[Mrs Nicholls]

Hi all

Just wondering if anyone else was having problems recruiting.

We have sent at least 12 application forms out, the last week or so, and not received 1 back at all.

Advertisied in local paper and jobcentre, and now having to turn customers away as some of our staff have left and we have no replacements.

Have tired putting notices up in shops, local free paper and daily paper, jobcentre, website and asking around, people seem interested but then dont turn up for interviews or return forms.

Makes us think we are doing something wrong.

anyone got any ideas?

Thanks
Lisa

[*Chris Browne]

Hi Lisa

Try asking your present cleaners to see if they can recomend anyone..

[Gerry Styles]

Lot depends on what wages you are offering. In our area cleaners are at a premium and are looking for at least £10 p/h

[absolutecleaning]

Lisa - nice problem to have in a way.

Gerry - has the price you quote / charge to customers risen in line with this?

[Gerry Styles]

Yes. I tried for 16 months to fill a job and was covering it myself during that time. It was one of my customers who told me to increase the wage rate and charge accordingly. The job was filled in a week, I had 42 applications for it.

[chosker]

We are finding we get the staff fine but they leave really quickly... reliability has gone shockingly downhill recently???

Gerry - what area are you in? We are in Herts and pay between £6.50 - £8.50 depending... may need to think about putting these up  :

[Gerry Styles]

I am in Bristol. Quick staff turnover is usually due to pay. I have had cleaners leave for 10p an hour. Thats why my charge is so high.

[Mrs Nicholls]

Thank you for all the replies,

What percentage of the customers charge do you pay your cleaners? so that you have some left over for hol pay and nics etc?

[garyj]

Another problem is Tax Credits don't offer an incentive to work. I offered an easy job to an existing cleaner to go and clean the company next door, it would take her 20 mins for an hours pay. Her reply? " no point as Tax Credits will bump my money up anyway" !!!!!

Another one this week. One of my staff is paid 2 hours for a job she is actually at for about an hour a day. The customer likes her and she does a good job with no complaints. In effect she is on £13.00 an hour. She phoned me yesterday and asked for a pay increase.

You can guess my answer  :

[cml]

Cleaners now know they are in demand.   :     They know that they can switch quite easily from one company to another playing the salary game.

We had interviews last Friday  and the very first applicant called up very early in the morning saying he was unwell, giving it the cough and low tonned voice and wondered if we could see him next week allowing him to try to recover over the weekend.  Today an email comes in saying:

Hi Den, Just requesting an update on my interview I attended on Friday :
He has obviously forgotten what company he attended his interview.

This is the market we are now in.   They will haggle on pay all the time.