School cleaning is not so different from any other facility when it comes to the cleaning itself. And yet there is one major difference that is fundamental when it comes to educational cleaning, and that is the safety of students and staff. Since cleaning is a service business, people will always we the core of any good cleaning program. But where children are concerned, who is cleaning your facility or campus is every bit as important as how they are cleaning.
Do You Trust the People Cleaning Your School?
Trust is earned, not just given. It is for this reason that school cleaning, screening & background checks are paramount. School safety is a current hot topic and for good reason. Too many news reports and tragic events have plagued our nation’s schools. For an administrator there is no issue more central with parents and staff than child and student safety. While you cannot control everything, you should do all you can to carefully vet any person who is in and out of your facility on a daily basis.
Health & Safety Are Integral to Any School Cleaning Program
Whether you are a facility manger or school administrator, you want your school clean and the people cleaning it worthy of your trust. Secure facilities and student safety are critical when shopping school cleaning services. Whether you manage a K-12 school, private school cleaning or campus cleaning, you want a reputable, efficient school cleaning service with a thoroughly screened team of cleaners and janitors.
Not only do you need a cleaning company that staffs your school with safe people, you need a company that has a low industry turnover. Why is this so critical at a school? When considering school cleaning, you want the person caring for your school to be a good fit and a the right addition to your school “family.” The last thing you need is a revolving door of new hires that you know little to nothing about.
Don’t Assume Your Cleaning Company is Screening Properly, Make Sure!
You cannot take shortcuts when it comes to child safety. And you cannot assume your current cleaning company isn’t taking shortcuts when it comes to hiring. You’d like to think they value safety and their reputation as much as you do but the issue is important enough to require confirmation. You should ask about your current janitorial companies’ screening procedures and then verify for yourself that they are in line with what is going to keep your students and staff safe. Any school cleaning company or commercial janitorial service should put every single employee who is involved with your school (not excluding extra help or substitute cleaners) through an adequate screening process that includes:
Initial Screening
The screening process should kick off with excluding any applicants that are simply not a good fit for a learning environment. Any potential hire considered for a school janitorial service should have good communication skills and a personality that will allow for pleasant interactions with staff and students.
Employment & Education Authentication
Any prospective hire should have a thorough verification done of their education and employment history. This verification happens by contacting past employers to confirm dates of employment, gaps in employment and look for any indications that an applicant may have left under worrisome circumstances.
Reference Checking
Talking to a prospective employees' references is always a good idea but especially when you are screening employees who will be working alongside children. School cleaning necessitates people who can follow instruction and get along with a diverse group of individuals. One way to really get a sense of an applicant is to speak with his or her references. With just a little probing, you can quickly get a sense of whether a candidate is going to be your next top performer or you an ongoing issue.
In Person Interview
If a prospective employee passes through these hiring steps, he or she is then interviewed. Like reference checking, a personal interview can be a very effective way to gauge the likely success of a potential hire. An experienced school cleaning company will know what to look for to find applicants that will be most likely to be a good fit for your school cleaning.
E-Verification
U.S. law requires all businesses to employ only those persons legally allowed to work in the United States. E-Verify is an Internet-based system that allows businesses to determine the eligibility of their employees to work in the United States. E-Verify is the best way school janitorial services can be certain they have a legal workforce and protect you and your school from the legal pitfalls and liability issues inherent with illegal hiring.
Criminal History Check
A thorough check should include both a State Police Background Check and an FBI & State Police Fingerprint Check to insure prospective hire has not been convicted of a crime against person or property, a drug conviction or a felony conviction. A state police background check provides a timely report of any local Michigan convictions.
Drug Testing
Any potential school cleaning candidates must be drug free. Again, the importance of your janitor or school cleaning employees and how they fit into your school “family” cannot be overstated. A solid, reputable Michigan school cleaning company will make sure anyone they place in your facility passes a multi-panel drug screen prior to being offered employment.
You Have the Right School Cleaning Staff, Now What?
Getting good people is the starting point and a non-negotiable and yet, your school cleaning company should also offer professional, responsive service and meet the specific needs of your facility. Does your school cleaning company offer adaptable staffing to manage scheduled events and extras like open houses, sporting events, parents’ night, community meetings and more? Does your school janitorial service use the best available cleaners to disinfect germs and protect student and staff health? Does your school cleaning company have a responsible, affordable green cleaning program?
The most professional, capable and safe school janitorial services will offer transparent pricing, responsive service, carefully screened and well-trained employees who will be a welcome addition to your school ‘family. It can be challenging to find the right school cleaning company or janitorial service but your kids are worth the effort. If you need assistance finding the right fit for your school cleaning needs, consider using the ISSA CIMS certification to confine your choices to school cleaning companies that have already passed the most demanding industry standards. This professional certification is like a Masters program for cleaning and can take a great deal of the speculation out of finding the right school cleaning service for your school.
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