Tips for Being a Better Janitorial Supervisor

Custodial supervisors are in charge of a lot – assigning tasks to employees, maintaining a comfortable and clean atmosphere, as well as general cleaning duties. These are all important things to focus on, but in order to distinguish yourself as a quality janitorial supervisor, you’ll need to go above and beyond the basic job duties to lead your team to performing their absolute best. When your team succeeds, you succeed, and most importantly, your company succeeds. Nothing goes farther for employee performance than creating an environment that is both positive and productive, so here are a few tips for being a better janitorial supervisor.

Keep the lines of communication open
Make it a priority to have an open, honest, as well as fun environment for your employees. Being able to communicate between the supervisor and employees will allow for a productive work environment, as employees will feel more secure about coming to you with their questions and concerns. Communication is vital in creating the right work environment, and giving everyone the space they need to succeed.

Look for learning opportunities
Mistakes are going to happen, that’s unavoidable – it’s how you handle them that truly matters. When a mistake is made, you’ll often find that’s the perfect time to do a little extra training with that employee and help them learn from it for the future. This will help build a mutual respect between supervisor and employee, as well as improve operations moving forward.

Make decisions as a team
Many decisions that supervisors make also impact their employees. For that reason, it’s a great idea to include your employees in the decision-making process. When supervisors look to their team for feedback on company decisions, employees feel like their voices are heard and that upper management cares about them and their work, which will help garner commitment and improve work ethic.

Prioritize positive feedback
Showing your employees you appreciate them will help create a valuable rapport between supervisor and employee. Even a simple ‘thank you’ can go a long way, as well as acknowledging a job well done. Quality leaders know that it takes many people and talents to be successful, and showing your employees that you appreciate their role will help your organization as a whole.

Investing in your team
In addition to giving positive feedback, it’s rarely a bad idea to reward employees on a job well done. This will help them feel good in the environment you’ve created, and even increase their investment in your company. This can be done by implementing one-on-ones, which is a time where the supervisor can meet with the employee to go over their performance, and identify places they are excelling, as well as areas they can improve.

Understanding their importance
Making sure your employees understand the company’s history and their value to the company is something every good manager should do. Knowing where the company started, how it has grown, as well as future goals can only inspire your employees to help further the company’s success. Plus, you can’t run a company without your team, so make sure they know you understand their importance.

Running  a company is difficult but rewarding work, and it’s even more rewarding when every employee is invested in its success. Creating an environment that your employees enjoy working in will translate into the performance of the business overall, and it all starts with being the best supervisor you can be.