How frequently are you celebrating your staff, valuing their hard work, and motivating them to stay inspired and driven? Maintenance and cleaning staff are often under-appreciated, but it’s important to remember that they are an invaluable part of the team all year long. Because much of their role involves keeping the building looking great and working efficiently, they spend most of their time out of sight, but recognizing their critical role is an important part of your business.

Research shows that only one in three workers has received recognition or praise for doing good work in the past seven days, and that employees who do not feel adequately appreciated are twice as likely to quit in the next year. Valuing your cleaning and maintenance staff can keep them productive and motivated, as your building performs at its best.

Staff appreciation

Cleaning and maintenance staff are the heart and soul of building operations, and showing your teams that you know how important they are will help in building a positive company culture, increasing productivity, and improving employee retention. Plan team-building events to get to know your staff, provide training to allow employees to learn and grow, and implement recognition programs that show employees that you see and value their contributions.

Feedback

Give your employees a voice wherever you can – when developing new policies, evaluating opportunities for improvement, implementing training, and more. When you show employees that you value their opinions, it demonstrates a willingness to listen, the desire to make the workplace better, and it reinforces the idea that, as you all work together towards a shared goal, everyone’s roles are important.

Empowerment

With cleaners and maintenance staff, management isn’t always present when they are getting the job done. Giving your teams the tools, training and freedom to make decisions can really help them feel valued with your guidance and encouragement. Micromanagement can make people feel untrusted, waste time, and hamper creativity. Give your teams the trust they’ve earned and allow them some independence where they can stay motivated, feel empowered, and flourish in their jobs.

Recognizing staff contribution is an important part of running your business, but it’s especially important for people who often work behind the scenes. Take the time to celebrate and acknowledge the efforts that cleaners and maintenance workers make to keep building operations – and your business – running smoothly.