19 Essentials for Custodial Staff Training & Development Excellence

A company’s greatest assets are its people. This phrase is used to describe the value of human capital in organizations across many industries. Yet “people problems” continue to be some of the most frustrating issues facing managers and organizations. In-house and contract cleaning custodial staff are certainly no exception.

A missed task does not always mean someone does not care. It may mean “clean,” “finished,” or “urgent” has a different meaning to each person on the crew. A useful training program turns those words into actions people can demonstrate.

Start with the job: what needs to be done, which method to use, how to recognize an acceptable result, and when to ask for help. Then give employees a chance to practice with the products and equipment they will actually use.

Make expectations specific enough to teach

The idea of hiring for attitude and training for skill is a useful discussion starter. In practice, define the job-related behaviors you need and assess them consistently. “A good fit” is too vague to serve as a training plan.

The following 19 essentials give supervisors and custodians a shared starting point. Use them for coaching as well as onboarding; each one needs an example from your building.

1. Deliver exceptional customer experiences. Explain what you are doing when work affects occupants. If a restroom is closed, make the alternative clear and keep the supervisor informed.
2. Maintain a positive attitude. Discuss a difficult task in terms of what is needed: more time, a different tool, or help. Supervisors should make it safe to report a problem.
3. Assume positive intent. Ask what happened before assigning blame. A missed room may reflect an access problem or an unclear handoff.
4. Go the extra mile. Notice work that falls between checklist items and report it. Take on an extra task only when it fits your training, priorities, and safe working procedures.
5. Act with a sense of urgency. Know which problems need immediate attention and who to contact. Urgency should mean a prompt response, not skipped safety steps.
6. Leave no stone unturned. Check the finished area against the agreed standard. If a problem returns, review the process rather than repeating the same unsuccessful step.
7. Be fanatical about response time. Acknowledge requests and give a realistic update. If a job must wait, explain who is handling it and what happens next.
8. Do what you say, follow up, and follow through. Record unresolved work and confirm when it is complete. A verbal promise is easy to lose during a busy shift.
9. Be on time. Be ready for scheduled assignments and handoffs. Supervisors should explain how delays affect other people’s work and how to report them.
10. Take responsibility. Report mistakes or damage promptly. The useful next step is correcting the problem and identifying what would prevent a repeat.
11. Ask why. Understand the reason behind a procedure. If a product, surface, or instruction is unfamiliar, ask before substituting your own method.
12. Seek first to understand, then to be understood. Repeat a request back when its scope is unclear. “Do you need this area ready before the meeting?” can prevent a wasted trip.
13. Listen. Give the person explaining a task your attention. Ask them to demonstrate a step you do not understand.
14. Share information and communicate. Leave a clear shift note: the location, issue, action taken, and remaining work. Avoid vague messages such as “machine broken.”
15. Seek continuous improvement. Bring recurring problems to the supervisor. Test a proposed process change with approval and compare the result before making it standard.
16. Make little things matter. Use specific inspection points: dispenser condition, corners, touchpoints, and equipment left ready for the next user. Define what acceptable work looks like.
17. Be flexible. Expect priorities to change when rooms are occupied or an urgent issue arises. Confirm what moves down the list so work is not silently missed.
18. Be helpful. Show a teammate where to find an instruction or the right tool. Escalate tasks that require training or authorization you do not have.
19. Be humble. Accept coaching and ask for a second demonstration when needed. Experienced employees also need instruction when products, equipment, or procedures change.

Teach the cleaning task, then watch it happen

A conversation about teamwork cannot replace instruction on cleaning. Choose one routine task, demonstrate it, and let the employee repeat it while the trainer observes. Explain the result you are checking, then correct the specific step that needs work.

Cover product selection, label directions, the equipment manual, surface compatibility, and the facility’s written procedures. For hazardous cleaning chemicals, OSHA and NIOSH guidance calls for training before use, including hazards, dilution, storage, protective equipment, spill response, labels, and safety data sheets. Use language and vocabulary employees understand, and make the SDSs accessible.

Ask the employee to show where the instructions are kept and explain what they would do if the product or equipment looked different from the demonstration. That reveals more than asking, “Any questions?”

Give every shift a clear handoff

Try a brief start-of-shift discussion covering changed priorities, rooms with access restrictions, equipment out of service, and unfinished work. Give each open item an owner. At the end of the shift, record what remains and why.

A supervisor can use one of the 19 essentials as a coaching topic. For example, “follow through” might mean checking whether a reported dispenser problem was resolved. “Listen” might mean asking the crew which step in a new procedure is difficult to carry out.

Check whether the training is working

Use a simple record with the task, trainer, practice date, observed result, and any follow-up needed. Separate attendance from demonstrated ability. Someone may have watched the video and still need supervised practice.

Look for repeated missed tasks, repeat cleaning, unclear handoffs, and equipment problems. Discuss the pattern with the people doing the work before deciding whether it calls for coaching, a different process, or better tools. For a practical training topic, use our four cleaning equipment tips to review daily maintenance, storage, and operator responsibilities.

Training is also a practical place to challenge familiar cleaning routines. Use Action’s dilution guide to review how employees read instructions, measure consistently, and prepare cleaning solutions. Choose one recurring problem, agree on a change, and inspect the result. Avoid promising savings until your own records support them.

Start with one task this week

Pick a task that regularly causes questions or rework. Write down the standard, demonstrate the process, and have each employee practice it. Review the result together and decide what needs another demonstration.

Action Academy offers articles, training videos, and eGuides to support that conversation. Use those resources alongside your facility’s procedures and the instructions for the products and equipment on site.