ECJ EUROPEAN Cleaning Journal

London-based cleaning company Julius Rutherfoord & Co was recognised for its commitment to and investment in training at the 2017 European Cleaning & Hygiene Awards. Why did they deserve to win the top prize? ECJ spoke to Marcus Heap, sales and marketing director.

Establishing a workforce equipped with the necessary skills to carry out their duties requires commitment and investment – cleaning business Julius Rutherfoord & Co says this is at the heart of everything they do. “Firstly, we value our workforce and their expertise and development; secondly, we take great pride in the exceptional standards we provide our clients. Thirdly, training is vital for the safety and security of our staff and our clients,” explained Marcus Heap.

“Commercial cleaning requires skills that must be taught through training, not least the health and safety procedures surrounding the correct use of equipment, and the proper technical knowledge connecting cleaning with good hygiene and infection prevention as well as effective communication skills.

“Thorough training gives organisations the peace of mind their cleaning operatives will provide a quality service and they are up-to-date on the latest cleaning methodology, keeping people and places safe.”

The company believes in providing regular training for operatives, as an ongoing process. “This ensures that staff are up-to-date with the latest developments in best practice and product innovation and use the right equipment and techniques.

“We also recognise the importance of giving staff the right tools to be able to do their job properly, from providing the best cleaning equipment and materials, to outlining clear procedures to follow in all situations, from cleaning techniques to interacting with clients.

“It’s vital to keep a record of all training provided, so you see where there may be skills gaps or when refresher training is required and to ensure training sessions are scheduled. Every training session is carried out, recorded, and reported on through our bespoke contract management app.

“Another key element to effective training is acknowledging when employees have done an excellent job by rewarding success. We pay above the minimum wage and, wherever possible, the London Living Wage. We have developed an in-house award scheme to publicly recognise outstanding effort and performance.”

What are the most challenging aspects of implementing effective training right across the business? Heap replied: “We never rest on our laurels – we are always looking for exciting new ways of improving our service to clients and our training delivery to support this. New innovations and a constant evolution of best practice and new equipment means training needs to be carried out frequently.

“To keep track of all the training, we need to be constantly reporting and tracking who has done what. Our solution is our bespoke contract management app, where everything is carried out and instantly reported – cutting down on administration and enabling meaningful training to be conducted at the appropriate time.”

He continued: “Thanks to our thorough reporting, we are able to schedule specific training for individuals. We can spot gaps in training and make sure they are filled, and we can ensure key knowledge is fresh in the minds of our cleaners through refresher training.

“We also recognise the diversity of our workforce, so for maximum impact we offer training in multiple languages. Everything from training and weekly visits by area managers to our monthly email communications are delivered in multiple languages to ensure maximum impact.”

And the Julius Rutherfoord & Co training programme goes beyond that which is necessary to simply ‘do the job’. It covers a host of areas including induction and health and safety training, motivation and communication skills, and site-specific training including client culture workshops.

Employees also have opportunities for apprenticeships which alongside role specific skills, teach functional skills such as Maths and English. “This free education in English, which is second language to many of our employees, is valuable not just for their role, but personal development too,” Heap points out.

“In terms of engagement, the nature of cleaning, with skills including handling complex equipment and showing initiative, suggests cleaning staff are open to learning new things. People have many different reasons for working in the industry, and different aspirations for what they hope to get out of it. Many of our area managers, for example, began their career with us as a cleaner and have risen through the ranks.”

Enter the 2018 European Cleaning & Hygiene Awards now - visit the website at www.echawards.com