
When you mention the word training or cleaning to most people, the usual perception is that both activities are easy. And in some respects, I agree they are. But there are some basic principles to understand before we get to the point where the delivery looks easy. Good, well-trained cleaning operatives will make it look easy as they generally know what they are doing and how to work in the right manner. Training is made easy if the message is given in the right way and the trainer is able to understand the limitation of the receiver.
In the cleaning industry there are several people who class themselves as trainers. I have witnessed sessions where the trainer is unable to engage with their audience in a way that makes it interesting as cleaning as a subject is hard to sell. Habits acquired by the operative are very hard to break and add to that pressure of time constraints and poor equipment can lead to more problems than solutions.
I am going to outline some of the common mistakes that are made in our industry when it comes to training. Some can be fixed and others not so easily.
Mistake no.1. No Specific Goal Set
In most cases we train for compliance. This can be done via toolbox talks, one to one with managers or supervisors but mainly as a group. There is a need to ensure that as far as is reasonably practicable all health and safety rules and regulations are adhered to. This is a firm goal with clearly defined outcomes. But when it comes to skills training especially for ground level operatives this can be a real hit and miss affair. The trainer is not always sure of what the goals should be and therefore mistakes can be made as these goals do not meet the companies objectives or values. It is hard to gauge progress and stay consistent when you have no real outcome in mind. Operatives get confused and once they have left the training arena they will go back to their old ways as that is all they understand.
Solution – You need to set aims and objectives for your session.
Define the purpose and what the desired outcomes will be. Share this with your audience. Provide them with a lesson plan. Make sure you are training to a level that compliments your organisations business and will ensure that the operative delivers a first-class service.
Mistake 2 — Following the same exact process. One size does not fit all
In most situations that I have trained and worked in, not all participants have the same education level or language. A good trainer will need to find a way of ensuring that the same message to given to all in the same way. Some operatives find it hard to sit in a classroom environment and they may switch off. They are not used to that education environment as they may have been out of education for some time or not at all in some cases. A poor trainer will not take these points into account and as a consequence, the message is not going to get to the participant in the right manner.
Adults learn in different ways and focus on different aspects of a subject. One participant may have a different knowledge base than participant two when the training is complete. To avoid this problem, provide your participants with a general outline of what’s covered in training and what they are expected to learn.
Solution - Take the time to find out who the target audience is.
Always assume that they know nothing to start with. Test them to see what they know and how experienced they are. Learn different styles of learning and delivery. Try to put yourself in the shoes of your trainees. If possible pre-assess your candidates to assess their levels of education, understanding of the dominant language.
Mistake 3 — Making someone a trainer without knowing if they can train
You will find that the best trainers will come from within your organisation. They will have worked for you for some time and have good industry knowledge. But regardless of how good they appear to be there is an assumption that they are able to deliver training in a style that will get the best out of the participants. A good and well-prepared trainer will need to find their own style of delivery. They will need to know how to prepare a session that is meaningful and to time and ultimately deliver learning outcomes for all. Do not put them in the classroom cold and without direction. Where possible get them some training on how to prepare and present a session. Put together an “orientation” for a new trainer, have them
observe a more seasoned trainer, and then you can observe and oversee the new trainer in the classroom.
Solution – In the early days of your training career, negotiate with your sponsor to ascertain expectations.
You will need time to get into the role and understand how things work. If you can take a ‘Training the trainers’ course, this will enable you to plan and deliver your sessions. If you are unable to deliver a training session discuss with your sponsor and work out a programme of development.
Mistake 4. Lack of industry experience
What can be worse than a trainer who has little to no experience? Every participant is expecting to hear something new. They expect you to be able to answer questions that are sometimes not even related to the subject you are training. If the participants perceive a lack of confidence and knowledge from the trainer who is not able to give examples that illustrate the points, they may lose some of the class. It’s necessary to show people how to learn by giving them examples during training. It will also be necessary to demonstrate alternatives in certain situations. The examples must be pertinent to the question. If this is left out, trainees may have knowledge but may not be able to function in the actual working environment.
Solution – Provide trainers with training and refresher training to keep them fresh and knowledgeable.
Talk to suppliers about their products as they may offer training. Go to exhibitions and trade shows to see what is on offer. Use social media to see how other people use equipment and train. This will give you a rounded view of the world of cleaning equipment.
Mistake 5: Lack of investment
In some organisations, they are keen to highlight how good their training and the facilities are. But there is a reluctance to spend money on equipment. The procurement department and trainer don’t have the experience to spend money in the right manner.
Solution - If this is the case, go to the person who controls the budget and explain what you intend to do and what the financial impacts may be.
The key thing is that all equipment should reflect the type of equipment that will be used on site. Make a list and relate the list to business activity.
Mistake 6: No evaluation or retraining
This point is not the last on this subject, but it is crucial to the success of any training and development. Too often operatives are sent out into the wide world and the only time the company knows that there is a problem is when the client complains, or there has been an accident. Complacency in service delivery is commonplace. There has been no follow-up at all on training activities. Everything then starts to revolve around the outcomes instead of the journey. You can look at something and say that it is clean but what about the bacteria count on the surface. What about the fact that the operative used the same cloth in multiple areas and surfaces?
Solution – Have a programme of visual assessment. Watch how your staff work.
You don’t have to do this yourself but there may be an opportunity to have an anonymous observer. But what a good trainer should do is to have a means to continually evaluate their training and have measures in place to have corrective training in place. Compliance training should have an expiry date. At that point retraining should take place.
In conclusion, the points above are just a snapshot of what can go wrong. We work in a difficult environment with lots of different factors to make up a successful contract. Give yourself time and plan your sessions with an end game in mind. Work with your management team to find solutions to on-site problems. Educate yourself to be able to deliver meaningful sessions. Learn how to use the tools at your disposal. Understand your audience. Make allowances for differences in language, knowledge and culture. Try to engage with them and make each person in the room feel comfortable. Praise when they do some good and console when things don’t go well. In the cleaning industry, the one thing that our managers don’t give us enough off is time. Use it wisely when you do get it. And the two main things that will elevate you as a trainer is patience and tolerance.
About the author:
Tommy Taylor is the Director at T. Taylor Solutions and an accredited ISSA CIMS and ISSA CIE facilitator. Tommy has had extensive experience training cleaning and FM companies in the Middle East and continues to raise standards in cleaning through his own company in the UK, T. Taylor Solutions.