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Cleaning sector leadership structures

Published 24th May, 2024 by James Marston

James Marston

James Marston

Trainer and Inspector
BICSc
The British Institute of Cleaning Science

Cleaning sector leadership structures

James Marston, Trainer and Inspector at the British Institute of Cleaning Science, reports.

Employing a good manager can transform an operation. Staff respond to positive leadership and empowerment. Managers with knowledge and people skills will break through long-standing barriers to better working practices.

Now, please read my last sentence again and replace the word manager with supervisor. Does it fit? I am not suggesting these roles could merge. Managers often have budget responsibility, handle any disputes, recruitment, and contractual reviews. Some managers are responsible for more than one site. During these times of absence, the level of service can be vulnerable. No decisions made on a given day can cause delays, reduced service, or no service at all.

Throughout my work at BICSc I have seen varied management structures in sites. There are many factors influencing their design. Many have similar characteristics, for example, managers, supervisors, and sometimes team leaders within cleaning operative teams.

In recent years supervisors are more likely to be pulled from their role. Number one cause is picking up cleaning shifts due to absence, firefighting to cover the work not completed, training new staff or remaining in the office bogged down with paperwork. These distractions to frontline supervision can have consequences on cleaning service performance and staff morale. I suspect were we to analyse time spent away from supervising staff, the figures would be higher than many managers would like.

The streamlined version you may find in larger sites has managers and cleaning operatives. One of the cleaning operatives is a senior when required to handle matters outside the cleaning team. There are benefits to this model. A manager has all the answers and authority to make changes quickly. Staff get fast resolution to problems which supervisors may have to seek permission to do so. For cleaning operatives, talking often to their managers is the best outcome for them. The big downside is managers have busy diaries. They get pulled away from operations regularly.

I have not mentioned the role of assistant manager which many sites have. This is often seen as a development role for many as they move into management pathways. Is there a case to merge this and the supervisor role? They are both potentially future managers after all.

Some sites have several layers of supervisory management. In my experience the lines of responsibility become blurred. This can lead to miscommunication and unnecessary meetings creating a downward trend in productivity by individuals. I see fewer of these models in recent years as the sector handles reducing contract values.

There are excellent supervisors out there and they are essential in many teams. I suspect many have skills which are underutilised because the manager is responsible for these functions.

Getting back to basics. If you’re cleaning, then be a cleaning operative. If your responsibility lies in the smooth running of the service, then you’re managing it in some format. How much responsibility you get depends on your experience and ability to adapt and find solutions. Managers should plan supervisory development and teach them to handle the service, its staff, and the client. The results will be cleaning operatives get the management and solutions they need without the manager. Creating supervisors that are 80% capable of a manager’s role means security for the business, robust frontline management, and hopefully good staff retention. Management succession planning becomes easy to map and there is a pathway for future managers to emerge.

Maybe it’s time to rethink both roles and pass on key responsibilities to supervisors on sites if they have the capability or the potential too. Many already handle shift rotas and absence. Giving them more ownership might not be such a large step.

The supervisor role should not be the last step up for many cleaning operatives but a first step into a world of personal development and greater success.

www.bics.org.uk

About the contributor

James Marston

James Marston

Trainer and Inspector

BICSc

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