Drug Checks and Red Flags When Hiring a Cleaning Employee

Drug checks and red flags are on the top of the list when hiring cleaning employees. And how you frame your ad when hiring maids deter those in need of drug checks and red flags. 

Along with questions to ask when hiring cleaning employees are words used, you also have to pay attention to body language and intuition.

Listen: Drug Checks and Red Flags When Hiring a Cleaning Employee

Watch: Drug Checks and Red Flags When Hiring a Cleaning Employee

Red Flags in Background Checks for Employees

Background checks and red flags when hiring employees. That’s going to be a tough one but let’s talk about it today. We had a cleaner who had a question and they said this.

“I’m about to hire some people but I’m scared because if I run a background check, that’s not going to tell me everything. What do I need to know to hire somebody that’s not going to steal from my clients?”

Background Checks Start in Your Ads

So, when you’re writing an ad that’s going to bring people in the door to see if they’re right for your company. Add in there that you must pass a background check and a drug check.

That’s going to scare away all the people right up front that will not pass a background check or a drug check.  Now the people that show up, you’re going to ask them some questions which you can do with online apps.

There are programs that allow you to do that.

Questions to Ask on Background Checks to Find Red Flags

There are questions in your interview process where you guide your candidate down the road. Ask them questions like, “Hey, as I do a background check, is there anything that you want to share with me that I’m going to find?”

This gives them an opportunity to tell you and explain something about them. They know what’s on their record. If they’ve been arrested, they know what’s on their record. If they have a couple of DUIs that are hanging out there in the past, they know what’s on their record.

This gives them a chance to bring it forward, to be forthright about it, and to share with you what happened in their own words. That way you can make an educated decision about hiring them.

Listen to the Words They Say for Red Flags

Now, if there’s nothing that you should be afraid of, start listening for the words that they use. Listen to the word choices.

Watch their eyes when they have a conversation with you. Are they looking down? Are their eyes darting away? Are they lying to you? This is nonverbal communication to pay attention to while you talk.

Oftentimes when we meet someone for the first time, our antennas go up because we’re a little bit skeptical anyway. So just trust yourself and your instincts.

Dig Deeper Into What They Say to Find Red Flags

When people say things, that gives you a chance to dig deeper. Don’t ignore it. The first inclination that we have is we want to believe everyone is good and kind and honest.

That is not always the case. But people will tell you things that give you clues in an interview and you have to listen to them. If people say things that suggest a red flag, you have to notice it.

Ask them, “Is this a problem that you’ve had in the past?” And you start asking questions like that. Then you have to dig deep into their answers to get clues about them.

Being late is a Red Flag

If somebody says, “Well, I try to get here on time but sometimes I run late.” Right there, that’s a red flag. That’s a red flag that says I steal time from the company.

They may not be stealing stuff from customers’ houses but they steal time from the company. They haven’t figured out how to organize their life so that they are on schedule so they take time away from you.

Listen for the Little Things During an Interview

So, you start listening to the little cues they give. Dig a little bit deeper. So, what happens if you’re late? What happens if your car breaks down?

You can lead them to give you clues to their character. As you talk, they might tell you, “Well, some customers have so many drinks in the fridge, they’re not going to care if one goes missing.”

That’s stealing, okay? It’s not stealing jewelry off the bed stand. It’s stealing something out of the fridge that is not yours. That is a red flag that they’re not good for your company.

People Don’t Change Red Flag Behavior

People don’t really change who they are, if they give you red flags during an interview, pay attention to it. They can change who they are. But you’ve heard the saying that says, “A leopard does not change his spots.”

What that means is that people have a tendency to follow along the same lines that they’ve always followed. And if they’re doing small little tiny things like being late or stealing then they won’t stop.

When little things go unchecked, it turns into bigger things over time. You could take a seemingly innocent person, and over the course of a job, they become a bad person because there are no consequences.

You Have to Be Able to Trust Employees You Hire

In the house-cleaning industry, honesty is paramount because you need to be able to trust your employees.

And so in my company on day one, I say, “I just want to check and make sure that we’re on the same page. If you take anything that is not yours, even Halloween candy, that is stealing. Do you understand?”

And they’re like, “Whoa, I never thought of it like that. But yeah, I understand.” This way if something goes missing from the customer’s house you can trust your employees.

Have Drug Check Conversations Right Away

So, you have to have those conversations right upfront. You can also listen to red flags. You have to think, is there anything that made you uncomfortable, that you can’t ignore about this person?

You may want to have a second interview and this time prepare better questions. But you need to be a pro at listening between the lines and listening to what their intentions are.

Ask yourself, do they make excuses? And where do they draw the line on efficiency and productivity and honesty and teamwork? Because if they’re telling you what you want to hear, they’re going to slip up and toss up a red flag.

You Don’t Want Red Flags to Pop Up

We like to believe that people are kind and good and honest, we don’t want there to be interview red flags.

But if you’ll be honest with yourself, you will have a moment where you will say, “You know what, something did not clear my check. I don’t know exactly what it was but I’m not sure. I don’t feel 100% convinced that what I just heard was the truth.“

And that will give you pause and that pause may save you from hiring the wrong person.

You Can’t Ignore Drug Checks and Red Flags

So, you don’t have to be super skeptical. But because you’re hiring someone, you’re going to trust them with your customers’ most valuable assets. They will be inside the client’s homes, with all their possessions and family members.

You have to be at least a little critical and skeptical about the people that you hire, and there are some things you can’t ignore. I’m not trying to be mean but you are putting people in a very unusual situation.

This is not retail where somebody comes in and they have a 30-second transaction with you and they’re gone. These are lifetime relationships where you are placing someone that works for you in the care of one of your customers. So, take it very seriously. This is not something you can ignore. All right?

*** Resources From This Episode ***

These good karma links connect you to Amazon.com and affiliated sites that offer products or services that relate to today’s show. 

When you click on the links and buy the items you pay the exact same prices or less than if you found the links on your own elsewhere. The difference is that we make a small commission here at the show for sharing these links with you. So, you create good karma by supporting 8 families who work on this show.

How to Hire the Best: The Rural Business Owner’s Ultimate Guide to Attracting Top Performing Employees – https://amzn.to/2ZWCBnB

96 Great Interview Questions to Ask Before You Hire – https://amzn.to/2QtQruD

Why Can’t I Hire Good People? Lessons on How to Hire Better – https://amzn.to/2SZfBmL

Hire Smart from the Start: The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Finding, Catching, and Keeping the Best Talent for Your Company – https://amzn.to/2N2xZaj

Recruit Rockstar’s: The 10 Step Playbook to Find the Winners and Ignite Your Business – https://amzn.to/35v04gM

Permissions To Share

You Have Our Permission To Share This Episode

Show Sponsor

Savvy Cleaner Training – House Cleaner Training and Certification

My Cleaning Connection – Your hub for all things cleaning.

HouseCleaning360 – A hub connecting homeowners with house cleaners

Savvy Perks – Employee benefits for your employees.

Turnover Cleaning Tips – for Vacation Rental and Airbnb Hosts