Amy Caris: Automate Cleaning Employee Hiring and Onboarding

Last Updated on August 25, 2023 by The ZenMaid Team

Sure, there are plenty of areas in a cleaning business that people will say are the most important: Pricing, marketing, brand strategy, etc.

However, Amy explains that it’s really the systems themselves that are important. They give you structure and guidelines that will continue to benefit your maid service by keeping it consistent.

They also keep you well organized and help to track your cleaning company’s progress.

This effect makes the most difference in streamlining your hiring and onboarding systems. Having the proper systems in place can assist in getting quality cleaners where you need them: in the homes of your cleaning clients.

Gaining and keeping these quality cleaners will save you hours of time and therefore, money.

If you are someone who has trouble finding “good help”, you are in the majority. Fortunately, just by adjusting and implementing the appropriate systems, you can change this struggle into a strength.

Amy Caris has developed a group of these systems to help you hire well in your maid service. Her 8-step process has turned out quality cleaners in just 2 hours weekly.

From posting to reposting, managing applications, posting sessions, completing legal documentation, to training and getting your new cleaners into their first client home.

Step 1. Freshen up your maid service’s job listing

When developing ad copy for a maid service, it should be directed to the right kind of employees. These being, hard working cleaners who understand the position for which they are applying.

When drafting your ad, be sure to set realistic expectations for the position being offered within your cleaning business. Although it is great to highlight the benefits, nothing beats honesty. It will be the key in finding the ideal cleaners for your maid service.

Additionally, make sure you are posting in the best possible place in order to find the quality cleaners that you are looking for.

Step 2. Inbox and auto reply for your home cleaning service job posting

You will want to have a separate inbox just for cleaner and staff applications so that your regular email doesn’t get flooded with replies to your posting.

Once you set up your inbox, create a template and turn on an auto response. This will save you time and mental capacity for other aspects of your life.

The template for a new cleaner job posting should include a review of the requirements of the position, minimizing replies of anyone not able to meet them.

It should also include an invitation to an information session for your maid service. You can easily weed out non-committal types by seeing who shows up to these.

By not manually responding to each application, you give yourself time to deal with other matters of your residential cleaning business.

Step 3. Schedule group interviews for your cleaning business applicants

Group information or interview sessions will be key in efficient cleaner hiring for your residential cleaning service.

People are incredible, but they can also be unreliable as a rule. By setting up these group sessions, you can put the ball in their court, if you will.

If they are not serious about the position, it will show. However with this method, you won’t waste your time on individual no-show interviews.

Once you have enough cleaners, don’t stop these group interviews. You never know when a life changing event might occur and send your best cleaner to your door with a request for leave or worse, a resignation letter.

Keep having these sessions to find new cleaners and office staff. This way, if anything happens with your current staff, you will have alternate cleaners in your queue.

Step 4. Set a clear agenda for your maid service

To start off on the right foot, set a clear agenda in interview sessions.

Let applicants for your home cleaning service know the requirements, what it is like to work with you, and ask any questions you want the answers to.

Approaching expectations can be nerve-wracking at any point, but even more so once a cleaner has adjusted to their routine at your maid service.

To avoid re-training challenges, be honest about the position and set expectations from the start. This can also reduce turnover rate as it is common for someone to leave a job because it was misrepresented.

Step 5. New cleaner lock-in

Once you find that an applicant has completed all of the requirements and you’re ready to onboard, move quickly.

Don’t let interviewees dilly-dally with responses or completion of information, set a deadline. If they are serious about the offer with your maid service, then they should be able to respond within the allotted time.

Do not chase potential cleaners or office staff. It sends the message that you need them and this is the right way to set up the wrong dynamic for the working relationship.

Step 6. Onboard vetted cleaner to your maid service staff immediately

Activate your cleared applicant as soon as possible. This shows them that you are organized and in charge of your home cleaning service.

Have an email template ready, one that gives them specific instructions for what happens next. In this, include all training required to begin their first cleaning job with you.

Within this email, also include links to any training modules you require for working at your maid service. Set up these modules online to have a reduced stressed and streamlined process.

Step 7. Build an online employee portal for your residential cleaning business

To drastically reduce the number of times you repeat yourself when hiring, create an online employee portal for your maid service staff and cleaners.

This online portal can include everything you would want to tell a cleaner right off the bat. It will be as if you were doing a walk-through with them directly.

In the portal, provide a full training that your cleaners can complete on their own time. They can click through the modules, covering the basics of the position independently.

To be sure staff take in the information, include a quiz at the end that covers the basics. Once the cleaner passes, they can then be onboarded.

An added bonus by doing this step is that every cleaner will begin with the same information about your residential cleaning business.

Note: If you still want to include on the job training, you can at least save time with the basics with this step. You can also refer them to specific modules if they have questions while they are getting started.

Step 8. Create a cleaner community for your maid service

Build a forum or Facebook group for your residential cleaning service where the cleaners can interact and share experiences with each other.

Here, cleaners can see that there are others in your home cleaning business.

Additionally, you can easily share new information with your staff on this forum. It becomes a place where cleaners can socialize, interact and learn from others in their peer group.

Update the forum with new training, cleaning tips, and send out blasts for reward programs or jobs well done to increase positive rapport in your maid service community.

Although it may take a little work to begin with, these 8 steps will allow you to be completely automated in the onboarding process for your home cleaning business.

Its check and balance systems will also increase your hire success rate and reduce the time it takes to find quality cleaners.

Using these systems, applicants will be screened and cleared with next to no effort on your part. Therefore, you will have more time for other aspects of your domestic cleaning business and personal life.

About the presenter

Amy Caris is the founder of Clean Ideas, a time-saving, cost-effective method to implementing systems that will make your home cleaning business run smoother.

Amy explains how outsourcing and automating systems can help you work more effectively.

This talk first aired at the 2019 Maid Service Success Summit.

The Maid Summit is an annual online event that brings together the most successful leaders in the cleaning industry, like Debbie Sardone, Angela Brown, Courtney Wisely, Amy Caris, Chris Schwab and more. Get free access to masterclasses and workshops that will help you to grow, scale and automate your cleaning business so you can get more leads and create more profit. Make sure you’re on our email list to find out how to get free tickets to the next event.

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