How to Become a Commercial Cleaning Supervisor

Do you want to make a lucrative income? Do you enjoy cleaning commercial properties? Do you have supervisory or managerial experience? If so, you should consider becoming a commercial cleaning supervisor. As a commercial cleaning supervisor, you will complete cleaning tasks and supervise cleaning staff as well. Common duties include managing disputes, handling scheduling issues, hiring employees, and completing cleaning tasks (dusting, sweeping, vacuuming, and mopping). If this sounds like a great career choice, learn strategies and techniques to become a commercial cleaning supervisor.

Step 1

Know the pros and cons of the business. If you already have a day job and are looking to earn extra money or are attending school, commercial cleaning is great because it is usually done after hours. It's also great for families where both parents work to help cut out the day care expenses. Another plus is that the salary for a commercial cleaning supervisor is quite high.
In addition to pluses, there are also some cons. For instance, the work can be physically demanding and cleaning inspectors typically spend 8-12 hours a day on their feet. In addition, the position can be stressful as you have to exceed client expectations.

Step 2

Learn the position. When working as a commercial cleaning supervisor, you'll need to be extremely well organized and able to hire and mange others. Most commercial cleaning inspectors have commercial cleaning clients and market themselves to large and small businesses alike. Although some of them purchase franchises, others establish their own businesses.

Step 3

To find a job working for a commercial cleaning agency, visit your local workforce center or call cleaning services in the yellow pages to see if they are hiring. It would also be helpful to check the help wanted section of local newspapers and also search classified ads online such as craigslist for available opportunities.

If you would rather purchase a franchise, you should check into Jani-King and Office Pride. Both of these offer training courses and commercial cleaning certification to individuals who wish to own their own commercial cleaning businesses.

Step 4

Develop expectations. After you have some experience in the commercial cleaning industry and are ready to be promoted to inspector, you need to consider what duties will be expected of you. Commercial cleaning inspectors are expected to establish and adhere to cleaning standards and ensure that their staff does also. They must also conduct inspections of the premises to make sure the cleaning crew has covered all the areas. They may need to make assignments for the crew to cover more areas, and provide special cleaning instructions. An inspector is also required to provide feedback to their supervisor about the cleaning standards and how targets are being monitored. They must also plan and organize the cleaning crew. Therefore, it is important that you take supervisory and managerial courses at your local college or engage in a commercial cleaning inspector training course.

Step 5

Develop your skills. You also need to take into consideration the skills that are required to be an inspector. You must have literacy skills to be able to complete training records. You must also be proficient with numbers to be able to monitor the amount of hours worked by the crew. You will need to be able to solve problems quickly and independently. You must also be comfortable with communicating authority verbally. It is helpful if you have previous experience in managing employees, even if it was a small amount. If you lack in any of these skill areas, you should seek extra training before attempting to move into the position of inspector. You can receive free training on many job skills from your local workforce center.

Step 6

Most commercial cleaning supervisor positions have certain requirements that must be met before you will be considered for the job. Generally you will be required to have at least six months worth of experience using cleaning machinery and working with cleaning chemicals. Ideally, you will have at least three months experience in supervising staff. You must also be up-to-date on all health, safety, and welfare standards. Some commercial cleaners have other requirements in addition to the ones listed, and some may have fewer. Always check the requirements of the specific company you work for to make sure you're eligible.