Spotless staff urged to come clean over issues

CLEANERS employed by an Edinburgh-based contractor are being encouraged to wield “mops” of a different kind in a bid to boost morale and air any grievances.

Niall Moffat wants to boost engagement across the business

Spotless Commercial Cleaning, which has a workforce of 1,100, has introduced “moan or praise” sessions to enable staff to raise any work-related issues with senior management, including chief executive Niall Moffat.

“The sessions are all about achieving greater levels of engagement across the business,” said Moffat, who joined in 2006 as financial controller and was promoted to chief executive in February.

“We are focused on creating a cleaning business with a difference, one where our people are properly valued and, just as importantly, energised; where any issues or challenges which they face in the workplace are shared.”

Spotless was founded in 1988 by Edinburgh University student Roger Green and recently opened an office in Manchester, joining its other locations in Aberdeen, Glasgow, Leeds, London and Newcastle.

Moffat told Scotland on Sunday that the next logical site for an office would be Birmingham, although no concrete plans are in place and the company has tended to expand into areas where existing clients – such as property manager Capital Properties – have put down more roots.

The firm has just unveiled annual revenues of £10.1 million, down slightly from £10.2m a year ago, but Moffat has set a target of growing sales to about £15m within the next four years.

Spotless started issuing its managers with iPads last year so they could use a purpose-built app to record how well their cleaners are performing, as well as to log health and safety issues.

Moffat said: “I’m confident that these efforts, combined with the on-going expansion we’re experiencing across the UK will enable us to further grow our business and increase revenues.”