[Jenny1]

Hi,

I'm looking for a bit of advice about staffing.  I'm finding it really difficult to find domestic staff, let alone any good ones.  I'm currently looking for someone to work 16-20 hours a week and they need to have a car to transport equipment, materials etc.

I've advertised through the Job Centre and on Gumtree and had calls from people who obviously haven't read the job ad properly as the majority don't have a car or are looking for evening work. 

I've invited those that have met the criteria for interview.  Most of them have shown up but whenever I phone someone to offer them the job, they don't answer the phone and I've left messages but they don't call me back.  A couple that have accepted the job have then text me on the morning they're due to start to say that they don't want the job anymore.

I've got a few commercial staff who've been with me for a while and I don't seem to have any trouble finding them and keeping them.  Are people just not attracted to domestic cleaning or am I doing something wrong?  I'm getting really frustrated as I've tried and just can't seem to find anyone!

Any advice would be appreciated, thanks.

[pristineclean]

I can only guess, obviously, but maybe you're offering an hourly rate of pay which is insufficiently greater than the amount you pay commercial staff to make this an attractive proposition to someone who is required to drive to take the position on, this assumption based on the fact that those who have accepted the position have then elected not to start employment with you. 

The H&S, insurance and administrative requirements which are a strict necessity of commercial cleaning are routinely ignored in domestic cleaning and householders are generally likely to compare providers on a cost basis; the result of that, in my opinion, is that a cleaner who can drive is likely to be able to undercut your company in the provision of domestic cleaning services while earning a better hourly rate.  Those staff who have attended interview may have done so for no other reason than market research or may have realised subsequently that the travelling time allowance which you offered was insufficient to achieve a reasonable overall hourly rate.

I don't love jobcentres or gumtree as staff sources and, in your position, would be more likely to place a small ad in the local paper or, and this would also be a reluctant choice, get an agency to find someone for me.

My first business was set up with domestic cleaning identified as the most lucrative market; three months after starting trading I abandoned it completely. With that in mind, someone better qualified might be able to offer better advice.


Incidentally, I tried to use the phrase' my' and  'assumption' in the first sentence and the site won't let me; that's as strict an application of the 'never assume' rule as I've ever seen..

[darren clarke]

this might sound stupid but   a lot of the people who might be applying for the jobs will be single mums or people on benefits and then they sit down and work it out they might be better off not working

it was recently in the paper that a single mum on 16 hours with 2 kids is better off by 4p in every £1 they earn, so why go work

and a couple working 16 with no kids is better off not working as they get more in benefits

[peter maybury]

rather than look for one person to cover a few jobs it might be an idea to look for 1 person to cover each job and advertise the job close to the location of the work so that you do nt need someone who drive but some one who is just looking for a couple of hours per week. I have filled many jobs like this by just putting a postcard in the local shop window. People who drive findi t a lot easier to find work than people who dont.

Peter Maybury
www.carpetcleaningnewport.com
www.carpetcleanercardiff.com

[dianegreenwood]

Hi Jenny

I have the complete opposite problem.  I have a waiting list of great people who want to work on the domestic side and I get numpties applying for the commercial. Maybe we should swap job adverts!

Give me a call if you want to discuss hourly rates, etc.

Cheers

Diane

www.freshlymaid.co.uk

[Griffus]

Is it possible that something you are doing or saying during interview puts people off? It seems strange that this keeps happening.

One other point, you say that you have you offered the job to a couple, that have then accepted only to no-show on their first day?

Stating the obvious but something is definitely not working with your selection process so may be an idea to take a look in house and see if you can make a change.

Final suggestion, have you considered switching one or two of you commercial staff to the domestic side. If commercial all work in teams then recruit staff to these posts as they can be offered a better / easier intro to your company.