial Advisory Board: Benjamin Tanner, Antimicrobial Test Laboratories; Bill McGarvey, Phillip Rosenau Company; Darrel Hicks, St. Luke’s Hospital; David Holly, The Ashkin Group; Kathleen Stanton, American Cleaning Institute (ACI); Jeff Cross, Cleanfax magazine; Russell Kendzior, National Floor Safety Institute (NFSI). Aaron Baunee, managing editor Send comments or thoughts on this topic or any other article that appears in CM/Cleaning & Maintenance Management ® magazine, to [email protected]. CM/Cleaning & Maintenance Management Online™ Service at www.CMMOnline.com 4 CM/Cleaning & Maintenance Management ® • March 2012
CMM – Archives Mar 2012: 4
