With many companies in the janitorial service industry subcontracting their work, the value of having a self-performing janitorial staff has been lost. Self-performing janitorial teams guarantee a level of quality from the janitorial service provider you partner with.
What Is a Self-Performing Janitorial Staff?
As a potential outsider to the industry, you may be unfamiliar with the difference between self-performing, or in-house, janitorial services and outsourced janitorial services. In-house janitorial services are likely what you imagine when you picture a janitorial service company: a provider has an in-house janitorial staff made up of their own employees. Meanwhile, outsourced janitorial services are when a company uses outside subcontractors to complete the work that you hired them for. We’ll explore the differences between these two below, but to summarize, we believe that a self-performing janitorial provider is the superior option.
Many companies in the janitorial service industry have shifted into outsourcing their work. A study conducted in 2019 by Statista shows that 24% of companies in the industry outsource their janitorial staff—up from 15% in 2018.
Why a Self-Performing Janitorial Staff?
Now that we know that the janitorial service industry is trending towards outsourcing, why is that a problem? What makes an in-house service provider preferable to one that outsources their work?
Uniform Standards
A self-performing janitorial team will provide you with the same services at a consistent level of quality every time. If your self-performing provider doesn’t execute to your level of quality, then they have the ability to immediately adjust that behavior. Furthermore, an in-house provider will have team members committed to you, making the work efficient and standardized as they get to know you and your company.
Comparatively, outsourced janitorial staff have no direct ties with your company, giving them the opportunity to scrape by with the bare minimum. Relying on outsourced staff is also not the best way to make sure quality work is being done. If a cleaning provider doesn’t have enough of an in-house team to crack down on lackluster performance from outsourced staff, it leads to mediocre work and poor quality standards. Finally, since cost effectiveness is the primary motivator for companies that outsource their staff, they’re likely to have high rates of turnover.
Direct Control
Cleaning providers with an in-house janitorial staff are extremely flexible. Since all of their team members are under their direct control, it’s easier for them to adjust their work processes when you want something changed. This makes your feedback immediate. If you need to communicate an issue with an in-house provider, you’ll have a direct line of communication with them.
When compared to in-house providers, communication with companies that outsource is like a frustrating game of telephone. By the time your requests reach the outsourced staff, they could be getting a completely different message from what you were trying to communicate. When you compound that with the fact that outsourced janitorial staff have low incentive to listen to their contractee, communication breakdowns are a certainty.
Accountability
In-house service providers hold themselves accountable for the quality of their work. With everyone under the same roof, there’s no deflecting responsibility. This forces in-house providers to take a proactive approach where they anticipate your needs ahead of time. They know that if they don’t execute, they’re the ones responsible.
Companies that outsource have no shortage of chances to deflect blame. Whether it’s the provider deflecting towards the janitorial staff or the staff deflecting back towards the provider, it’s a system destined to have a lack of accountability.
Everything Is Above-Board
You know what you’re getting when you partner with a self-performing janitorial provider. An in-house provider will have:
- Staff that are licensed to use their equipment
- Above-board, ethical employment contracts with their janitorial staff
- Best practices that follow local laws and regulations
It’s impossible to predict the reliability and quality of outsourced janitorial teams. Cutting costs is the highest priority with most companies that outsource, which often leads to teams of low quality. Janitorial staffing is based solely off the bottom line at the expense of ethics and even legality for these companies. While a janitorial service provider that outsources may appear like an attractive option at first glance, dig deeper to see if they are truly above board. Alternatively, save yourself the trouble and partner with a self-performing provider.
Properly Trained Staff
Even without the ethical and legal concerns presented in the last section, in-house janitorial staff is going to be better equipped to deal with your business. In-house staff goes through thorough training set by the company before taking on other responsibilities. An in-house staff will have consistent service because of the direct communication their reputable employer provides.
On the other hand, you can’t be sure that outsourced janitorial staff will have gone through a formal training period, and you may get work that varies in quality.
Self-Performing Providers Wipe the Floor With the Competition
To summarize, self-performing providers:
- Produce consistent, quality work
- Make communication easy
- Adapt to your feedback
- Abide all ethical and legal standards
- Are well trained and equipped
The only situation where outsourced companies win over in-house providers is when cost is the only factor being considered. That’s not to say that cost is unimportant, but the savings don’t justify all of the issues you’ll run into.
Consider Carlson for Your Janitorial Needs
If a self-performing provider sounds like a fit for you, reach out to Carlson. We tailor our comprehensive cleaning services to each client and are experienced with a wide variety of industries. Our janitorial services include general cleaning, hard floor cleaning, commercial carpet care, concrete maintenance, and more. Contact us to get started on a plan for your business and experience The Carlson Difference.
