Episode 1281 – The DirtyTruth About Hiring GOOD Cleaners for Your Million Dollar Cleaning Company
In this powerful episode, cleaning business coach Mike Campion shares the dirty truth about hiring reliable cleaners and scaling a successful cleaning company. If you’ve ever struggled with flaky employees or building a dependable cleaning team, this episode is for you. Mike breaks down a proven hiring system that helps cleaning business owners attract committed, core-values-driven team members. Learn why strong company culture, not just training, is the secret sauce to retaining great cleaning staff. Plus, discover why creating clear systems is more important than simply hiring virtual assistants or adding more employees. If you’re serious about growing your cleaning business and want to build a million-dollar cleaning company, don’t miss this episode!
The Dirty Secret to Hiring Great Cleaners
Mike Campion kicks things off by tackling a huge myth in the cleaning world: it’s not just clients or money that hold you back — it’s hiring. If you want a million-dollar cleaning business, you need good people who actually show up and care. And guess what? That doesn’t happen by accident. Mike says it’s time to stop hoping and praying, and start using a real hiring system
Make It Harder to Get In
Here’s the twist: if you want people to stick around, you have to make it harder to get hired — not easier! Mike explains that humans value what they work for. Just like in sports or tribes or even frat houses (yikes), when something takes effort to get into, people respect it more. So if your hiring process is just “breathe and you’re hired,” you’ll end up with flaky folks. Instead, Mike recommends group interviews, no-shows and all, to filter out the fakes.
Train the Right People, Not Just Anyone
A listener asked what kind of training to do after a cleaner starts. Mike’s answer? It’s not about more training. It’s about hiring people who want to do a good job in the first place. You can’t train someone to care — that has to already be there. That’s why Mike looks for “lovely Lindseys,” not “lazy Lindseys.” Good people don’t need to be micromanaged. They just need to be around others who care too.
Culture Eats Training for Breakfast
Even after hiring, Mike says the key to keeping people is culture. That means weekly meetings, fun events, and clear core values. People stay when they feel like they’re part of something. If your cleaner is working with someone who slacks off, they’ll feel frustrated. But if they’re on a team that brings the energy, they’ll stay sharp and loyal. It’s not about being perfect — it’s about having the right people and vibe.
Systems First, Then People
Finally, Mike talks about virtual assistants (VAs) and why hiring them can go wrong. Most business owners don’t need more people, they need better systems. If your process is a mess, giving it to someone else won’t fix it — it just spreads the chaos. Get clear on what needs to happen, write it down, and then delegate. Whether it’s cleaning, admin work, or hiring, systems come first. Always.