Having previously managed housekeeping teams, I've developed some foolproof tips for better management. So, here are some of my tips for managing housekeeping teams.
Putting out fires is stimulating, but it drains our juices!
Many people perform very well in emergency situations, while others completely freeze in the face of the situation. I am one of those people who is adept at handling these kinds of situations. However, everyone has their limits. Constantly managing in emergency situations can be dangerous to your health in the long run. Ask yourself questions about the situations that constantly put you in emergency situations. See what solutions you can find.
For example, if you have a staff replacement problem, you could set up a small special projects team. This team could carry out your special projects and be available when you need to replace staff who are sick or on vacation.
Delegate, yes, but to the right people!
Completely delegating a task or responsibility is possible in our job as managers. But you won't have peace of mind if you feel that this person isn't fully competent. But how can you be sure that this person exists? The first thing to do is to:establish your needs honestly. Detail what you want this person to be able to do. Don't tailor the position to the candidate. Instead, look for the ideal candidate to meet YOUR NEEDS.
It's also possible that this person is already in your ranks. However, don't jump to conclusions too quickly. Take the time to establish the desired profile before anything else. You could give yourself time by posting the position internally AND externally. Conduct interviews, even internally, with the same rigor as you would with an external candidate. You'll then be able to make a better, more informed choice.
Give yourself time! I often see entrepreneurs jump at the first candidate that comes to mind. Give yourself enough time to ensure you have enough candidates to make a good choice.
And even if that person is super competent, there's no problem with making surprise checks to make sure the job is done right.
Train to ensure you transfer the right methods and your values.
With a certain number of employees, it becomes impossible to train each employee individually on all our methods and values unless you have a person dedicated to this task full-time. One way is group training. You could establish an annual schedule of the training you want your staff to receive. This schedule could include both initial training on our values, regulations, etc. and on basic methods. You could also add specialized technical training to motivate your staff as well as training that only needs to be taken once every 3 years, for example. I also suggest that you keep track of the training taken by each of your employees on a file where you can easily identify the employees who have received this or that training.
To ensure that you properly transfer the values and information that are important to you, there's nothing better than writing everything down in an official training document. You could also, after a certain period of time, verify that the material has been properly understood and acquired by the employee. This can be done during the supervision of the work.
Respect and consideration are values of success and notoriety.
I strongly believe that if we respect our employees, they will repay us a hundredfold. Employees who feel respected act differently. They may even speak favorably on your behalf. One of my favorite recruiting methods was to approach my employees to recruit a new employee. We were quickly presented with candidates.
A happy employee will speak positively about their work and how they are treated. Imagine how effective this is for future candidates and potential clients!
A happy employee will also be less likely to change jobs at any time. They will consider their daily well-being when making their decision. After all, work life accounts for more than 50% of our day. Very often, our coworkers are also our friends.
Know how to surround yourself with people who can stimulate you
In my opinion, it's essential to be attentive to the best that can be done. To have something new to learn in order to stimulate our own creativity. Because your competitors are constantly making sure to innovate. A competitive advantage won't last forever. So, know how to stay ahead of your competitors.
You can find this source at CF Salubrité, of course! But also at the continuing education of CEGEPs in your region, your suppliers, and even your employees.
- I myself was able to further my social media training in CEGEP continuing education programs. There are government-funded courses available for 1 or 21 hours per hour. And believe me, they're of high quality.
- Your most important suppliers can also be an important source of information.
- Conduct customer surveys to find out what needs are not being met and what you could adapt to.
- Brainstorm with your employees what could be improved
- Create a plan for your sales, production, and administrative goals. Ask yourself what can help you achieve your goals. I'm happy to offer this workshop to entrepreneurs.
- Surround yourself with experienced mentors. I myself have several mentors, and I find myself growing more and more! CF Salubrité offers this support service, and we feel privileged to have this connection with managers. Here is a article about the mentor.
Finally, I'll leave you with a training course I developed for housekeeping team managers. This is available depending on the public training calendar or even, privately, established according to your needs.
Need a mentor?
