Training scenarios
Wandering and not watching/not paying attention:
First try to regain their attention: There are several ways you can do this and exactly how you approach the trainee may depend on their specific personality type and communication style. Here are some phrases and ideas:
Direct and to the point: “I totally get that shadowing can be tough, but watching closely is going to help make sure you have the tools to succeed here.”
Sometimes you can tell right away when a trainee has a great sense of humor or that they’re lighthearted and will respond well to a joke. Instead of being direct or firm in this case, you could use some humor: “I know it’s kind of boring. If it makes you feel better, I’m going to be in the same boat at the next house.”
And then just reiterate that really watching and listening is going to help them succeed here. You can always start with a couple jokes and then be direct if they’re still struggling to pay attention.
2. Try open ended questions: If trying to redirect their attention isn’t effective, try asking open ended questions. This essentially forces them to engage. It also gives you a chance to see what they know, how well they did with the online training, and gives you some insight as to what they may struggle with. Here are a couple ideas that will work for virtually any cleaning task:
“Right now I’m doing ZYX, what would my next step be?”
“Based on what you learned in the online training, what would I do first in this room?”
There are endless questions you can ask. Tweak them to match the specific task:
“Notice I polished these appliances, but I’m not polishing XYZ. Why do you think that is?”
“Do you think I should do the lower or higher stuff first? Why?”
“What would you recommend I use to clean this particular thing?”
Be creative and just try to keep them in the room and watching.
3. Let them clean: If you’re tried redirecting the trainee in multiple ways and it is still not working, it’s probably not your fault. It doesn’t happen often, but some people really struggle to sit and watch and will benefit from a more hands on experience. At this point, you can give them a set of rags and shadow them. Because they haven’t seen you clean much, prepare to give them a lot of direction and constructive criticism.
To minimize coming across as if you are micromanaging, make sure you also have a set of rags. This way if they’re struggling with something or making mistakes, you can show them exactly what the expectations are, but without taking their rags. This shows them that you two are working as a team.
Trainee is moving too slowly:
They should already have the time guidelines list that is pinned in groupme.
Address communication style before cleaning: Before you even begin shadowing them, you can ask them exactly how they would like you to address any speed concerns throughout the day: “Before we start, how would you like me to communicate timing and speed throughout the clean? I’d like to make sure I’m giving expectations in a way that you’ll really benefit from. I typically… (*explain your communication style here*).” There aren’t a lot of different options here, but these questions and ideas may help you understand how to address the trainee specifically when you see them moving too slowly. You can also ask if they have any suggestions. Use this time to make sure you explain how you communicate.
I tell a lot of people I am autistic so that they know why my communication style is the way it is. And while this doesn’t apply to every trainer, you can still explain how and why you communicate the way you do. And if you’re flexible, you can change your style to match theirs!
Remember that telling someone they’re moving too slowly is not offensive. We charge clients PER HOUR. Most MN cleaning companies charge per house. And we NEVER charge them for more than they’ve agreed upon. But we ALWAYS pay employees for the time they have spent at a house. Going over literally costs the company money. It’s okay to let them know this.
Set timers. Communicate at multiple intervals how much time they have left- i.e. halfway point, 15 minutes left, 5 minutes.
Let them know that your job is to coach them and get them up to speed literally and figuratively, so it’s your job to let them know when they are physically moving too slowly. – really listen to their response to this and watch their body language. If you can tell they are uncomfortable, you know to be a little more gentle. If they’re joking around and telling you, “yes, tell me I’m slow as ****,” then you know you can really get after them. Everyone is different! Try to cater to each person based on what you believe their needs are.
We know how to handle someone that wants blunt and straight to the point. For more sensitive people, try telling them what they are excelling at before letting them know they are moving too slowly. Even if the quality isn’t there yet, find one thing they did well and compliment that. “The kitchen so far looks amazing. I love that you did XYZ. I can tell you really paid attention to the training. But the pace isn’t quite there yet. You’re hitting all the details, but to get done on time, you would have to be moving quite a bit faster than this.” This works for people that want straight forward communication too! If you have a compliment, say it!
Speed issues are often not because they’re just moving their body parts too slowly. A lot of times, it’s efficiency. Watch closely and stop them any time they do something that has wasted time.
Examples: If you see them carrying one garbage from upstairs down to the trash, going back up and then carrying another down and emptying it into the trash, stop them right away. “A more efficient way of doing this would be to go through every room upstairs and compile all the garbage into one waste basket and then bring it down.”
If they are going to vacuum the remaining bathrooms upstairs and you know they’ll be working top to bottom and all they have is their bathroom attachment, stop them and tell them that they’ll be cleaning the entire upstairs, so they should bring all their rags, the dry mop, all the other vacuum attachments they might need, etc.
Are they bouncing from thing to thing? Tell them if they go top to bottom, left to right, they will not only be more efficient, but are less likely to miss something!
