I hope that our readers had a great holiday season and I wish everyone a happy and healthy New Year. We are ready to delve into the world of hospitality and share insights, strategies, and solutions to help operators and restaurateurs thrive in this ever-evolving industry once again.
With so many changes, there are still certain topics that we need to keep coming back to. Cleaning training is at the top of that list. It is crucial to reassess and revamp our training methodologies to align with the changing landscape of the hospitality sector.
The past couple of years have witnessed unprecedented challenges, forcing businesses to adapt rapidly and embrace innovative strategies to grow.
In this month’s article, we are delighted to have the esteemed presence of the Imperial Dade’s Director of Training, Bill McGarvey, who will guide us through the process of enhancing training programs in 2024.
I began my chat with Bill with a question about training that is delivered consistently, not just for show.
“Training today needs to be tied to the procedures within a scope of work, covering the chemicals, tools, and equipment used to accomplish that workflow. It needs to stress safety protocols throughout and provide a connection to “why”. That approach all but guarantees to positively impact the cleaning effort.”
I was curious to get Bill’s thoughts on the relationship between employee productivity and an ongoing training program.
“Training offers “Best Practices” which speak directly to productivity,” he said. “Also, when training is a common occurrence, trainees become more willing to share some of their tips and will often have a better practice based upon the unique needs of a facility.”
With the turn of the calendar every year, it’s become an on-going concern of the impact of rising minimum wages across the country. This month increases in both California and New York go into effect.
Bill shared his perspective: “Frankly, mistakes can be costly. On a good day, mistakes only mean having to do something again. This is called re-work or a redo. Whatever you call it, it costs more. Damage to surfaces or furnishings can become quite expensive resulting in insurance claims. Training really is a “pay me now or pay me later” proposition.”
As we look at the impact of increased minimum wage and maybe a smaller work force, I was curious to get Bill’s thoughts on how to balance increased productivity with enhancing employee wellness?
“Productivity is about being more effective. Most productivity enhancements these days are about making the job easier. Most people want to do a good job. So if we can help them do a better job by explaining how the tool or process will help them to be more effective, hopefully getting the job done quicker and easier (once they get the hang of it), they’ll feel better about the work which can impact their wellness. Also, many productivity improvements reduce or eliminate repetitive motion issues that result in injuries, thereby enhancing wellness.”
The final piece of understanding where training fits in a P&L in ‘24 needs to be the cost and projecting an ROI on that training investment.
“Our programs are typically low or no cost to our customers, he told me. Formal classes have seen only a modest increase over the past few years. Frankly, most of our programs are bargains. However, there are costs to a customer beyond our fees. There is the cost of taking personnel out of their role for the training. Does the role need to be filled by someone else? On overtime? Is travel involved? Etc. Certainly these issues can have an impact. But the cost of doing nothing is rarely nothing. If bad habits are not corrected, it will cost the organization both financially and reputationally in the long run.”
Bill confirmed how important input is from both a restaurants staff and vendors. “It’s simply amazing how fast the industry moves today,” Bill explained.
“For example, there are a lot of new floor types being installed these days. Treating them like traditional VCT will likely ruin many of them. From a mere mention during our one-day hard floor program several years ago, to now comprising most of day two, specialty flooring has grown from a customer need that is often vocalized by our Imperial Dade sales team.”
It seems that whenever you hear a reference to training, safety is attached to it.
Bill shared his thoughts: “Safety is always at the top of the list, and usually somewhere in the middle and again at the end. I’ve had people get injured. Fortunately, none were life-threatening, but could have been. And all were life-impacting. I’ve held up training for over an hour once while we waited for a floor machine with an appropriate plug. If the job cannot be accomplished safely, it shouldn’t be done.”
When he mentioned floors, it struck home because we dedicated a substantial amount of effort at our shows last year to floor maintenance.
Bill explained the role of the National Floor Safety Institute (NFSI) to me.
“The NFSI was formed in 1997 to aid in the prevention of slips, trips, and falls through education, research, and standards development. Because of my commitment to safety, I became involved in NFSI’s work. While most people believe the rate of fraudulent injury claims from slips, trips, and falls is very high – I often hear guesses of 75%, 80%, 90% or higher – in fact, it is only about 9 or 10%. I believe our training programs need to be the point where flooring and floor care product manufacturers, and floor maintainers come together to provide safer walkways for all users. Improper floor care can have a direct bearing on flooring safety. In addition to or general and hard floor classes, we also offer a one-day Carpet Care class.”
Bill’s overview of our programs create a simple outline for the operator community: “We have a class called General Safety in the Workplace. This class looks at proactive safety and the concerns within the custodial field such as chemical safety, personal protective equipment, electrical safety, moving furniture, ladder safety, and more. We also offer a General Cleaning class that covers trash removal, dusting, and vacuuming. Our training programs touch all the bases with a focus on Safety including Required tools, chemicals, and equipment, Proper order of procedural steps; Helpful tips; and Care of equipment pre, during, and post-operation.“
Finally, as Bill and I spoke, it became clear that each company we work with needs to have management that can continue to champion training commitment and process on an on-going basis. From that need, our leadership class was born of an industry need.
“All too often, a newly appointed supervisor or lead person was a good custodian who showed up every day,” Bill concluded.
“They get promoted but don’t always get any additional training for their new position. Our one-day Leadership class looks at the traits and characteristics of leadership, and delves into coaching, people skills, motivation, customer service, and more.”
Bill and his team are here to help. Keep an eye on our Imperial Dade Cleaning Institute webpage and our social media channels for upcoming class schedules or contact your Imperial Dade sales consultant. Happy New Year.
