Sanitation workers are the backbone of a safe and functioning environment. Although often overlooked, they are an indispensable part of every industry and community. If your company is interested in maintaining hygiene throughout your processes, it’s critical to identify and hire top-tier sanitation workers.
How can this be done? This article aims to dive into effective strategies to attract and recruit high-performing sanitation workers. It also aims to discuss the qualities you need to look for within your talent pool.
Who Are Top-Tier Sanitation Workers?
Sanitation employees are those responsible for maintaining the cleanliness and hygiene of a specific location. They have different responsibilities based on their job titles.
For example, production line cleaners are responsible for sanitizing surfaces and equipment on production lines. Meanwhile, a warehouse sanitation employee focuses on the cleanliness in storage and distribution areas.
Regardless of the differences in their responsibilities, sanitation employees are vital in maintaining your operations. They prevent the spread of viruses among your workforce. Moreover, they are crucial for light industries that work with food processing and preservation.
Key Qualities to Observe
Even with different sanitation jobs in existence, they all require specific skills and attributes that can make a professional successful in their role. If you want to identify potentially high-performing sanitation employees among your pool of candidates, the following are key qualities you need to observe:
1. Physical Stamina and Strength
Ideally, a sanitation employee should have exceptional stamina and strength. This is because their role’s demanding nature usually requires them to accomplish physical labor. From handling heavy equipment to lifting waste containers, you will need employees who can survive the physical strain of the job on a daily basis.
Exceptional stamina and strength ensure consistent productivity of your sanitation team throughout the week. It also reduces the risk of injuries brought on or time lost because of fatigue.
2. Strong Work Ethic
A hallmark of a top-tier sanitation employee is his or her work ethic. By definition, it simply means a personal set of values that affects their performance at work. However, it can actually lead to numerous qualities needed for success.
When employees have a strong work ethic, they are able to finish their responsibilities without needing supervision. They are more reliable and more flexible. They can handle changing work conditions without negatively affecting their productivity.
A sanitation worker with a strong work ethic is punctual. They can meet deadlines consistently. In cases where they make a mistake during their tasks, they are known to own up to their mistakes. They believe in taking ownership of both quality work and mistakes.
3. Attention to Detail
Included in the list of sanitation workers’ sought-after qualities is attention to detail. High-performing employees have a keen eye for identifying areas that need additional maintenance. They are able to ensure that no spot is overlooked within their assigned areas.
When you have a detail-oriented sanitation worker, you can be confident that they are following all existing protocols. From waste segregation to proper disposal methods, their precision significantly contributes to the effectiveness of your sanitation team and operations.
4. Communication and Collaboration
The importance of sanitation workers goes beyond manual labor. They can also offer valuable insights and suggestions related to improving your sanitation efforts. Because of this, a top-tier sanitation employee should have the ability to easily communicate and collaborate with others.
Your professionals should be able to convey important information in a concise manner. They need to be able to clearly communicate any valuable information to their supervisors and colleagues. Smooth coordination between your sanitation team and other departments can ensure quick problem-solving of hygienic issues, especially in large-scale operations.
5. Commitment to Safety
One of the problems faced by sanitation workers is the hazardous situations and materials they may come into contact with. This is why a steadfast commitment to safety can distinguish high-performing sanitation workers from regular ones.
These individuals prioritize adherence to safety protocols and consistently use proper personal protective equipment. They follow established procedures for handling dangerous materials or operating machinery. Moreover, top-tier sanitation employees are known to remain vigilant in identifying potential safety risks in their work environment and proactively take steps to mitigate these hazards.
Creating an Effective Recruitment Process
Now that you are aware of the qualities to look out for, the question is, how do you recruit these top-quality sanitation professionals? The key lies in three different parts of recruitment.
1. Sourcing Top Talent
With a list of skills at your disposal, the challenge now is to source the top talent you want to recruit. Where can you find sanitation professionals who have the qualities you’re looking for? Instead of searching “sanitation workers near me,” consider tapping into the following:
Community Colleges or Vocational Schools
Find institutions that offer certifications related to sanitation. They can be a great source of fresh but skilled sanitation professionals who can be further trained or onboarded into your operations.
Local Job Fairs
These venues allow you to meet potential candidates face-to-face. You can also showcase the benefits of working in sanitation for your business, which can be more convincing than reading an online job post.
Social Media Platforms
In today’s digital age, many candidates are searching for jobs on social media applications. When you utilize social media posts, you can reach a wider audience and engage with a bigger talent pool.
Employee Referrals
This can be a goldmine for finding quality candidates. Since your current sanitation employees are already aware of your business needs, they can vouch for skilled individuals who they think meet the qualities you’re searching for.
Staffing Firms
If you’re looking for top-tier employees but don’t have the capacity to search far and wide, then partnering with a staffing firm like Horizon America is the best method for you. Our years of experience have accumulated a wide pool of pre-screened candidates with the skills and qualities you need for your business.
2. Attracting Candidates
Once you know where to source candidates, the next step is to attract them. In order to do this, you need to craft compelling job descriptions and offerings that go beyond basic requirements or expectations.
Make sure to highlight your competitive wage offerings. This can demonstrate how your company values the essential work brought by sanitation roles. You can also include benefits packages like health insurance and paid time off. If possible, it’s also ideal to offer training programs and other opportunities for career advancement.
Beyond benefits, another powerful attraction strategy is to emphasize the impact of the roles on both your business and the community. Many candidates, especially younger ones, are drawn to jobs that contribute positively to society and the environment. By framing sanitation work as essential for public health and environmental stewardship, organizations can tap into candidates’ desire for meaningful work.
Read more: Creating Enticing Job Posts
3. Screening Potential Employees
The final step to choosing the right sanitation professionals is to conduct comprehensive screening. Although you aren’t required to perform everything, the following is a list you can use to choose which screening methods to conduct:
Crosschecking
Ensure that your candidate’s experiences and requirements fit with the skills you listed in your job post. During this method, it’s also ideal to check any listed references and information to ensure an accurate employee background.
Skill-Based Assessments
Create tests to verify your candidates’ capabilities. This can be in the form of a physical aptitude test, equipment operation simulations, or safety protocol quizzes. Whether you choose to do all of these or just one, remember that the goal is to ensure your potential new hire is equipped with the skills he or she will need to succeed in the open role.
Behavioral Interviews
There are many qualities that can’t be proven through a background search. This is why it’s necessary to conduct a behavioral interview to learn more about their past actions and experiences in the sanitation industry. These one-on-one conversations can reveal important traits, such as their ability to solve problems or work with others.
FILL YOUR OPEN ROLES WITH TOP-NOTCH PROFESSIONALS
Looking for an easier and surefire way to source, attract, and screen top-tier sanitation employees? Then Horizon America is the staffing partner you need. Established in 2013, we are experienced in providing our services to industrial and manufacturing companies. We are confident in our ability to provide efficient staffing no matter the unique needs of your business.
Learn more about what we can offer by contacting us today!