Here are some phrases you can use when they apply:
“I want to make sure you’re successful here. We’re paid by the hour so speed matters.”
“I noticed in the kitchen (or whatever room), it took about ZYX longer than it should have.” Explain to them why so they can adjust their technique in the next area.
“How are you feeling about time?” You can ask this when you notice they are moving too slowly. This will allow you to give very specific expectations. It works well with trainees that need a more gentle approach.
Trainee is talking inappropriately in a client’s home:
Making sure clients feel safe and comfortable is incredibly important, which is why we need to keep our conversations and language appropriate while in their homes.
Address it immediately and privately
To avoid embarrassing the trainee, pull them aside if possible. Do this as soon as you hear them talking inappropriately.
2. Be kind but direct
Explain exactly what they did or said that was against company policy
Make sure they know you’re correcting their behavior to help them learn because you want them to succeed, not to punish or humiliate them.
Here is an example of what you can say when this happens:“Hey, I want to pause for a second. We need to keep our conversations professional and respectful while in client homes.” Explain what they said or did.
You can also mention that clients often have cameras in their homes so anything we wouldn’t say in front of them, we just shouldn’t be saying. That’s a good general guideline to explain what is or isn’t considered appropriate.
Trainee is too chatty:
It’s important that trainees are paying attention and really listening while shadowing. Unfortunately, this is usually when a trainee will be too talkative- likely because shadowing can be a bit monotonous. Especially for those with ADHD. Here are a couple strategies for navigating this situation.
Redirect their attention
It’s their job to pay attention and your job to make sure they’re staying on track. It’s okay to turn the conversation back to work.
“That’s really interesting. So this is how you clean xyz and this is why.”
2. Kind and direct
Let them know you appreciate the conversation but that it’s important to be fully present and you can talk later.
“We’ll have time to chat later, but for now let’s keep the conversation to training.”
Trainee seems bored, angry, or irritated:
Communicate
They may be having a bad day or they might be frustrated with something related to the training. The only way to know is to ask.
Instead of saying “you seem annoyed,” try, “I’ve noticed you seem frustrated. Is everything okay?
“Is something about the training frustrating you? If you let me know, we can work through it.”
Talk through whatever the issue is and make any necessary changes if you believe the trainee will benefit from them and have a better training experience.
Trainee is not doing what you asked:
Make sure they understand the expectations
Explain exactly what you want from them in detail. They might have misunderstood or need more context. Instead of “clean the sink,” say “use bar keepers and a blue scrubby to clean the sink and make sure you rinse it thoroughly as to not leave a residue.”
2. Correct them
“I asked you to go top to bottom from one side to the other. I noticed you are bouncing around quite a bit. The reason this is important is because XYZ”
3. Be direct if it’s ongoing
If you see them making the same mistake or just completely not doing what is being asked of them, be direct in communication to understand why the problem is occurring. “I’ve had to repeat XYZ a few times. I just wanted to remind you that it’s okay to ask questions if you’re not understanding something.”
Communication is key! Don’t just bark orders. Ask them why it’s happening and how you can help to resolve it.
When to chime in:
It’s not always easy to correct someone, especially if it’s often. It can feel like you’re being picky or micromanaging. But it’s also important that they’re learning the proper method and using the equipment in the right way. This will help them succeed and be efficient. This is why asking their communication style and explaining your role at the beginning of the day is important.
"I'm going to give you feedback throughout the day, but I don't want you to feel like I'm watching every little thing you do. If I correct you, it's because it's something I think is important for you to know.”
If they seem comfortable with it, (especially on the 3rd day of training), you might want to employ a method of asking them to think out loud, so that you can accurately assess how much info they’ve taken in.
Correct right away
You’ve already set the tone and let them know that you’re going to be giving them feedback. The best way they’re going to learn is if they’re corrected in the moment so they don’t create bad habits.
Refer to it as “our system” or the “Sparklean Standard” instead of just telling them they’re wrong. This changes the tone completely.
Always explain the way: “I notice you’re starting to clean the stove but haven’t cleaned the microwave yet… XYZXYZXYZ”
If you can tell the trainee is becoming frustrated, refer to the last training scenario and change things up a bit if you have to.
2. Give them a bit of space
No one wants someone interrupting them every 5 seconds. We can correct people without being overbearing.
If possible, correct a few things at once- as long as this is not going to put them behind or cause them to back track a ton.
Wait until the end of the room for minor things and then tell them what they did great before correcting the tiny details. “The kitchen looks great! I did notice a few small things...” and explain.
3. Don’t wait until the end for EVERYTHING
Ultimately you have to use your best judgment to know how many times to interrupt. It will vary from person to person.
Always correct something that is going to put them way behind or cause a mess like trying to clean the stove before the microwave right above.
Always correct if the same mistake continues to be made: see trainee scenario for not doing what is asked.
Never wait until the very end to correct everything they’ve done incorrectly.