Four things women need to know to help them rise to a management position in cleaning

Jen Bates, Managing Director – Cleaning, OCS, reports.

It’s fair to say that I didn’t have any intention of working in cleaning when I was younger. I worked in a British Telecom training centre, eventually working my way up to duty manager, before taking maternity leave for my second child.

This moment represented a crossroads in my life. I didn’t return to BT and instead started private house cleaning as a way of bringing money into my family home. When I saw an advert in the paper for an area manager role at a cleaning firm, I decided to apply. That was 22 years ago – and I’m still in the industry.

Do the right thing – and get it

My current position is all about putting the right people in the right roles. When I started, I had a male-only team. It’s now made up of about 70% women, but it’s not been done purposely. All colleagues who report to me, regardless of their gender, have an important role to play. This shift has happened due to a focus on finding the right people. The change in the dynamic of our team is something that has happened organically over time.

A person who is empathetic makes a good cleaning operative. They get what the role involves and have good ideas. Empathy enables someone to know if their clients aren’t happy; it also fosters open and honest communication, so when you use it to deal with the matters at hand, you get a good reputation. It’s a personality trait that can help you bring a lot of calm to the room too, when there are all kinds of opposing dynamics at play.

This will also come from different, lived experiences and points of view in a senior leadership team. While it’s entirely possible that that may very well come from a different gender’s point of view, it’s not exclusive. Life experience, length of service, breadth of customer service experience, different approaches and countless other qualities all feed into what makes a successful member of a senior leadership in cleaning. The trick is unearthing these sometimes hidden qualities and exploiting them for the good of the business.

Role models and aspirations

I recently had a conversation with a woman who did not know what her next steps in facilities management should be. We had a really good chat about my career history, what I did right and what I did wrong. People look up to people, and if I can help, I will. I personally have always challenged myself and in turn, I’ve always liked to see people grow and become successful. When I can talk about how I have helped others to succeed, it gives the person I’m talking to the same drive to know that they can do the same. That’s really inspiring.

I’ve been a mentor for women from different working backgrounds at OCS. By mentoring women across the business, both inside the cleaning division and outside of it, I have been able to demonstrate how career development is always a possibility. I spend a lot of time talking about the opportunities that our roles present us with and how the flexibility our roles offer us can help us reap real rewards further down the line in terms of career progression. I know that we all have commitments outside of our work life, but balance is crucial and at OCS you are supported to progress your career as far as you have the aspiration to do so.

The confidence question

I think confidence plays a role in women not wanting to progress beyond a certain level too, because management is traditionally an industrial arena dominated by men and you have to be brave to take that step and make sure your voice is heard. Some people don’t like or want to do that, but I’d like to see more women take on leadership roles within single service cleaning in our sector, so we can have a greater balance in leadership teams.

That said, there are definitely people waiting in the wings who will rise to the challenge in the future. They are organised, they know they can’t just go out there and wing it and they go out and speak to the cleaners ‘at the coal face’ as well as doing all of the other jobs that a management role involves. I could see that with the other people I have worked with alongside in the past.

Honesty is vital to good leadership. Having experienced leaders in my career who were not always honest when it was needed, I am committed to working with my team with a sense of honesty and tactfulness to ensure that the job is always done to the highest of standards. By being honest with your team, you instil trust in your leadership which means that a team will be much more comfortable to go the extra mile for you.

Do push it!

Management positions in cleaning remain quite male-dominated and I understand that trying to enter these rooms can seem quite overwhelming. But anybody who has got that get up and go and the strength to push through and deliver their best are the people for the role. I believe that bringing more women into management and other leadership roles can only open opportunities for businesses. There is a huge talent pool of talented women to tap in to, who have the skills to progress through the business.

We need to push for everything because there is a place for us at a senior management and managing director level. There are females on our board which is really positive and I think people aspire to that. There are also a lot of women in leadership roles within OCS, including in the cleaning team, and there are women coming through the ranks too. If one of them takes my job when I retire, it will make me very happy!

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