How to Use Janitorial Performance Evaluation Data to Your Advantage

A janitorial performance evaluation can give you a lot of valuable information. Here’s how you can use it to improve your business.

No matter how good a relationship you may have with your clients, the fact remains that they are, consciously or not, giving you a janitorial performance evaluation on a regular basis. That’s not a negative thing. From their point of view, they are paying you to provide a service. And while they trust you to do a great job, it’s only natural to check that the job is done, and done well.

Just like you or your supervisors are conducting janitorial inspections, your clients are noting things like how clean (or not) the restrooms are, or if the entryway is free of dirt and debris. In many cases, it’s an informal process, so the data you have is helpful, but not always accurate or objective.

However, a formal janitorial performance evaluation, whether through inspections, individual employee evaluations, or a formal process done by the facility manager, can help you improve your business. You can get an unbiased report that will help you determine if there are areas where your team could use more training, a product isn’t working well, or you need to investigate something further.

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Turning every janitorial performance evaluation into a tool for progress

First, what is the difference between a janitorial performance evaluation and an inspection? The truth is, they aren’t entirely different. They are both tools to ensure a job is done correctly. And they are both, ideally, performed by an unbiased party. In fact, the difference is fairly subtle.

Without getting bogged down in details, here is the general difference. An inspection is a visual determination of whether a job or task was done satisfactorily. A performance evaluation is more nuanced, and may detail the frequency or quality of the work.

Here’s an example: An inspection may ask if the microwave in a breakroom was cleaned, with the answer being a simple yes or no. An evaluation, on the other hand, might ask how well the microwave gets cleaned, with answers ranging on a scale of 1 to 5 or below expectations to exceeds expectations.

These can get as detailed as you want, even including a rubric. Looking again at the microwave, let’s say there is a 1-5 scale, with 1 being unsatisfactory and 5 being excellent. Your rubric might look something like this:

Microwave cleanliness:

1. Frequently left dirty, with crumbs and food splashes inside and out/ fingerprints outside
2. Outside is clean and free of food or fingerprints, inside has crumbs and food waste
3. Usually clean inside and out, with occasional crumbs under the inner tray
4. Always clean, no problems
5. Microwave is always clean inside and out, never any fingerprints, crumbs, food splatters, glass is clear and streak free

That’s a general example, and you can do something similar for everything on your task list. Additionally, your janitorial performance evaluation might include other job quality factors like arriving on time, being courteous to building occupants, and so on.

Now, what are you going to do once you have a stack of data to work with? This is where the fun comes in, and where you can really help your commercial cleaning business thrive.

First, look through data from individual locations. Do you notice anything unusual? Are there areas of weakness? For example, does your team always show up late, or is there a recurring issue with bathroom cleanliness?

You can address these issues through training or supervision, as well as talking to your on-site team to find out if there is something preventing them from performing excellent work. They could have the wrong equipment or cleaning products. They may be shorthanded and find themselves cutting corners. Meet with them and be open to what they have to say.

Let’s move on to bigger viewpoints, though. You may have data from multiple locations over the course of several weeks or months. Compile all that information into one master list.

Then, just like you did with individual locations, look through for anything that stands out. If you’re lucky, you’ll have fives all across the board. However, that’s pretty unlikely.

Look for those tasks or areas that have low numbers across locations. Now you’re really getting into parts of your business that can use work. If there are different teams that are getting low scores on a similar task, that could indicate a training lapse. You might need to consider certification classes or an updated training protocol. You might also look at your task list to ensure everything is clear.

Lastly, don’t be afraid to talk to your clients about your findings. They will appreciate the transparency and they will also appreciate knowing that you’re going to address any issues.

A janitorial performance evaluation can be an excellent tool in making your commercial cleaning business the best it can be.