The future of cleaning – it’s not what you think
Gareth W Marriott
Managing Director Australia & New Zealand at OCS, 1M and Midcity
Last week I attended the ISSA Cleaning & Hygiene Expo in Melbourne – the largest of its kind in the southern hemisphere with more than 4,000 people attending. It provided an opportunity to catch up on the latest innovative solutions from leading international, Australian and New Zealand companies and to share ideas on how we can collectively shape the future of the industry.
I was privileged to sit on a panel discussion (The Future of Cleaning) along with Hamish Matheson from K?rcher, Joe Cardamone at Cell Biosciences, Michelle Thomas from GECA and Christiaane Davis at Rubbermaid. It proved to be a popular topic with standing room only in the presentation theatre, and the diversity of the panel ensured it was a lively and thought-provoking discussion. Together, we offered opinions from all areas of the sector, centred around technological, cultural, economic and scientific advancements.
So much has changed in the last five years; the level of data and information that is now available to us has fundamentally changed the way our sector communicates, operates and delivers services to our clients. Harnessed correctly, data provides us with deeper and more meaningful insights into both our own, and our customers’, business than ever before – providing better decision-making, compliance and health & safety monitoring, and ultimately a better service provision to our clients.
Sustainability is now front and centre of how we operate. The products we use, our supply chain, our packaging, our waste – and the waste from our clients. It’s also about our people, being clear about how we treat them, retain them and encourage them.
The ability to recruit, and more importantly retain, our frontline staff is key. I’ve personally seen the issues created with the loss of career cleaners – and that’s a tragedy, they’re the backbone of our industry and key to our financial sustainability.
Looking forward, there are some significant challenges facing our sector. In New Zealand the change in minimum wage policies has had a massive effect on our bottom line and has meant some tough(er) price conversations with our clients – always a challenge in such a low margin sector.
At OCS, we have made a conscious decision that we are not going to drive prices to the bottom in order to secure work. It doesn’t support our business and most importantly, it doesn’t support our people – it doesn’t demonstrate value and it doesn’t show them respect. It becomes another challenge when other players within the sector don’t uphold the same values.
Which brings me to a very important point. Sadly, price gouging encourages modern slavery – and that issue is fast becoming a scourge on our industry. Collectively we need to take a stand on this – as customers we need to take a close look at our supply chains, but we also need to encourage other businesses to start doing the same. Until we all start to question drastic undercut pricing, the problem won’t go away, and for the 18,000 people estimated to be living in modern slavery across ANZ, and the 40.3 million worldwide, that’s unacceptable.
Challenges aside for a moment, the future of our industry is actually really positive. Yes, we need to get that people bit right – and when we do, combined with exciting technology and innovation advancements, we can create the very best quality service for our clients.
As members of the cleaning industry, it’s up to us to help drive and shape that future – we need to reinvigorate the industry so that we can regain its respect and that for our people.
And how do we do that? As an industry we need to get back to basics. We need to focus on the value of cleaning and what that brings to our customers. We can do that by improving the visibility of our industry (like the recent Thank Your Cleaner Day), and by being active participants in shaping our futures, showing pride and humbleness in our people.
Senior managers everywhere within the industry need to get out from behind the board room table and do a cleaners’ job for a day, take those insights and have strategy conversations with suppliers and partners – that’s how we can start to educate our customers to appreciate the value beyond lower prices.
If you’re still reading, I’d love to hear your thoughts about the future of the industry and how you think we can reinvigorate it.
Taking a break to refresh and re-evaluate where I want to progress.
5 年Well said Andre, the true way forward in business is to make it successful and sustainable for Every level of the business whatever the trade. Which means bringing True, genuine appreciation and consideration to every level of the organisation.. Leading by actions not words. Its pretty basic unfortunately far to many business's have forgotten..
People Lead
5 年Gareth, I noted your comments on seeking other perspectives on the future of the Australian and New Zealand cleaning industry and how to reinvigorate it. Although the panel discussion in Melbourne was interesting, and the subsequent focus on modern slavery of huge importance (especially through its highlighting of how large corporates can make a tangible difference to this heinous issue), I believe there is a far more immediate matter that can be tacked by all industry participants. The lack of sustainable employment in the industry is a real concern, and one which can be simply solved through better organisation and a semblance of cooperation. I believe that, as an industry, we should focus on providing sustainable employment in cleaning, followed by developing real progression pathways. Although such pathways are likely to lead cleaners to waged careers outside of cleaning, it is precisely such an employee value proposition that could usher in a new generation of recruits, eager not merely for sustainable employment, but keen to utilise this dynamic industry as a first step into a broader career. In my view it is this simple refocus that can both nurture and develop our industry into the future – and assist in achieving a measure of positive social mobility within New Zealand and Australia in the process. As you note: “We need to focus on the value of cleaning and what that brings to our customers.” I would add: “and what it could bring to our society”, for the relevance of our industry could truly be elevated through the pursuit of broader objectives.